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Listings
BLOOD: Today's opportunities to donate blood are at the West End Donor Centre, The Hop Exchange in Southwark Street, St Olave Parish Hall in Fenchurch Street and Fulham, Stoll in Fulham. Free, see site for terms and conditions.
REGULAR MUSEUM LATES: See in the weekend with a spot of culture at the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, or National Portrait Gallery. Free, check websites for closing times and events
FITNESS AT CHRISTMAS: Get a head start on shedding that holiday weight by taking part in the Bromley Green Gym, with the added bonus that, since it's a good cause, you might just squeak onto Santa's Nice List this year. Free, book via email, 11am - 2pm
MURRAY CHRISTMAS: Pop-Up Screens are showing Scrooged, a Bill Murray adaptation of some Dickens novel or other. Head along to the 20th Century Cinema in Notting Hill and clamber through a wardrobe into a theatre full of snow to watch the movie. £10 (adults) or £7.50 (kids), book online, 1pm.
FOLK GIG: One of the most exciting gigs on the weekly list of recommendations by LondonGigGuide, five-piece folk band The Keepsakes play Barfly in Camden Town, supported by rock'n'roll Northeners Slydigs. £5 adv + booking fee, buy online, 7pm
CLASSICAL CAROLS: The Bloomsbury Carol Celebration in the West End features soaring classical carols accompanied by bellows, peeps and whistles from one of London's best pipe organs. Free, just turn up, 7pm
FIREPOWER CAROLS: Enjoy mince pies and mulled wine as the Band of the Blues and Royals perform a carol concert at the Woolwich Artillery. £10 (adults) or £4.50 (kids), book online, 7:30pm
CHARITY GIG: Crisis Presents at Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith has a cracking line up: Jake Bugg, Bastille, Michael Kiwanuka, AlunaGeorge and more. Somehow, there are still tickets available, so you can help celebrate Crisis at Christmas and raise essential funds for their excellent year round services. From £29.50, prebook, 7.30pm
CAROLS AT WEMBLEY: Wembley Arena will ring out with the rousing sounds of a carol concert by Hillsong Church London. Free, just turn up, 8pm
ROLLER SKATE: The Friday Night skate starts at Wellington Arch. Anyone who feels competent on skates is welcome to join. Free, just turn up, 8pm
ANCHORMAN: Anchorman 2 has just reached British cinemas and to celebrate, Paradise by way of Kensal Green hosts an Anchorman Fancy Dress Party, giving you an excuse to don that dodgy suit of yours. Things are sure to escalate quickly. £4, prebook for a table, from 8pm
MUSIC: A Christmas special at Effra Social in Brixton: James Brown, Slow Club, Elvis, The Supremes, Eartha Kitt, Morecambe & Wise, Rat Pack, Chuck Berry, Holly Golightly, Wizzard, Ramones, The Wombles and lots more. Free, just turn up, 8pm-1am
FREE BURLESQUE: Free burlesque? Free burlesque! Les Coquettes perform at The Bird’s Nest in Deptford. Free, just turn up, 9pm
Good Causes of the Day
The festive period is a great time to support a good cause — here are three you can get involved with:
Attend the ReFused concert and help support a human rights charity aiding neglected children, persecuted women and marginalised communities across Asia. The event in Bethnal Green is in aid of the Restless Beings charity and features an eclectic mix of experimental and genre-blending sounds. £10, buy tickets online, 7pm
HopeHIV hosts a carol service at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham Common, featuring music from volunteers and guest vocalist Wilderthorn. Turn up for good cheer, mince pies and mulled wine. Free, just turn up, Sunday 22 December at 6pm
You're bound to promise yourself you won't drink ever again after the holiday period — get ahead of the curve by signing up now for Cancer Research UK's Dryathlon and getting people to sponsor you to stay sober throughout January. You're also encouraged to try things you'd never normally do sober, be it eating a kebab, performing karaoke or expressing any sort of affection whatsoever to people you've known your entire life. Sign up individually or as a team at the website.
London Connection Puzzle
Your full set of clues are WILLIAM HOGARTH, SAMUEL PEPYS, SIR ROBERT GROSVENOR and DICK WHITTINGTON. What's the London connection? Someone already guessed correctly, so no need to email in.
From the Archive
Take a look at this Dickens quiz from 2011 to see how many characters you can name on a mural outside Dickens’ former house at 1 Devonshire Terrace (now Marylebone Road).
London Weather by Inclement Attlee
Sun, lots of.
And that's officially my final forecast. Thank you for putting up with my whimsical ways over the past year and a half. It's been a blast, but it's time to head off into the sunset (not literally, of course; that would burn). Farewell, merry Christmas and — as Tiny Tim observed — god bless Doctor Who for rescuing the seasonal TV schedules.
