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Clever London
The periodic table of the elements may not be something the non-scientists among us consider very often. But here's pause for thought for proud Londoners. Did you know denizens of our great city discovered a fifth of the chemical elements? The periodic table would be a lot smaller without us.
Things to do
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OO7 EXHIBITION:
Bond wouldn't be Bond without his selection of super-fast cars, planes, motorbikes and boats. See the vehicles from everyone's favourite spy films, along with concept art and storyboards, at London Film Museum's Bond In Motion in Covent Garden. £14.50/£9.50, prebook, 10am
AFRICA FESTIVAL:
South Bank's Africa Utopia returns to celebrate the continent through the arts. Free events today include a colourful selection of art exhibits, short film screenings, a social dance workshop and a musical Live Lounge. Until Sunday, free and ticketed events, from 10am
START ART FAIR:
The Saatchi Gallery plays host to the second edition of Start Art Fair until Sunday featuring curator-led initiatives and emerging artists. £10/5, prebook, 11am
STREET ART TOUR:
This tour round Camden promises to introduce you to the best in wall-art beyond Banksy. See what's been sprayed by over 100 local artists. Also on Saturday and Sunday. £10, prebook, 11am
ART ON A BUS:
Hop aboard the No 9 bus between Aldwych and Hammersmith before 4.15pm today until Sunday for RBS Ambulatory winner William Mackrell's live artwork Gaps, Glitches and Speed Bumps. The artist himself will be creating a line drawing that maps the movement of the journey on a circular musical score, accompanied by improvising blues, classical, opera and electronic musicians. Intrigued (or confused)? Check our preview and follow @Liveonthebus. Cost of a bus journey, just turn up, 11.30am
WWI BALLET:
The trio of ballets comprising Lest We Forget recreate the rhythms of the First World War at Sadler's Wells. English National Ballet uses recordings of survivors alongside a live orchestra in tribute to the men and women who suffered it, whether at factories or in trenches. Also on Saturday, £49, prebook, 2.30pm
1920s CABARET AND DINNER:
Can't stop watching Boardwalk Empire or re-reading The Great Gatsby? Sip Prohibition-era cocktails as you watch 20s-style cabaret and comedy, blues and burlesque. Also tuck into a three-course meal at The City Speakeasy at Proud Cabaret City near Fenchurch Street. £25, prebook, 6.30pm
SEASONAL SINGALONG:
Stop bemoaning the end of summer and instead come celebrate the arrival of autumn with secular collective Sunday Assembly at Islington's Union Chapel. Top of the Crops is harvest festival with a dollop of pop music, as well as ethical spoken word and comedy. Bring canned goods to donate. £12/£9, prebook, 7pm
TOWER OF LONDON PROJECTIONS:
After the success of last year's poppies to mark the outbreak of the First World War, the Tower of London hopes to renew people's awareness of the sacrifices servicemen make for society. Work by celebrity photographer Rankin depicting wounded veterans will be projected on the Tower walls to raise awareness and funds for Haig Housing Trust, which helps home ex-Forces personnel. Free, just turn up, sunset
COMEDY:
Didn't make it to Edinburgh? See the funniest of the festival at The Invisible Dot in King's Cross, with a different comedy line-up each night. After the Festival Show is on until Saturday, £10, prebook, 7.30pm
MIXED ART NIGHT:
Mixed-art night Theme at The Nines in Peckham brings together poets, comedians and musicians to explore the theme of Love & Lust. See hit Edinburgh sketch comics Beard, folk accordionist Sophie Crawford and Cambridge Footlight Ben Pope. £5, prebook, 8pm
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING:
Ever think about how the clothes on your back came into existence? People Tree and Fairtrade Hackney have come together to encourage us to do just that, with a screening of The True Cost at the Hackney Picturehouse. There's also a panel discussion after the film, and £4 of the admission ticket goes to the Nepal earthquake appeal. £13.50, prebook, 8.30pm
Good cause of the day
Operation Skyrace is an 842 step climb up Heron Tower to the 39th floor — with a view few get to enjoy. The skyscraper featured in Skyfall so follow in James Bond's footsteps for Action on Hearing Loss (formerly the Royal National Institute for the Deaf), the charity that supports the one in six Britons suffering from hearing loss. The climb is on Sunday 12 December, noon-4pm, but you'll probably need to start training now to scale those lofty heights. £25 per participant or £100 for five.
Pubs Podcast
Like pubs? Londonist's N Quentin Woolf seeks out the curious and curiouser of them in this week's podcast: A Tour of Some of London's Most Fascinating Pubs.
Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings. Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at [email protected] 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.
