Things To Do In London This Weekend: 7-8 February 2015

All weekend

The Real Food Festival is at Southbank Centre

PUB: Just want to kick back and relax with a pint and a packet of pork scratchings? Our pubs guide has information about all the best pubs in London, organised by area for your convenience. Find a boozer nearby, try a new place, or see if your local’s in there.

ART: We've picked the 10 London art exhibitions that we reckon every art lover should see in February.

LONDON FILMS: The BAFTA awards ceremony takes place in London on Sunday night. Get into the spirit of things by seeing these London-y films not to be missed.

THEATRE: Overwhelmed by the choice of theatre shows to see in London? Step off the beaten track and book now to go and see one of these fringe theatre shows.

FOOD FESTIVAL: Southbank Centre's Real Food Festival takes place every week. Either buy food to eat then and there, or stock up on ingredients to take home. Free entry, just turn up, 6-8 February

DANISH FILMS: artFix London in Soho hosts its first ever film festival, celebrating Danish film-making. See Danish films projected onto the big screen all weekend. Free, prebook, until 8 February

SNOWDROP DAY: Get up close and personal with snowdrops at Chelsea Physic Garden on the last Snowdrop Days on the year. The displays allow you to view the flowers at eye level, alongside other winter flowers such as wild primulas, miniature iris, and delicate crocus. £9.90/£6.60, 10am-4pm, until 8 February

VINTAGE MARKET: North London Vintage Market celebrates its fourth birthday at St Mary's Parish Hall in Crouch End with a pop-up vintage hair and make-up salon and a free raffle to get a chance to win items from traders. More than 25 stallholders sell vintage kitchenalia, ceramics, furniture, lighting, fabrics, furnishing, prints, ephemera, clothing, accessories, costume jewellery, maps, garden wares, blankets and more. £1.50, just turn up, 7-8 February

ORCHIDS: Kew Garden's Orchids festival begins on 7 February. Experience an explosion of colour and discover why these plants evolved to look so vibrant and enticing in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Included in admission price, prebook, until 8 March

FOOD POP UP: Monty's Deli, usually found at Maltby Street Market, launches a month long weekend pop-up at Old Bengal Bar near Liverpool Street, serving a selection of homemade pastrami, salt beef and new brunch-style dishes. 7 February-8 March

GHETTO THEATRE: Academics at UCL and York University have discovered works by prisoners written in the World War II Jewish ghetto at Theresienstadt. They'll be staged by amateurs at the Bloomsbury Theatre across the weekend. £14/£8, prebook, 7-8 February

Saturday 7 February

CSI: Crime Scene Improvisers is on at Baron's Court Theatre

POLAR PLUNGE: Register now to take part in the Polar Plunge at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Leap into 20 tons of icy water to raise money for Special Olympics GB. There's plenty of entertainment for spectators with live music and dance, sports workshops, and food and drink. All day

AUTHORS: Meet writers from publisher Picador's stable in an all-day event at Foyles on Charing Cross Road. Authors include Philip Hensher, Carol Ann Duffy, Alan Hollinghurst and John Lanchester. £15, prebook, 9.30am-6.30pm

EMBELLISHMENT WORKSHOP: Tying in with the current exhibition, Women Fashion Power, Design Museum runs a day-long embellishment stitch workshop. Helped by designer Naomi Ryder, you can create an A5-A4 sized embroidered image inspired by the exhibition. £85, prebook, 10am-5pm

FAMILY THEATRE: Every Saturday morning, Lauderdale House on Highgate Hill runs a kids show. This week is The Case of the Curious Suitcase, about three quirky characters who meet at a train station where the train never arrives. £4.50 (under 2s free), prebook, 10am/11.30am

SHELTERING SHOREDITCH: This walking tour starts at the Geffrye Musuem in Shoreditch and walks the surrounding streets, exploring local housing in its social and historical context. Followed by a workshop in the museum. £25, prebook, 10.30am

CRAFTY SATURDAY: On the first Saturday of every month, Stepney City Farm runs Crafty Saturdays, a free event for people of all ages. Today, have a go at making coat hooks in the forge. Free, just turn up, 11am-3pm

CROSSING BORDERS: Head to Horniman Museum for a family fun day with people newly arrived in the neighbourhood. Join Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers for arts and crafts activities taking place throughout the day. Free, just turn up, 11am-3.30pm

SOCIAL HISTORY: CoolTan Arts CoolWalks leads a free guided walk around East Dulwich and Camberwell to learn about the area's past and social history and how it was transformed into the area it is today. Starts outside Grove Vale Library. Free, just turn up, 12.30pm

EXPLORE ZOOLOGY: Get hands on with some of the specimens at Grant Museum of Zoology. The Explore Zoology family day lets budding zoologists and their families get up close to things such as snake skins and shark teeth. Free, just turn up, 1pm-4.30pm

GALLERY WALK: Take a guided walk starting at Nunnery Gallery in Bow and finishing with a tour of the rarely seen Kingsley Hall. This walk aims to explore the social history and political action in Bow over the past 50 years. £5, prebook, 2pm

