Things To Do In London This Weekend: 21-22 February 2015

This weekend's Things To Do In London, sponsored by Wingit.

All weekend

The RHS Plant and Potato Fair

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.

CRAFT BEER RISING: The beer festival is back at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane for a third year Expect independent brewers, as well as a handful of specialist beer importers. See other beer festivals taking place this month. £20/£17, prebook, 19-22 February

PLANT AND POTATO FAIR: The RHS London Plant and Potato Fair takes place at the RHS Horticultural Halls in Westminster. There will be a wealth of early spring plants, advice and inspiration on offer. Prebook, 20-21 February

COMEDY: The Phoenix on Cavendish Square is the scene for three days of comedy gigs, from works in progress by the likes of Sara Pascoe, Katherine Ryan and Gary Delaney, and shows from Rich Hall and something about a trial... prebook, £8.80 per session, 20-22 February

MOZART'S LONDON: Barbican hosts a series of concerts, talks and events to explore Mozart's connection with and inspiration from London. Various prices, prebook, 20-22 February

GULF WAR: The RAF Museum in Colindale is giving the public a chance to view archive items relating to the First Gulf War conflict during 1990-1991. Examine documents, photographs and film footage for a unique insight into the RAF's role during the conflict. Prebook, 21-22 February

JEWISH BOOKS: Jewish Book Week starts on Saturday, with events at Kings Place and the Jewish Museum featuring speakers such as Howard Jacobson, Linda Grant, Simon Schama, Mervyn King and Maureen Lipman. Various prices, prebook, 21 February-1 March

HALF TERM: Struggling with ideas to keep little ones entertained in the last few days of half term? Take a look at our half term events guide for inspiration.

Saturday 21 February

Shirley & Shirley feature in House of Fun.

DRAGON TALES: Foyles bookshop in Westfield Stratford runs a day of dragon-themed stories and activities, including the chance to make your very own Chinese dragon. Free, prebook, 11am

COFFEE/TEA TASTING: Drink Shop Dash, sister coffee shop to Drink Shop Do in Kings Cross, runs weekly coffee tasting sessions. Spend time with a trained barista learning the art of making and tasting coffee. These events normally sell out, so book quickly. £15, prebook, 11am-12.30pm. If you're more of a tea person, head to the Cutty Sark for tea tasting. 11am/2pm

WALK HACKNEY: Discover how Dalston, an ancient hamlet of Hackney, developed from farm settlement to market gardening to brick fields to built-up suburbia by the 1860s, on this guided walk. £8, prebook by emailing [email protected], 11am

SAUCY SHOREDITCH: Join Museum of London for a tour of the archeological erotica of Shoreditch, from cheeky Venus figurines to explicit furnishings of Victorian gentlemen’s clubs. £7.88, prebook, 11am/2pm

STORYTELLING: Author Zehra Hicks is at Dulwich Books to read her new children's book, All Mine. Aimed at children aged 7 and under. Free, prebook, 11am-11.30am

SEED SWAP: Head to Old Tidemill School Wildlife Garden in Deptford to swap seeds with other gardeners; a chance to  save money and meet other green-fingered people. Gardening workshops also take place. 1pm-4pm

ART MACABRE: The art salon is back at The Book Club in Shoreditch, this time with a Chinese New Year theme. Sketch nude and costumed models, with props and music to invoke the spirit of the Lunar New Year rituals in China, and learn about Chinese symbolism and mythology. £10/£15, prebook, 2pm-4pm

SECRET AGENTS: Laurence Scales's latest walking tour covers the area of Whitehall and St James's, telling stories of gadgets, codes and concealment during two world wars and the cold war. See Laurence's latest musings written for Londonist. £9/£8, prebook, 3.30pm

SOUND OF MUSIC: Head to The Spires Centre in Tooting Bec for a family friendly Sound of Music sing along. The event raises money for Spires's work with homeless and vulnerable people in South London. £5/£3, prebook, 6pm

BROKEN HEART BALL: Join the Duchess of Canvey, Diane Chorley, to salvage the post-Valentine's wreckage of young love's broken dreams at her Broken Heart Ball in Hackney. Stewart Lee's a fan. £10.50, prebook, 7pm

FUTURE SHORTS: Matthew's Yard in Croydon is hosting a night of cracking short films for the Future Shorts Winter Season, raising money for local charity Lives Not Knives. There's free popcorn. Tickets are £3 but you must prebook (not available on the door), 7pm

HOUSE OF FUN: Blackheath Halls is the venue for House of Fun with comedian Arthur Smith, a variety night featuring comedienne, actor and novelist Jenny Eclair, acoustic duo Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham, comic performers Shirley & Shirley and more. £15/£17.50, prebook, 8pm

Sunday 22 February

Roast dinner? Try our picks

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.

ROLLER SOCCER: Have a go at roller soccer — football on skates — at Queen Mother Sports Centre in Victoria. The weekly inline skating sessions are open to the public. £10, 12pm-1pm

WEST INDIA QUAY: Take a tour of West India Quay docks with Museum of London, exploring its history through the historic buildings, statues and infrastructure that still remain. Age 12+. £10/£8, prebook, 1pm

DESIGN CUSTOMISATION: Children age 5-11 and their carers can take part in a customisation workshop at the Design Museum. Add your own twist to some of the museum’s collection of design objects in the 2D illustrative workshop. Free with museum entry, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

MUSICAL POETRY: Historical flautist Yu-Wei Hu and guitarist Johan Lofving perform a programme inspired by Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale at Keats House in Hampstead. £5.50 (includes admission to Keats House), prebook, 3pm-4pm

CINEMA ITALIA: The monthly Italian film club is at Genesis Cinema in Mile End for a screening of L'arte della felicita (the art of happiness), about a musician turned taxi driver in Naples. £10/£7, prebook, 6.30pm

COMEDY: Sketch trio Pappy's wheel out new material at the Prince of Wales in Brixton, plus Lazy Susan, Twins and Josh Widdicombe. £5/£4, prebook, 7pm

TOWER TWILIGHT TOUR: Take an exclusive evening tour of the Tower of London, led by a Yeoman Warder. See Traitors’ Gate, the Scaffold Site and the Bloody Tower, and hear tales of prisoners and past residents, of royal gossip and of the secrets kept within the ancient walls. Few tickets left so book quickly. £27.50, prebook, 7pm

DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDIA: Catch the final part of the epic poem in a reading at Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall. Never read it before? No problem. £10, prebook, 7pm


For more things to do around London, why not try...

Wingit? Available on Android and iPhone, Wingit is a smart (and free!) little app that solves the problem of “I want to do something now, but what is going on nearby?”. With just one tap, Wingit finds your location, scans social media and sends the best events happening nearby, straight to your device. From performances to pop-ups, screenings to street art, download Wingit today on the App Store or Google Play to see what’s going on just round the corner.

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This weekend's Things To Do In London is sponsored by Wingit.


Other good stuff

Catch up on all latest features, see what we like in theatre and arts and browse more things to do in London.

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