Things To Do In London: Wednesday 30 July 2014

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Today's Camden Fringe picks include An Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances.

Listings

BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are outside Waterloo Station office, Brewers Hall in City of London and Old Town Hall in Chelsea. See site for terms and conditions.

SHUFFLE FESTIVAL: Danny Boyle's Shuffle Festival begins in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. The focus is on ‘interconnected’ community and culture, through science, art, comedy, music and film events. Until 3 August

WAR WALK: As we approach the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, find out what the war years were like for Londoners on this guided walk. Starting in Leicester Square, hear about famous London people and events of the period including Siegfried Sassoon and the execution of Edith Cavell. £10/£7.50, prebook, 11am

SUMMER WINE: Head to Southbank Centre for a cheeky tipple of wines suitable for summer supping. Taste wines from Australia and New Zealand, including those perfect as a barbecue accompaniment. £35, prebook, 6.30pm

MUSEUM LATE: The Science Museum dedicates its late opening to Brazil. Explore the nation that hosted the last World Cup through themed activities about samba, science and football. Free, just turn up, from 6.45pm

SAKE CLUB: Learn all about Sake at Chisou Japanese Restaurant in Knightsbridge. The monthly Sake Club offers tatings of Cowboy Yamahai Junmai Gingo Sake, a Wagyu burger, tasting notes and a Q&A about Sake. £20, prebook, 7pm

LONDON IRISH: John Healy and Tony Murray are at Housmans bookstore in King’s Cross to discuss Murray’s new book London Irish Fictions. It’s the the first book about the literature of the Irish in London, and one of the books he studied was John Healy’s autobiography The Grass Arena. 7pm

GOOD CAUSE: Non-profit organisation Oxjam Camden and Proud Galleries present Sister Act, a night to support and celebrate creative females. Expect live music on the main stage and various creative stalls in the stables, showcasing everything from clothing to cupcakes, all local. £3+bf, prebook, 7pm

POETRY SLAM: See a collective poetry slam featuring emerging talents aged 16-25 taking place at the Roundhouse in Camden. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

BEHIND THE BEATLES: Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles is a show about the life of Beatles Manager Brian Epstein, who was well-known for his work with the band, but who's private life remained a mystery. He died in 1967 of an accidental overdose at the age of 32. The show is on at Leicester Square Theatre until September. £30, prebook, 7.30pm

BEAT THE HEAT: Survive the sweltering weather with one of our favourite ice creams, enjoy a breeze at a rooftop bar, take a dip in a lido, sip an icy cocktail or just soak up the sun in a beer garden.

Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings. Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at hello@londonist.com at least 48 hours before the event, and we will consider it for inclusion. Note, due to high volumes of email, we can’t always reply.


Camden Fringe

London’s biggest performing arts festival, Camden Fringe, started on 28 July. Everyday throughout the festival, we’ll be bringing you our pick of shows to catch that day. Today’s suggestions are below:

An Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances follows Leo, an insomniac since university, in his role as an Emergency Medical Technician, showing how each patient has an effect on him as an individual. It's an interactive one, with the audience encouraged to get involved in the scenes. At London Jewish Cultural Centre, until 31 July

From Up Here is a blend of musical theatre and physical theatre, which sees five people from different backgrounds crossing paths, and addressing the question of what makes life worth living. At Camden People's Theatre, until 3 August

Richard Wright's Full of Win sees the man himself believing that he is one of life's most extreme winners — only other people don't see it like that. Can he convince tonight's audience that he is 'full of win'? At Camden Head, until 30 July


Good Cause of the Day

Budding author? You've got a month to work on your short story to enter the Brick Lane Publishing's ‘London East End’ Short Story Competition. They are looking for stories that capture the diversity of London’s East End in some way, with a maximum of 5,000 words and a minimum age of 18 years old. Deadline is 30 August. Find out more and enter.

From the Archive

Etymologists, this one's for you. Find out how the London Boroughs got their names. Did you know, for example, that Lambeth got its name from 'landing place for lambs'? Find out which unlikely candidate has a name that descends from 'valley of the crocuses'?