What we're reading
- Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing announces reopening date.
- A Spurs fan on the team's 19-month exile from White Hart Lane.
- Sadiq Khan slams Westminster Council for pulling out of £80m Oxford Street TfL redevelopment plans.
- Alexandra Palace's 'hidden' theatre reopens after makeover.
Things to do
DICKENSIAN STORIES: Watch performances of Charles Dickens' ghost stories — the well-known A Christmas Carol and less-recognised The Chimes — in the house where the author himself once lived. Includes entry to the museum and exhibitions. Age 12+. Dickens Museum (Bloomsbury), £22, book ahead, 3pm/6pm
ROMANTIC LAKES: It features in — and inspired — the work of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, but the Lake District wasn't always so highly thought of. This lecture covers how perceptions of the area changed in the 18th century, leading to be it being designated as a National Park. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
BAUBLE WORKSHOP: Personalise your Christmas decorations by learning how to create marbled papers and baubles in this workshop led by designer Kia Utzon-Frank. Got something that could do with a splash of colour? You're welcome to bring your own objects along and have a go at marbling them. Battersea Power Station, £40, book ahead, 6pm-7.30pm
CINEMA OF BRAZIL: For the final day of this festival celebrating female Brazilian film directors, pick from two screenings. Piripkura follows two nomadic Indians of the Piripkura tribe who survive surrounded by farms in a protected area in the Amazon (£10.95, book ahead, 6pm). Vazante is a black-and-white drama about slavery and the subjugation of women in 1800s Brazil. (£10.95, book ahead, 8pm) Both at Rich Mix (Shoreditch).
JOURNEY FROM HOME: We don't hear enough about the role Asian soldiers played in the first world war, but here's a chance to change that. The reflections and experiences of South Asian soldiers are told at this event, part of the Journey From Home project. National Archives (Kew), free, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm
MERRY QUESTMAS: You've got a better idea of what'll happen in this show than the people starring in it. Improv troupe The Parentheticals base their show on suggestions from the audience, including scenarios, settings, and even where they stand on the stage. Etcetera Theatre (Camden), £6, book ahead, 7pm (repeated tomorrow — although it'll be a completely different show)
COMEDY GROTTO: Sean McLoughlin, Harriet Kemsley and Christopher Bliss are among the comedians performing at this stand-up night, raising money for UNHCR's Syria appeal. The Star Of Kings (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, 8pm-10.15pm
CAROL CONCERTS: There are several carol concerts and services taking place today, most of which raise money and awareness for good causes:
- Sophie Winkleman, Harry Enfield and Jane Asher are among the famous faces appearing at St Margaret's in Westminster to raise money for Hands Up's aid projects in Syria. £10-£150, book ahead, 6pm
- Honeypot children's charity's inaugural concert is at the Actor's Church in Covent Garden, with choir performances and carols. £15/£12, book ahead, 7pm
- The Guards' Chapel organist, the Choir of the Royal Military Chapel and the Prince's Trust Community Choir lead a concert of well-known carols at the Guards' Chapel near St James's Park, in aid of the Prince's Trust. £35-£85, book ahead, 7pm
- Battersea Choral Society's Christmas concert doubles up as a celebration of its 20th anniversary celebrations, with a specially-commissioned new piece of music being premiered, alongside traditional carols. £20, book ahead, 7.30pm
- The Royal Albert Hall hosts Christmas Carols With Bloodwise, with a performance from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, plus well-known carols and a few singalongs. £12.70, book ahead, 7.30pm
Good cause of the day
Take your old clothes along to Five Points Brewing Co's fundraiser tonight and swap them for beer. They're collecting clothes — and cash — for Hackney Winter Night Shelter, which offers hot food and somewhere to sleep for homeless people in Hackney for six months of the year. There's also a tombola, beer and pizza, all raising money for the charity. Take place at the Pembury Tavern in Hackney.
