London On The Cheap: 17-23 June

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 165 months ago
London On The Cheap: 17-23 June

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Summer Solstice weekend already! Enjoy - image by ~Misty~

Tonight: The Grant Museum may be moving its treasures but its events continue with a big screening of Them! (1954) in UCL Christopher Ingold Auditorium, 20 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AJ. The film: “A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!” will be introduced by Dr Joe Cain and, as ever, followed by a drink in the museum. Free, 6.30pm.

Friday: Take advantage of late opening at the V&A (but without the monthly 'Late' crowds) to visit Architects Build Small Spaces.

Saturday: Paradise Gardens Festival promises to turn Victoria Park into a 21st century pleasure garden with "multi art form festival" including jazz, clowns, electro, street art and activities for all ages between noon and 10pm (part of Create Festival).

Hilly Fields in Brockley hosts extreme falconry, a dog show, vegetable modelling and a coconut shy for the Brockley Society Midsummer Fayre between noon and 5pm.

London Festival of Architecture starts this weekend. Take a free tour of the awesome RIBA building on Portland Place at 11.30am or 1pm (please book) or drop by Fitzrovia Noir's Open Studio in the gallery in the garden at 24-35 Furnival Mansions, WC1 between 11am-4pm.

Play or watch Petanque for free at Chelsea Physic Garden, 11am-7pm.

This is slightly over our £5 rule but it's too excellent to miss - Rockabilly Against Racism, Folk Against Facism, Bluegrass Not Blackshirts mini-festival in support of Hope Not Hate happens at Cafe Crema, 106 New Cross Road from 2pm till midnight. Profits to Hope Not Hate, admission £6/5.

Sunday: The annual Hare Krishna celebration 'Ratha-yatra' Festival of Chariots takes to the streets wit a procession starting at noon, Hyde Park South Carriage Drive, and arriving Trafalgar Square 2.30pm for an afternoon "revealing the spiritual heart of India".

Camberwell celebrates with the Myatts Field Tea Party and Ida Barr's Mash Up for a glorious afternoon of tea, cake, dancing, music hall and rap. Between 2-5.30pm, free.

Exhibition Road Music Day proliferates around Kensington's great museums from 10am right through to midnight with 120 free musical performances from around the world and interactive workshops.

Monday: Summer Solstice evening at Surrey Docks City Farm, featuring poet Germander Speedwell and her band, singer/songwriter Nigel of Bermondsey, John Constable and others from 6-9pm. There'll be a collection on exit with a suggested donation of £5/£1. All proceeds to the farm.

Tuesday: Our own Fortean correspondent speaks at the Theosophical Society this evening on 'Midsummer Magic and Monsters'. £4.50/4/3. 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA.

Wednesday: Sing your heart out with informal Choir at Stamford Hill's Pangea Project between 6-7.15pm. Exercises, rounds, 3-part/ 4-part arrangmnts of many styles including Folk, Gospel and Pop.

Help keep London thrifty - let us know about cheap and free events happening in your hood. Email tips@londonist.com, leave a comment or tweet us @londonist. And please do let us know if you follow up on our cheap suggestions - were they any good?

Last Updated 17 June 2010