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SMOOTH OPERATOR: Innocent, of smoothie fame, is hosting How To Live Well and Die Old on 18 April, but you can register for free tickets today. The first in its Innocent Inspires series, designed to bring to life the values behind the company, there will be guest speakers, (optional) running, interesting discussions and half-time oranges.
ALCHEMY: A bucket load of events are either happening or starting today at Alchemy Festival, Southbank Centre, which celebrates Indian and South Asian culture. Prices and times vary, until 21 April
JAZZ: The cafe at Charing Cross Foyles store will play host to Uranium Quartet, an evening of instrumental virtuosity courtesy of saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev. Free, just turn up, 6pm
DRUNKEN RAMBLINGS: Learn from the pros how to combine drink and storytelling at Speak Easy. Nurse a cocktail as four authors present off-the-cuff stories based on themes chosen by you, at Drink, Shop & Do. Free, just turn up, 7pm
MUSIC AND FILM: Screen Social is a monthly music vs film night at The Book Club, Shoreditch. This edition will focus on British short films, music videos and animation. £4/£3, rsvp online, 7pm
DATA MAPPING: James Cheshire of UCL’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (basically, the academic unit that pumps out all those clever data maps of London) speaks at St Bride Foundation about his work mapping tweets, bikes, surnames and more. £15, prebook, 7pm
RAP: Mercury-nominated rap artist TY returns to London's Jazz Cafe this evening for the release of his forthcoming EP. £12.50, prebook, 7pm
POP: PJ and Duncan, Westlife, Britney Spears, Gina G, what's not to love? Don't answer that. But do head down to The Bedford in Balham for Nothing Wrong With Pop and some poptastic fun including live music, sweets and more ambiguously 'fun things'. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm
FILM SCREENING: Join Crafty Pint at The Railway in Streatham for a screening of Faythe Levine’s documentary film of the DIY craft movement, Handmade Nation. We have been told there will be pints and popcorn too. Free, just turn up (can reserve a table by email), 7.30pm
COMEDY: McNeil and Pamphilon are putting on a fundraiser for the MS Trust at Camden’s Black Heart. The line-up includes Late Night Gimp Fight, sketch group Clever Peter, Gemma Whelan-as-Chastity Butterworth and Jay Foreman. £10, prebook, 8pm
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Random London Fact of the Day
There are at least two statues of Margaret Thatcher in London. One stands in the Members' Lobby beside the House of Commons, and can be viewed if you book onto a tour of the Houses of Parliament. The other, more easily visited, can be found within Guildhall Art Gallery, on the upper floors. This is the statue that was decapitated in 2002 by Paul Kelleher, who ended up serving three months for criminal damage.
Good Cause of the Day
Today, a band of intrepid walkers set out to recreate the Canterbury Tales, walking from Borough High Street to Canterbury Cathedral, reading Chaucer along the way. Your trusty editor will be among them. Although it's mostly for a bit of literary fun, the walk's leader Henry Eliot is also doing it to raise money for the National Literacy Trust. If you'd like to support this very worthy cause, and cheer a few rain-spattered hikers in the process, please head on over to the JustGiving page.
London Weather
Yesterday, a friend wagered that we couldn't sneak a topical reference to Margaret Thatcher into the weather report. They were correct. We can't. Instead, expect one of the longest periods of gloom and dissatisfaction on record to continue, with northern areas particularly hard hit. The weather vane's not for turning, with constant bluster coming from the continent, getting particularly fierce towards sunset, when overcast, depressing conditions will be replaced by something much wetter; a Major washout. Things can only get better.
