Things To Do In London Today: Tuesday 7 May

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GIVE BLOOD: Today’s opportunity to donate blood is at the West End Donor Centre on Margaret Street, Fitzrovia. Free, just turn up, see site for times and conditions

VINTAGE MARKET: Dusty Fingers Vintage Night Market runs the first Tuesday of every month in Hackney – there are home wares, furniture, fashion, music and accessories stalls, as well as swap shops. Pop along to browse or pick up a vintage bargain. £1, just turn up, from 2.30pm

BRAINS: Hear from Christian Amatore about the effects of oxidative stress on the brain, and how scientists use tiny electrical devices to monitor how neurons interact with blood supply. Free, just turn up, 6pm

MONEY TALKS: Get a free peek inside St Paul's Cathedral and join a stimulating debate about the positives and pitfalls of money. Free, prebook, #CommonGood, 6.30pm

PALIN: Michael Palin chats about his novel The Truth, as well as his life and travels, in the opening event for the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature. £15, prebook, 6.45pm

COMEDY: Steve Pretty and special guests – some of them instruments, some of them human – are at Leicester Square Theatre for an edutaining evening gig-slash-comedy night. £8, prebook, 7pm

GROWN UP FAIRYTALE: Jorm Jonasson discusses his new book, Age of Violence, which was inspired by the inevitability of age mixed with his love of fairytales. Free, prebook, 7pm

POETRY: Seren poets Carol Rumens, Katha Pollitt and Kathryn Maris perform their work at Waterstones Piccadilly. Free, prebook, 8pm

GIG: Adrian Crowley plays from his new album, I See Three Birds Flying, at the Cinema Museum. £10, prebook, 8pm

Random London Ghost Nonsense of the Day
The George Inn on Borough High Street is one of the capital's most evocative pubs, and famously the only remaining galleried coaching inn in London (or, at least, inner London). The Talbot room upstairs is said to be very haunted, and was formerly a bedroom that couldn’t be let out. The pub is also said to be haunted by the angry ghost of Mrs Murray, a former landlady. When the trains first reached London Bridge, her coaching inn business was gradually undermined. Her anti-progress spirit is therefore blamed for any technology failures in the pub. Or so we're told by people who believe in this stuff.

Shameless Londonist Plug of the Day
Did you know that we've put together an e-book of good London pub crawls? (Probably, given that we bang on about it so much.) Well, it's really rather good, and it's cheaper than your typical pint, at £2.68. Go on, give it a go, and let us know what you think. Buy it here.

Good Cause of the Day
A quiz team from Muswell Hill are planning to walk the entire length of Hadrian's Wall (not easy...we've done it) to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. They're still only a quarter of the way to their fundraising target, so if you were thinking of throwing a few pennies towards cancer care, this would be a doubly helpful way to do it.

London Weather

Dear Sun

We are writing to inform you that your short-term contract with the administrative area and ceremonial county of London comes to an end at twilight today. We have been largely satisfied with your output; feedback suggests that your contributions to this administrative area have been welcomed by most customers. Sadly, we've also received complaints, with some customers begrudging your intensity in the role — some even claim to have been 'burned'. These accusations notwithstanding, we also have insufficient resources to renew your contract at this time, and we suggest you seek employment elsewhere. We anticipate the availability of a short locum position in early September, when the Cloud department goes on its annual team-building retreat. Until that time, however, we have no requirement for your services, or those of your colleague Mr Blue Sky (who has received a similar missive). We wish you every success in your future career.

Yours sincerely
The Weather Gods (London division)