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Listings
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at Sainsbury’s in New Cross, Bishopsgate Institute and Ilford Town Hall. See site for terms and conditions
FOODIES: Food festivals take place in both Streatham and Clapham today. See our preview for more information. Both run until Sunday.
BEGINNER'S POLO: Chesterton's Polo in the Park begins today at Hurlingham Park in Fulham. No prior knowledge of polo is required, and there is also a Gourmet Street Food Market and the Luxury Shopping Village. From £30, prebook, until Sunday
WORLD CUP ART: A new art exhibition centring around the World Cup opens at Collective in Camden High Street today, featuring photographers, filmmakers, sculptors, painters and conceptual artists. Free, just turn up, until 14 June
MUSIC FESTIVAL: Spitalfields Summer Music Festival begins today, with concerts, events, workshops, jazz and folk music. Why not listen to our latest podcast to find out more about the festival? Various prices, prebook, until 21 June
MODERN PROGRESS: The Foundling Museum near Russell Square has a new exhibition opening today. Progress marks the 250th anniversary of Hogarth's death and brings together three contemporary responses to his moral tale, A Rake’s Progress. Included in ticket price, just turn up, until 7 September
LAURIE LEE: The British Library hosts an evening celebrating the life and legacy of Laurie Lee. The writer, poet and artist is probably best known for Cider With Rosie and Red Sky at Sunrise. At this event, well-known literary figures such as Louis de Bernières, Tim Dee, Adam Horovitz, PJ Kavanagh and Brian Patten read from his work and reflect on his life. £8/£6/£5, prebook, 6.30pm
FILM Q&A: The Institute of Contemporary Arts on The Mall screens Gideon's Army, a film about three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South. The screening is followed by a Q&A with the film's director, Dawn Porter. £7-£10, prebook, 6.30pm
NATURE MUSIC: The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill has an evening of music specially composed for silent films by electronic collective Metamono. The evening takes place in the Gardens Pavilion and has a theme of nature. £8, prebook, 7pm
LATE NIGHT DUNGEON: Tickets remain for London Dungeon's adults-only late night event. Take a tour through the more grizzly moments in London's history (and fiction) including Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, then settle your nerves with Victorian-themed cocktails. £30, prebook, from 7.15pm
ORCHESTRA CONCERT: The Little Chamber Orchestra performs a concert, Magic in Music, at Porchester Hall in Bayswater. The orchestra aim to present classical music in a relaxed setting and in a way that is accessible and appealing for all. £30/£25, prebook, 7.30pm
DISNEY COMEDY: Laugh Out Loud comedy club has organised a Disney-themed comedy evening, taking place at the Camden Head in Camden. Comedians on the programme include Adam Larter, Harriet Kemsley and Matthew Highton. £3, prebook, 8pm
JAPANESE SUPPER CLUB: A few tickets remain for Monograph's Japanese Supper Club, taking place at a secret location close to Old Street roundabout. The menu includes Saikyo-miso marinated salmon and a selection of Japanese desserts. From £29, prebook, 8pm
Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings.
In response to reader feedback, we’ve started publishing Things to do in London and sending it out as an email at 7pm in the evening to give you more advance notice of what’s on the following day. We’ll still Tweet and Facebook it in the morning and you’ll still find it at the top of the site on the day in question.
Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at [email protected] at least 48 hours before the event, and we will consider it for inclusion. Note, due to high volumes of email, we can’t always reply.
London Goodie of the Day
Popped into the National Gallery recently? Alongside the fine art and world-class collections, there’s also a range of rather lovely London goodies on offer in the shop, and today is the final product we're featuring this week.
The Delicious Art London Dry Gin is made with six organic botanicals including lemon peel and lime flower. This flavoursome drink has its heart in London. Not only is it a London Dry Gin but it is also distilled here in the capital and the beautiful bottle pays homage to its home with a label featuring Claude-Oscar Monet's The Thames Below Westminster.
This week’s Things To Do in London is sponsored by the National Gallery.
Good Cause of the Day
This Sunday there is a 4km sponsored dog walk in Highgate Wood in aid of Cancer Research UK. Entrance is £8, places must be pre-booked, and entrants are encouraged to raise sponsorship money too. As well as the walk, there will be a raffle and doggy-themed entertainment.
London Connection Puzzle
Your complete set of clues are CAMDEN, LAMBETH, ISLINGTON and LEWISHAM. What political theme connects these four boroughs? We already have a winner, so no need to email in.
From the Archive
Ever been to Tower of London tube station? What about York Road or South Kentish Town? These are all old tube stations that are now closed, and appear on this alternative tube map of ghost stations on the London Underground.
