Free & Cheap London Events: 6-12 May 2013

Ruth Hargreaves
By Ruth Hargreaves Last edited 130 months ago
Free & Cheap London Events: 6-12 May 2013

Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week.


Monday 6 May

MAY FAIR: Christ Church Southgate holds a traditional May Fair on Southgate Green, with maypole dancing and the crowning of the May Queen. Free just turn up, from 11am-4pm

A POUND OF THEATRE: One evening every month, The Cockpit is home to Theatre in the Pound - an award winning night of new theatrical shorts from directors, writers and artists looking for a platform. £1, just turn up, 7pm

Tuesday 7 May

VINTAGE MARKET: Dusty Fingers Vintage Night Market runs the first Tuesday of every month in Hackney - there are home wares, furniture, fashion, music and accessories stalls, as well as swap shops. Pop along to browse or pick up a vintage bargain. £1, just turn up, from 2.30pm

POETRY: Seren poets Carol Rumens, Katha Pollitt and Kathryn Maris perform their work at Waterstones Piccadilly. Free, prebook, 8pm

Wednesday 8 May

BEING BLACK: Gabriel Gbadamosi and Colin Grant both have novels that feature child narrators who are caught between black and white worlds. Tonight in Tired of Being Black? Try Being Irish these authors will mix readings with lively debate on how writers can challenge assumptions about blackness and explore what authors focused on colour will have to write about. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

CREATIVITY: Maggie Gee, Tessa Hadley, Fay Weldon CBE and David Harsent ask whether creativity can be taught, at Foyles. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

BOGOF COMEDY: Get two for the price of one with Invisible Dot's Two Previews for Five Pounds. Tonight you can enjoy Jamie Demetriou and Daniel Simonsen on the stage. £5, prebook, 7.45pm

Thursday 9 May

FREE WALK: Join a CoolTan Arts CoolWalk today and discover Southwark’s libraries and explore the architecture and history of the industry in the docklands area around Canada Water. Free, meet at Canada Water Library, 12pm

PLAYED TO DEATH: Come and reminisce at Jerusalem Bar tonight, as Night of the Living Dead is a music night showcasing artists who have passed away, bands that have split and one-hit wonders. You can email your song requests in advance. Free before 9pm or £5 after, just turn up, 6pm

RECORDED LONDON: Rarely and never-heard recordings of daily London life from the 1920s to the 1950s will be played tonight at London's Lost World Of Sound with the South East London Folklore Society, upstairs at The Old King's Head in Borough. Expect performing dogs, fortune tellers and the Tower of London's Ravens. £2.50/£1.50, just turn up, 8pm

Friday 10 May

BASKETBALL FANZONE: From today, Turkish Airlines are putting on a Euroleague Basketball Final Four Fanzone in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the premier basketball event that is taking place over the weekend. There will be a variety of interactive activities as well as a basketball court in the middle of the square. Free, just turn up, until 12 May.

PUBLIC ART: The Curious Exchange has invited the local people of Southwark to create an object and submit it to the exhibition. The submitted objects are all on display today at Dulwich Leisure Centre and if you bring your own object, you could take someone else's home with you to keep. Free, just turn up, 11am-5pm

COMEDY: Head along to one of The Invisible Dot's Free Shows. Tonight, Claudia O'Doherty is previewing material for her upcoming Edinburgh Fringe show, book in advance because they sell out quickly. Free, prebook, 7pm

Saturday 11 May

GETTY: Getty Images Gallery’s Best of Archive celebrates a selection of of iconic images from the Getty Images Archive, the world’s largest commercial photography archive with a collection of over 90 million images to choose from. Free, just turn up, until 18 May

SPRING FAIR: Oh Spring is such a fine season. Surrey Docks Farm Spring Fair Day has Morris dancing, sheep shearing, cake tables, a bouncy castle, farm animals and donkey rides. Free, just turn up, 11am-4pm

FREE FILM: The Herne Hill Free Film Festival is still on going. Check the website for full listings, but tonight they are screening the British premiere of The Night of the Taranta at the Half Moon Pub- a documentary celebrating the vibrant folk traditions of the Puglia region in Italy. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Sunday 12 May

FESTIVAL FAIR: The Festival Fair at Goose Green, Dulwich, brings together craftspeople, designers and independent shops in the area for a family fun and community day, with bouncy castle and face painting for the kids and a beer tent for the adults. The Culture Cart will also be in attendance, offering printing workshops. Free, just turn up, 11am-4pm

Check out our map of free things to do in London for more frugal fun.

Morris dancing painting courtesy of Anne Farmer.

Last Updated 04 May 2013