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Listings
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at Bishopsgate Institute, St Mary Abbots Centre in Kensington, The Church of Jesus Christ LDS in Blackheath and Sir James Hawkey Hall in Woodford Green. Free, see site for terms and conditions
SPITALFIELDS: Spitalfield Market retailers hold a flash sale today, offering discounts and promotions. Plus, the usual Thursday night fashion and arts market is on offer. Free, just turn up, all day
POINSETTIA: Top florist Neill Strain creates a giant Christmas star in front of his Belgravia boutique, using hundreds of Poinsettias. Free, just turn up, from 10am
CHRISTMAS FOOD: Guildhall Library’s Dr Peter Ross narrates the history of Christmas feasting, from Great Yorkshire Pies and Christmas pottage to Twelfth Night Cake, Brawn, boar’s head, and Turkey with all the trimmings. £5+bf, prebook, 6pm
CREEPY CHRISTMAS: The London Dungeon opens its creaky doors for a VIP Christmas late, featuring the usual screams and surprises — plus a mince pie and "poison" cocktail. £25, prebook, 6.30pm
HOT TUB KARAOKE: We had hot tub cinema. Then it was hot tub speed dating. Now it's hot tub karaoke. We have nothing left to say. £32, prebook, 6.30pm
DRUNKEN SAILOR: Hic. A heady evening of song, rum and history at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the three faces of Jack Tar; the patriot, the faithful husband, and the drunken reprobate.£15, prebook, 6.30-8pm
GIGS: Today is a good day for music, here are some tips (we have a selection of them this week), as recommended by our friends at LondonGigGuide: Slydigs at Nambucca on Holloway Road (£8.80, prebook, 7pm), Shantel at Electric Brixton (£14, prebook, 7pm) and Mouth 4 Rusty at Green Note in Camden (£7.70, prebook, 7pm)
POETRY PROJECT: The Poetry Project is an organisation, founded in the USA, that takes pride in using poetry to teach, inspire and build communities. Bite the Ballot has brought this project to the UK and is linking students from Lilian Bayliss School in Lambeth to students in North Carolina for a performance at the Royal Society of Arts. Free, RSVP to [email protected], 7pm
COMEDY: The Camden Head’s Comedy Back Rub tonight features Lou Sanders, Sarah Campbell and Garrett Millerick – all for a shiny pound coin. £1, just turn up, 7.30pm
RECITAL: Rosenblatt Recitals presents legendary Italian baritone Leo Nucci and the Italian Opera Chamber Quintet in a one-off recital at Cadogan Hall, celebrating Verdi’s bicentenary. £12-£30, prebook, 7.30pm
STAND UP TRAGEDY: We all know that comedy is just tragedy plus time, so this podcast/live show combining stand up, spoken word, music and true stories just puts it on stage a little sooner. This show in Brixton is a fundraiser for Arts Emergency, featuring Felicity Ward, Bec Hill, Steve Cross, Lucy Aryton, Richard Tyrone-Jones, Superbard, Radcliffe Royds, The Sound of the Ladies, James McKay and Kit Lovelace. £5-£9, prebook, 7.30pm
MORRIS DANCING: Blackheath Morris Men are performing their Yuletide West End tour, starting off at the Argyll Arms by Oxford Circus. Just turn up, from 7.30pm
WINTER TALES: Pete Castle, a man of Kent, sings songs and shares the folklore of the region, upstairs at the Old King’s Head with the South East London Folklore Society. £2.50/£1.50, reserve a seat via [email protected], 8pm
QT: Watch-along, Tweet-along and laugh-along with BBC Question Time at the Hackney Picturehouse. £5/£3, prebook, from 8.30pm
Good Causes of the Day
St Martin's Courtyard in Covent Garden is spreading the festive cheer by committing random acts of kindness, gifting visitors and shoppers with presents such as Christmas hampers, wine tasting and beauty packages. St Martin’s Courtyard will also make a donation of £10 to charity for each present given. Until 24 December.
London Connection Puzzle
Your two previous clues were INDIA and HOLLAND. Nobody guessed the connection yesterday, so see if you can be first with the additional clue of CYPRUS. EDIT: We have a winner, so no need to email in.
From the Archive
The Londonist Out Loud podcast went to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home two years ago, as host N Quentin Woolf discovered the history and present work of the charity.
London Weather by Inclement Attlee
Warm but foggy, like some weird, broken sauna. I rather like the fog because it means I can walk nakedly around my home without the danger of anyone seeing in. Saves on curtains.
