Things to do
GERMAN RADIO: European culture radio station WDR Cosmo is usually based in Cologne, but it's setting up home in London for a week for a series of broadcasts, guests and live sessions. Drop by to see it all going on. Goethe Institut (South Kensington), free, just turn up, 25-29 March
LONDON DOG WEEK: We're going barking mad for London Dog Week, eight days of canine-centric antics. Have a makeover inspired by your pooch, take Fido or Rover to a party, put your pet on the catdogwalk, or take your sidekick on a sightseeing tour. There's plenty on offer for dog lovers who don't have their own pet too. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 24-31 March
PENGUIN CLASSICS: Book publisher Penguin opens a pop-up shop dedicated to its classics, celebrating the popular books. Every single one of the 1,200 Penguin Classics is available to buy, and events take place throughout the week, including walks, talks and workshops. 133 Bethnal Green Road, free entry to shop (charge and booking required for events), 25-31 March
THEATRE COSTUMES: National Theatre's current production Follies — set in a crumbling New York theatre in 1971 — has some seriously impressive costumes. Hear from the team responsible for making the costumes and headdresses you see on stage, Head Ladies Cutter Sarah Mercer, and Deputy Head of Costume Iona Kenrick, about the process they went through. National Theatre, £7/£5, book ahead, 6pm
SHORT STORIES: Readings, conversation and wine are promised at the Short Story Salon, where the work of established and new authors is celebrated. Irish author Nicole Flattery and debut writer Eley Williams discuss their short story collections. Waterstones Gower Street, £10/£8, book ahead, 6.30pm
CHASING THE SUN: Ahead of the clocks changing, find out how closely our natural cycles are linked to natural sunlight. Linda Geddes, author of Chasing The Sun, discusses the science of sunlight, including how our mental health, immune systems and sleep cycles are all affected. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
HEADS AND BODIES: Re-live your childhood with a game of Heads and Bodies — you know the one... you draw a head, fold the paper, next person draws the shoulders, and so on. Except this time, it's adults-only, and booze is readily available to fuel the creative process. The Book Club (Shoreditch), free, just turn up, 7pm-8.30pm
COCKTAIL COMPETITION: The bartenders at Soho bar Archer Street go head to head in a cocktail competition, using Monkey 47 gin as a base. Your ticket gets you four drinks, and a chance to add your vote to the results. Archer Street (Soho), £22, book ahead, 7pm
KT TUNSTALL: It's 15 years since Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall released her biggest hit, Suddenly I See, but she's still going strong, having just released her sixth album. Tonight she performs a mix of old and new tracks, supported by an all-female band. Roundhouse (Camden), £27.50-£109, book ahead, 7pm
FOLK MUSIC: West Country folk duo Mitchell and Vincent bring their fiddle and guitar music to Clerkenwell for an intimate gig. They perform traditional songs from around the British Isles, as well as their own compositions. The Harrison (Clerkenwell), £8, book ahead, 7.30pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Happy New Week! Ever spotted this plaque in Hammersmith? It commemorates the designer who came up with the Johnston typeface — a variation of which is still used all over the Underground and other TfL services. The plaque itself is written in New Johnston, one of only a tiny handful of official blue plaques to deviate from the scheme’s standard typeface.
Follow Barry Heck on @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Opening today, free photography exhibition A Different Path showcases the dangers to mothers and pregnant women in Togo, West Africa, where one in 58 die in pregnancy or childbirth and one in every 20 babies don't survive their first year. Find out what charity Compassion UK is doing to help mothers find a different path out of poverty.
What we're reading
- Artists blow up £1.2m of debt in Walthamstow.
- Does it matter that White Hart Lane station is being renamed Tottenham Hotspur?
- A Nike Air Max exhibition is opening in Soho.
- Spitalfields Life launches a legal challenge to save the Bethnal Green mulberry.
