Things To Do In London This Weekend: 24-25 January 2015

All weekend

Join in with the Birdwatch at Horniman Museum

PUB: Just want to kick back and relax with a pint and a packet of pork scratchings? Our pubs guide has information about all the best pubs in London, organised by area for your convenience. Find a boozer nearby, try a new place, or see if your local’s in there.

BURNS NIGHT: Sunday is Burns Night, a celebration of the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. To get your fill of haggis, whisky and deep-fried Mars bar, take a look at our handy round-up of Burns Night celebrations going on in London.

BIG BIRDWATCH: The RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch takes place this weekend, when the public is asked to spend an hour spotting and recording the birds in their gardens. On Saturday, Horniman Museum has a day of ornithological events going on to mark the event. Alternatively, take a look at our guide to where to go birdwatching in London all year round.

JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: Doomed Gallery in Hackney brings together works by various fresh and upcoming photographers from Japan with a showcase of photobooks and installations by selected artists. A slideshow will present work from nearly 100 different Japanese photographers throughout the show. 22-25 January

PADDINGTON: It’s your last couple of weeks to catch A Bear Called Paddington at Museum of London. The exhibition consists of a collection of objects charting the famous bear’s transformation from page to screen. Free, just turn up, until 25 January

FREE WALKS: All weekend, TfL has 41 free walks organised in and around the capital, with routes between 1.5 miles and 10 miles in length. Free, just turn up, 24-25 January

OLYMPIC PARK: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford has a weekend of free family workshops to celebrate the Year of the Bus. All 60 buses from the sculpture trail will be on display. Free, just turn up, 10am-4pm, 23-25 January

Saturday 24 January

SHAKESPEARE'S LONDON:See the sights of Shakespeare’s London with a Museum of London guide. See the Bard's Silver Street home and settings you might recognise from film, to riverside theatreland and the City streets that inspired his plays. £13.12, prebook, 10.30am

RUSSIAN AVANT GARDE: The V&A Museum in South Kensington hosts a one-day conference exploring the impact of war and revolution on Avant Garde theatre and design. Speakers will include John Bowlt, Natalia Murray, Jane Pritchard, Greer Crawley, Elena Sudakova and curators from the Bakhrushin Museum, Moscow. £15-£25, prebook, 10.30am-5pm

KEATS TOUR: Keats House Museum leads a walking tour through the City, following in the footsteps of poet John Keats. See his birthplace, and places where he lived and studied, with readings from his poetry and letters along the way. £10/£8, prebook, 11am

DEAF ARTS: Incloodu Deaf Arts Festival at Rich Mix is organised by deaf and hard-of-hearing people and features comedy, theatre, dance, visual arts, photography and film from emerging new artists and established professionals. The whole event has BSL sign language interpreters. 11am-6pm, Free / 7pm-1am, £10 advance, £15 on the door. Book here.

CHILDREN'S STORYTELLING: The Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone hosts a morning of family storytelling by professional storyteller Peter Findlay. Pick a number from his sack to see where the story will go. £7, prebook, 11.30am

PUB WALK: Discovering London guide Peter Berthoud leads a new style of walk, and we have to admit, we're intrigued. A random London pub walk starts near Covent Garden, but where it goes from there depends on a pack of specially designed cards: some give directions, some give a rough destination to aim for, but even Peter doesn't know where the walk will go, as it depends which cards are drawn. £15, prebook, 12pm

DESIGNER IN RESIDENCE: Part of the Design Museum's Designer in Residence series, Patrick Stevenson-Keating leads a tour around the museum, talking about his range of objects to challenge our current financial systems. Included in museum entry fee, prebook, 2pm

LUNAR TALK: The Swedenborg Society on Bloomsbury Way hosts Simon Schaffer, Professor of History of Science at the University of Cambridge, to talk about Swedenborg’s lifelong quest to solve the longitude problem by astronomical observation of lunar position. Free, prebook, 4pm

FILM & FIZZ: Enjoy a three-course dinner, a glass of Champagne and a screening of A Most Wanted Man in the private screening room at One Aldwych. Part of the ongoing Film & Fizz season. £49.50, prebook, 6.30pm

