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Listings
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, Morrisons in Thamesmead and David Lloyd in Sudbury Hill. See site for terms and conditions.
FILM EXHIBITION: The British Council Headquarters in Trafalgar Square hosts the film exhibition View From Here, which explores its rich film collection. Expect archive materials from the 1940s as well as recently commissioned material. Free, until 24 September
POP-UP: Looking for a creative and colourful present for your loved ones? This week, London-based florist Ladybird will be selling her flower and botanical creations at a temporary shop in Old Street Tube station. Until 10 August
SUMMER COURSE: Aimed at young people aged 11-18 years old, Band School learning course takes place over four days at Wac Arts close to Belsize Park. After undertaking an audition, you will learn technical and creative music skills. £25/£15, prebook, until 8 August
BOOK TALK: Author Rachel Herrmann discusses her book No Useless Mouth at the British Library. The book looks at how Native Americans, free blacks and slaves used food to wage war and broker peace during and after the American Revolution. Free (tea and coffee provided), prebook by email, 12.30pm
GUIDED WALK: The Finchley Goes to War guided walk explores this area of north London and its history during the First World War. Meeting point is Henleys Corner, close to Finchley Road. £10, prebook, 2.30pm
ART WORKSHOP: Join Italian artist Deisa Centazzo for a natural dye and illustration workshop at the Free Space Gallery in Kentish Town. She'll guide you through creating pieces of art from plants growing on site. Free, prebook by email, 2.30pm
GIG: The Jazz Cafe in Camden hosts an evening of all-women gospel. On stage is the Women of Gospel choir, formed of Hildia Campbell, Lurine Cato, Michelle John and Priscilla Jones. £15, prebook, 7pm
COMEDY: See the Edinburgh preview of Baby Lame: Don’t Call it a Comeback, taking place at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. £8+bf, prebook, 10pm
BEAT THE HEAT: Cool down with one of our favourite ice creams, enjoy a breeze at a rooftop bar, take a dip in a lido, sip an icy cocktail or just soak up the sun in a beer garden.
Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings. 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.
First World War Commemoration
Today marks 100 years since Britain entered the First World War. Many events are taking place to commemorate this significant historical moment; most of them have been organised by the Imperial War Museum, which we visited after its recent reopening. Here are just some of the WW1 events happening today in London:
OUTDOOR EXHIBITION: Fields of Battle: Lands of Peace is a major outdoor exhibition featuring the work of photo-journalist Michael St Maur Sheil, on display in St James’s Park. Captured over a period of seven years, Michael’s photography presents a unique reflection on the transformation of the battlefields of the Great War into the landscape of modern Europe. Free, just turn up, until 11 November
WW1 EXHIBITION: The Tower of London launches an exhibition that commemorates the role of London's iconic regiment through artefacts, photos and stories. Royal Fusiliers Go to War is on display inside The Fusilier Museum and is included in the price of the entry ticket. £22/£11, just turn up, until 31 August
COMMEMORATION PARADE: The Great War Centenary Parade starts from the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. A procession of over 40 Edwardian cars, all of which would have been on the road during the Great War, is led by Chelsea Pensioners. See full programme and route on the website. Free, just turn up, from 10am
ANTI-WAR WOMEN: The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF UK) will be re-enacting the women’s anti-war rally, which was held at Kingsway Hall near Holborn, a hundred years ago. Free, just turn up, 11am-noon
WW1 TALK: Head to the Royal Albert Hall and listen to archivists Liz Harper and Suzanne Keyte talking about the role of the Hall during the First World War. For a higher budget (just over £7), you can join a tour of the building after the talk. £3.57, prebook, 1pm
WAR VETERANS: The No Glory in War campaign holds an event in Parliament Square to commemorate those who lost their lives in WW1, and explores the role of protest and objection at the time. Speakers include a WW2 veteran and German historian Juliene Haubold Stolle. Free, just turn up, from 6.30pm
TOWER OF LONDON: The historical building is looking for volunteers to plant ceramic poppies in its moat, in order to commemorate the First World War. See the result so far in this photographic round-up.
For more information, national and international initiatives, please see the First World War Centenary website. Or see all commemoration events happening in London.
Camden Fringe
London’s biggest performing arts festival, Camden Fringe, is well under way. Every day throughout the festival, we’ll be bringing you our pick of shows to catch that day. Today’s suggestions are below:
Professor Bennison’s Life of Pi: not to be confused with Yann Martel's novel, this is a stand-up comedy show about mathematics. Join the disgraced mathematics teacher James Bennison as he explores the world of pi numbers, square roots and maths qualifications. At Camden Head, until 6 August
Bad Bread is a sketch bonanza featuring three experienced comedians. At Etcetera Theatre, until 5 August
Porn Virgins is definitely an eyecatching title, from Balls Deep Productions. A tale of the tightest hardcore-porn ship in the industry — but how far is too far? At the Phoenix Artist Club until 9 August
Good Cause of the Day
Sign up to volunteer at the Tower of London. As mentioned above, the Tower is running a campaign to commemorate the First World War, and looking for people willing to plant ceramic poppies in its moat. Find more information on how to sign up and help here.
From the Archive
On this day back in 2012 we shared some pictures of sand sculptures on the Southbank, just off Gabriel's Wharf. Our favourite is the one with Homer eating a donut.
