Things To Do In London: Thursday 19 February 2015

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Sip gin in the greenhouse at Kew Gardens

London Trivia

Did you know, that there are no Roads in the City of London? Yes, there are plenty of thoroughfares which take cars, but only half of a City of London road actually has the word "Road" in its moniker. Find out which one, and why this is the case.

Listings

CHINESE NEW YEAR: Welcome the Year of the Sheep with fun, feasting and firecrackers. Try London's best Chinese restaurants, as recommended by those in the know, or sup on cocktails made from a traditional fermented grain spirit from China.

FAMILY FUN: Keep the kids happy in half term with our list of family-friendly activities going on across London.

ART EXHIBITIONS: We're now more than halfway through February. How many of our top 10 February London art exhibitions have you managed to see so far?

RIVER WATCH: Get involved in Thames21’s River Watch Big Count. Today, volunteers are needed at Erith and Richmond to collect and count litter from the Thames Foreshore.

INDONESIAN FILM: DocHouse screens Shape of the Moon at Birkbeck Cinema in Gordon Square. The documentary portrays modern-day Indonesia told from the perspective of three generations of a Christian family living among the largest Muslim community in the world. The screening is followed by a Q&A with director Leonard Retel Helmrich. £5, prebook, 3pm

TEXTILES THROUGH TIME: World textile expert Mary Schoeser is at the Fashion and Textile Museum to talk about the enduring appeal of textiles across time and cultures. £16, prebook, 6pm-8pm

CROSS DRESSING: The National Archives at Kew explores the story of two men who shocked Victorian England with their cross dressing. Neil McKenna, who has recently written a book about it, leads the event. Part of LGBT History Month. Free, prebook, 6pm

GARDEN LATES: Kew Gardens holds its first late night opening, for adults only, in the Princess of Wales Conservatory as part of the Alluring Orchids Festival. Enjoy a botanical themed gin cocktail while browsing the tropical flowers. £12, prebook, from 6.30pm

COMEDY: Mark Watson brings his darkest and most personal stand up show yet to the Union Chapel in Islington. £17/£15+booking fee, prebook, 7pm

POETRY: The Poetry Book Society is at Keats House in Hampstead presenting the work of Daljit Nagra, Jane Yeh, Pascale Petit, and Alex MacDonald as part of Next Generation Poets. £6, prebook, 7pm

FOLK RISING: Head to Cecil Sharp House in Camden for performances by a new generation of folk music artists. Tonight's artists are Crewdson & Cevanne, Laura Moody, Òkina and Sam Mumford. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

GUERILLA COMEDY: Break the system and the fourth wall in the company of Brian Gittins, Red Bastard, Holly Burn, Ali Brice and Beth Vyse with Guerilla Busfare in Hoxton. £10, prebook, 7.30pm


For more things to do around London, why not try…

Wingit? Available on Android and iPhone, Wingit is a smart (and free!) little app that solves the problem of “I want to do something now, but what is going on nearby?”. With just one tap, Wingit finds your location, scans social media and sends the best events happening nearby, straight to your device. From performances to pop-ups, screenings to street art, download Wingit today on the App Store or Google Play to see what’s going on just round the corner.

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This week’s Things To Do In London is sponsored by Wingit.


Good Cause of the Day

Tonight at Conway Hall in Holborn, London Chamber Music Society and Conway Hall Sunday Concerts present the Lincé Memorial Concert, a memorial concert in memory of Mary and Martin Lincé, who were well known on the London concert scene, in aid of Help Musicians UK — a charity which supports musicians of all genres.

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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.