Things To Do In London Today: Wednesday 12 February 2014

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Picturehouse in Hackney. See details below

Listings

BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are outside County Hall in Waterloo, at Brewers Hall next to Moorgate, Old Town Hall in Stratford, Ealing Town Hall and St Pauls Centre in Enfield. Free, see site for terms and conditions

FESTIVAL: Ealing Music and Film (Valentine) Festival kicks off today featuring varied music both from orchestras and solo artists, films, talks and dance. The main theme is dance developed in different venues around Ealing. Until 16 February

ART: The ICA presents two installations dedicated to the innovative British pop artist Richard Hamilton, to coincide with Tate Modern's retrospective opening tomorrow. £1, until 6 April

MORE ART: X-Pose Material and Surface is the exhibition starting today at the Gallery@Oxo, which displays the photographic works of x-ray passionate Hugh Turvey. Free, until 23 February

BACK IN TIME: Discover more about Shakespearean London with this full-day course taking place at The University Women's Club. Focus on Skakespeare plays, maps, archaeology and cultural life. £44, prebook by email, 10.45am

READ & TALK: Author Joanne M Harris (Chocolat) discusses her new fantasy novel The Gospel Of Loki at Waterstone’s Piccadilly (£5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm) and Loose Muse, London’s only regular event for women writers of all genres, takes place at The Poetry Cafe, followed by an open mic (£5/£3, just turn up, 8pm)

LGBT: Incite at The Phoenix Artists Club is an LGBT poetry night hosted by award-winning poet Trudy Housan, featuring performance poetry followed by an open mic. Free, just turn up, 7pm

LGBT: Catch a gala screening of the acclaimed film ‘It Goes with the Shoes’ — about the life of performer and gay rights icon Bette Bourne — at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Swiss Cottage, followed by a Q&A with Bette, playwright Mark Ravenhill, and the film’s director Jeremy Jeffs. Free, prebook, 7pm

CYBER WORLD: Quiz ‘N’ Paste is the interactive and comic quiz taking place at the Picturehouse in Hackney. The evening is all about cyber and tech. £4, prebook, 7pm  

LOVE: Four Letter Words is an alternative evening of Valentine's pre-celebration with an eclectic mix of song-smiths and story-tellers, performing at the Conway Hall. And a little bit of burlesque. £10, prebook, 7.30pm

COMEDY: We admit we’ve never seen sketch duo Rat live, but we like the sound of one of their skits as performed by three stupid dogs. Try them out at the Etc Theatre tonight or on 17 February. £11.50, prebook, 9.30pm

GIGS: You’re spoilt for choice for live music in London. Take a look at London Gigs for full listings, but the kind folk at London Gig Guide have selected a few of their favourites for us this week. Click through to see today’s choice


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Good Cause of the Day

Tonight The Book Club in Leonard Street hosts The Birthday Party, an evening of (really cheap) charity and music videos, films, DJs and drinks. Money raised from the tickets will go to Shelter homeless charity. £3/£4, prebook, 7pm

London Connection Puzzle

Yesterday's clue was ST PETER AD VINCULA. Today's is THE HOUSE OF LORDS. What's the London connection? If you think you have it, email matt@londonist.com. (If you're reading this in the email newsletter, check the live site first, to make sure it hasn't been guessed already.) Another clue tomorrow.

From the Archive

It will be that day of the year again soon: you'll see bunches of red roses, boxes of chocolate, sexy red lingerie on sell in the shop windows and people kissing each others everywhere, really everywhere — in other words, Valentine's Day. We'd like to share with you this Pink London photo album published on this day back in 2011. Yes, maybe pink isn't the proper colour of love but, who says it needs to be red?

Londoddities

This week's theme is 'bridge oddities'. Today's entry is this weird little feature inside the Members' Room of Chartered Accountants' Hall in the City of London (apologies for the poor quality of the image). The delicate structure is too weak to carry visitors, and seemingly leads nowhere other than to a set of oil paintings. It's a competitor (with this one in Colliers Wood) for London's most useless bridge. But we're glad it's there.

Venice bridge in Accountants Hall

Previously in Bridge Week: An exploding bridge.