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Listings
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are outside County Hall on Belvedere Road, St Olave Parish Hall on Fenchurch Street and the Tooting, Edgware and West End donor centres. Free, see site for terms and conditions
CHRISTMAS MARKETS: Find a festive market near you and pick up some presents while scoffing a mince pie.
SKATING: If you haven't fallen over on your rear end in way too long, then you'll find our round-up of all the pop up ice rinks in London here. You're welcome
KEW: Throughout the month, visitors to Kew Gardens can follow an illuminated trail throughout the garden's beautiful winter landscape. There's also a Christmas village and market for you to warm up at afterwards. Adults £12.50, kids £8, from 4.45-8.45pm daily, until 4 January 2014
RAMBERT: To celebrate their move to South Bank, dance company Rambert hosts a week of free events including dance classes, showcases, tours and discussions. See website for full listings. Free, prebook, until 14 December
WORLD FILM: Do you want your movies Portuguese, Scandinavian or Romanian?
FESTIVAL AWARDS: Taking place at the Roundhouse, this year's UK Festival Awards features nine London-focused festivals. You can join in the UK Festival Conference during the day, attend the awards ceremony in the evening, or both. Tickets from £51.05, prebook, from 10am
ORCHESTRA: The Savoy Hotel’s resident 1920's Orchestra perform at St Pancras Station, so you can pop along for a sneaky Charleston after work. Free, just turn up, 4-7pm
PRINT: Illustrators, artists, designers and photographers exhibit their work at The Amwell Print Fair today. Free, just turn up, 5.30-9.30pm
PRIVATE EYE: GREAT LINE UP ALERT: Ian Hislop takes a satirical look back at the people and events of 2013 at the National Theatre with special guests Harry Enfield, Lewis Macleod, Jan Ravens and John Sessions. £4/£3, prebook, 5.45pm
DEATH MATCH: Mitch Benn, Viv Groskop and Andri Snær Magnason fight it out in Literary Death Match at Kings Place, under judges Mark Billingham, Stephanie Merritt and Mike Wozniak. £11.50/£9.50, prebook, 7pm
PAKISTANI NOVEL: Nadeem Aslam and Kamila Shamsie talk about the Pakistani novel today at Somerset House for the Royal Society of Literature. £8/£5, prebook, 7pm
UKULELE: Whether you’re a regular Ukulele-er or just Uke-curious, pop down to Queen of Hoxton and hire one for a Hootenanny (or if you’re already a proud owner then bring yours along). Free (£20 returnable deposit for the ukulele), just turn up, 7.30pm
COMEDY: Three of the country’s best character comedians – Adam Riches, Nick Mohammed and Colin Hoult – have knocked together this hour for your delight at Invisible Dot, King’s Cross. £6, 8pm
RUDE: Erotic literary night Velvet Tongue has guests Ivor Dembina, Sunshine Faggio and Katie Sarra at Bar Kick in Shoreditch. £5/£3, just turn up, 7.30pm
Good Causes of the Day
Christmas Trees
Still looking for that perfect tree to place your angel on top of? The Christmas Forest is a company that sells sustainable Christmas trees at eight urban forests across London, as well as online with delivery. They work closely with the charity Tree Aid and for each tree they sell at Christmas, they fund the planting of a tree in the African drylands.
Christmas Gifts
If you're after Christmas treats, then The Prince's Trust recently opened its very first shop by Liverpool Street station: The Tomorrow Store. Stocking products from young people helped directly by the charity as part of its Enterprise programme, you can purchase a mix of high-quality homeware, jewellery, stationery and gifts.
London Connection Puzzle
Congratulation to Neil Paterson who, once again, was first to spot last week's connection. The clues were RICHARD HANNAY, EDWARD JENNER, ERIC GILL and FALUN GONG. The solution is that all four have associations with Portland Place. Hannay lived on the street in The 39 Steps, Jenner is immortalised by a bust, Eric Gill carved the reliefs on the side of Broadcasting House, and Falun Gong have maintained a long-running demonstration opposite the Chinese Embassy. A new puzzle will start tomorrow, set by Neil (and it's a corker).
From the Archive
It's December. It's cold. Here are some pictures of Londoners wearing tweed. Here's a picture of a bench. But cheer up, here is how little fun we were having this time last year.
London Weather by Inclement Attlee
The grey clouds and OK-ish temperatures continue, but north-easterly winds bring the distinct sound of sleigh bells and a whiff of sherry. Santa's saddling up, and I for one am unreasonably and seasonably excited.