CHARITY GIG: Coldplay tribute band Coldplace play at Brigade in London Bridge. Chef Simon Boyle serves his Cockney style pie and mash alongside craft beer and Cockney cocktails. All proceeds will go to Simon’s charity Beyond Food which works with homeless people to help them find employment in hospitality. Tickets include pie and mash buffet. £20, prebook, doors 6.30pm, first set 8pm

COMEDY: Comedian-with-songs Mae Martin headlines The Saturday Night Show at Invisible Dot in King's Cross, with appearances by Simon Munnery and the slightly crazy Joseph Morpurgo. £10, prebook, 8pm

EAT YOUR WORDS: The Turn of the Screw claims to be London's first immersive book and supper club. Enjoy an evening of food, drink and discussion of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw while the book's events begin to unravel around you. £24.75, prebook, 8pm

WORK IN PROGRESS: Comedian Harry Deansway tries out his new show, Android, at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, claiming it to be the first comedy show to be controlled by Artificial Intelligence. £5, prebook, 8pm

Sunday 25 January

Take part in City Dash

SUNDAY ROAST: We've updated our list of the best Sunday roasts in London, now with ratings and a map. Take your pick, or check out your other food options.

HEATH WALK: If you've woken up hangover free (thanks, dry January), celebrate by going for a walk on Hampstead Heath with like-minded people. Meet at the Kenwood House Cafe. £5, prebook, 11am-1pm

KIDS' THEATRE: Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus is the latest family theatre offering from Arts Depot in North Finchley, complete with songs and audience participation. If your kids like a trip to the theatre, take a look at our guide to London's best theatres for children. Age 3+. £7 adults/£4.50 child, prebook, 11am/2pm/4pm

BOARD GAMES: Throughout January and February, visitors to the Museum of Brands and Advertising in Notting Hill on a Sunday can play board games in the museum’s cafe for free. Have a go at classic and vintage games including Connect 4, Jenga and Mastermind after your trip around the museum. Included in admission price, just turn up, 11am-5pm

CHARLES I: The English Civil War Society holds an annual commemoration of the route taken by Charles I to the place of his untimely death in Whitehall. Takes place at Horse Guards Parade. Expect to see several members of the Society dressed in 17th century costume. Free, just turn up, 11am

REGENERATION WALK: Explore Canary Wharf and learn how the derelict West India Docks were transformed into a thriving business hub, thanks to a guided walk led by Museum of London Docklands. £10/£8, prebook, 1pm

CITY DASH: Teams of four players have 90 minutes to reach as many checkpoints as they can and text in the codes. Some checkpoints open and close during the game, and some are cryptic, so constant alertness is crucial. More importantly, all the checkpoints are patrolled — and if the guard can get close enough to see a player number, the team will banned from part of the game zone. 18+, takes place in the Bank area. £18, prebook, 2pm

JAZZ CONCERT: Bazz Norton and his band perform on stage in the recently refurbished Mau Mau bar in Notting Hill. £5, prebook, 5pm

NOMAD CINEMA: The wandering cinema pops up at Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch for a screening of Fargo, a black comedy from the Coen Brothers. Tickets include elderflower fizz and mini burgers on arrival. 18+. £11/£13.75, prebook, 6pm

PUBLIC ART FORUM: The Contemporary Art Society hosts a discussion on the joys and complexities of working on contemporary art projects within New York and London’s diverse communities. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

CINEMA ITALIA: CinemaItaliaUK is back at Genesis Cinema in Mile End for a screening of Viva La Liberta (Long Live Happiness, 2013), a film about world politics in which Toni Servillo plays two different roles. The film will be followed by a Q&A with director Roberto Andò. £10/£7, prebook, 6.30pm

COMEDY: The night may be suspiciously cheap (their words, not ours) but the line-up at Bethnal Green's Backyard Comedy Club tonight is anything but: Goose and Gein's present the Pajama Men, James Acaster and The Sexy American Girl Cousins (otherwise known as Natasha Demetriou and Ellie White). £5/£3, prebook, 7pm