DISCOVERING LONDON: It's a double dose from Discovering London guide Peter Berthoud today. Oddities of Strand walks along a former beach, passing London’s (and possibly the world’s) first wine bar, the scene of an elephant’s execution and the oldest family-run shop of its type on earth. £10-£12, prebook, 11am. Then, spot all Seven Noses of Soho (legend has it that you'll be very wealthy if you do), a very grand eighth nose and a ghost nose. £10-£12, prebook, 3pm

CHANGING BRITAIN: The first of two sets of short talks in the Changing Britain Festival at Southbank Centre sees six speakers come together to think about defence, health and welfare, housing, education and arts and culture over the past 70 years. Free, just turn up, 4pm

VEGAN DRINKS: Fat Gay Vegan hosts a monthly get together and social events for London vegans at Kabaret @ Karamel in Wood Green. The venue is completely vegan with a range of vegan beers, ciders, wines, cocktails and juices.Free entry, just turn up, from 6pm

COMEDY: Paul Foot and the combined talents of Tim Key and Tom Basden headline the Union Chapel tonight, plus Sara Pascoe and Alex Horne MCing. £20/£18+fee, prebook, 6.30pm

STOUR SESSIONS: Stour Space, an art Gallery overlooking the River Lea in Hackney Wick, launches Stour Sessions, a bi-monthly mini-festival celebrating the very best in music, arts, film, photography, visual arts and everything in-between. £15, prebook, 7pm-2am

LONDON REMIXED: This music festival at Rich Mix showcases Latin Remix, Afrobeats, Vintage-Remix, Electro-Blues, Acoustic Soundclash and Brass Band Remix. Various prices, prebook, 7pm-4am (also on Friday 6 February)

CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation at Baron's Court Theatre is a comedy/murder mystery show made up on the spot. No-one knows who the killer is, not even the cast of the show. Runs over several dates. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

LIVE MUSIC: Welsh indie folk band Rusty Shackle perform at The Islington. The six-piece band combine guitars, fiddle, banjo, bass, mandola, trumpet, tenor guitar and vocal harmonies to create a unique sound. £7, prebook, 7.30pm

RUTH PADEL: Enfield Poets present an evening with Ruth Padel at Dugdale Centre in Enfield. Padel performs some poetry, preceded by readings from the winners and commended poets in the 2014 Enfield Poets Poetry Competition. £10, prebook, 7.30pm

AN AWKWARD EXCUSE: Head to The Rag Factory on Brick Lane for comedy show An Awkward Excuse by Two's A Crowd. Discover the intricacies of the mundane and the extraordinary in the ordinary. £8, prebook, 8pm

Sunday 8 February

Change: How? takes place at Islington Metal Works

SUNDAY ROAST: We’ve updated our list of the best Sunday roasts in London, now with ratings and a map. Take your pick, or check out your other food options.

HIGHBURY WALK: Qualified Islington and Arsenal guide, and formal National Scrabble Champion, Philip Nelkon leads a walk around the Highbury area. Relive the romance of Four Weddings And A Funeral, learn about Arsenal's Highbury Stadium and compare it with their new home at the Emirates, plus visit Gillespie Park. £8, prebook, 11.30am-1pm

GHERKIN JAZZ: The Gherkin's skyline bar, usually only accessible to private club members, is opening its doors for a ticketed jazz event. See a presentation about the building followed by a 45 minute jazz music concert. £45, prebook, 11.30am/2pm/4.30pm/7pm

CHANGE:HOW: This political festival aims to give people 100 reasons not to be apathetic when it comes to voting. Hear 100 stories of personal, powerful change, from 100 world-class “action heroes”, 100 days before the general election. Takes place at Islington Metal Works.£30-£10, prebook, 12pm-5pm

ANTIQUES FAIR: Adams Antiques Fair is back at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster. 140 traders come from all over Europe to offer antique linens, fine jewellery, silver, ceramics and paintings. £4, prebook, 10am-4.30pm

WORD/PLAY: Award winning British actress and singer Janie Dee performs a selection of well-known cabaret songs and hits from West End shows at King's Place. £14.5o, prebook, 11.30am

SCRIPT READ EAST: Script Read East is an evening of comedy, music and drama, showcasing work in progress from London’s hottest, home-grown new writers. At Rich Mix. £5/£3.50, prebook, 3pm

BENGAL TO BETHNAL GREEN: Rich Mix hosts an afternoon celebrating Bengali music and arts in East London. The monthly series of concerts features much-loved singers and musicians from the Grand Union Orchestra,directed by international tabla star Yousuf Ali Khan. Free, just turn up, 3.30pm

BRASS BAND: Onyx Brass Band performs at Omnibus in Clapham to launch its latest album, On an Overgrown Path, featuring music by Brahms, Schumann, Janacek, Mendelssohn and Chopin. £12/£10/£5, prebook, 4.30pm

DIVINE COMEDIA: Starting today and stretching over three Sundays, Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall is hosting an adult bedtime story event covering all three parts of Dante Aligheri’s epic poem. Today covers Inferno. £10 (or £25 for all three events), prebook, 7pm

COMEDY: The Pleasance in Islington has two shows in its work in progress season. Time travelling Victorian magic duo Morgan and West have a show for all the family (£5, prebook, 3pm) then hang around to catch Alex Edelman work on his new material. The old stuff's pretty good, as we saw recently at the Soho Theatre. £5, prebook, 8pm


Other good stuff

Catch up on all latest features, see what we like in theatre and arts and browse more things to do in London.

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