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GIVE BLOOD: Today's opportunity to give blood awaits your outstretched arm at the West End Donor Centre on Margaret Street. Just turn up, 8am-7.30pm
DICKENS: After a £3 million refit that saw it closed for most of its namesake's bicentenary, the Charles Dickens Museum (above) reopens on Doughty Street today. £8 (adult), £4 (child), just turn up, 10am-5pm
SECRET LONDON: Today's your last chance to catch the Serco Prize for Illustration, themed around secret London, at a secret location...OK, it's at London Transport Museum. £13.50 (general access to the museum), just turn up, 10am-6pm
TOYS: A pop-up toy shop (possibly in both senses) opens in Covent Garden Piazza, with all profits going to Great Ormond Street Hospital's Children's Charity. Free to browse, just turn up, 10am-8pm
TERRA MADRE: The Slow Food movement to promote sustainable food sources holds a worldwide Terra Madre Day. There are two happenings advertised for London. Market Quarter in Belgravia is putting on an evening of locally sourced food and drink. Meanwhile, the lovely Moshi Moshi in Liverpool St Station will be selling Faux Unagi, a dogfish and cucumber hand roll.
TUBE: Get one of these rather snazzy Oyster cards, celebrating 150 years of the Underground, which go on sale today from all ticket offices. £5 deposit plus £5 minimum pay-as-you-go credit
MUSICAL BINGO: This week's musical bingo, in the roof bar of Shoreditch House, raises money for Kids Company while entertaining you with music, bingo, raffle, hoola-hooping and the chance to win a deep fat fryer. Oh yes. £10 (all going to charity), prebook, 6pm (doors)
BURLESQUE: Chemistry meets striptease at the Science Burlesque show at The Cockpit. As the organisers say: "You'd be surprised how many scientists secretly want to dress up in a corset and swap the bright, shiny lab for the dark, seedy cabaret". No, organisers, actually we wouldn't. £7, prebook, 7.30pm
BOOKS: Ali Smith, Essie Fox, Joe Stretch and Tania Hershman are all reading at The Book Stops Here‘s Christmas special in Denmark Street. Free, just turn up, 8pm
COMEDY: There are tickets left for Bill Bailey at the Leicester Square Theatre, doing his Qualmpeddler show. £20, prebook, 10pm
Random London Fact of the Day
More than a third of London's boroughs begin with a letter B or H.
London Weather
Average winter temperatures and a mix of sun and cloud lead to an unremarkable day's weather. That said, we just remarked about it, so it can't be unremarkable. Is it possible, then, to call anything 'unremarkable'? The very act of remarking makes it remarkable. It's like when people say "Anything is possible". No it isn't. If anything is possible, then it means that it has to be possible that some things are impossible, thus negating the statement. In summary: the world is a confusing, paradoxical place, with a light to moderate wind from the north-west.
Secret Hidden False Rumour Of The Day
The Thames is London's little-known 33rd borough, populated by house-boat owners, the denizens of Eel Pie Island, and other eyot-dwellers. Because of the low constituency size, it has been suggested that herons, cormorants and backboned fish should get the vote in the next GLA elections.
