Things to do
BRIDGET CHRISTIE: Comedian Bridget Christie graces Soho with her presence — and her work-in-progress show — for three evenings, beginning tonight. See her try out fresh material ahead of her new stand-up show. Soho Theatre, £15, book ahead, 3-5 February
LITTLE MISS BABY ANGEL FACE: Also beginning a run at Soho Theatre is comedian Helen Bauer. Her show, Little Miss Baby Angel Face, delves into her dramatic ways, and her dreams of changing and handling dramatic situations with grace rather than panic. Soho Theatre, various prices, book ahead, 3-8 February
EINSTEIN: What has Einstein ever done for you? Astrophysics professor Roberto Trotta discusses how Einstein’s work and mind-boggling ideas have shaped our everyday lives. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 1pm-2pm
INAPPROPRIATE CARDS: What’s Valentine’s Day without an inappropriate joke or two? Create a card for your other half or secret crush, and be as naughty as you like at this inappropriate card making session. Just make sure they don’t open it in front of their mum, eh? Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, from 6pm
COUNCIL HOUSING: Britain built more council housing in the 20th century than any other country, but over £100bn of it has been sold off. Hear from Professor Steve Schifferes, about what caused this change in attitude, and how it has affected politics, society and the economy. Barnard's Inn Hall (Holborn), free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
PAPPY'S FLATSHARE SLAMDOWN: Comedians Mae Martin and Tom Rosenthal (Friday Night Dinner) are the guests for this live recording of podcast Pappy’s Flatshare Slamdown. The premise is a gameshow based in a fictional flat, with Matthew Crosby as landlord, and flatmates Ben Clark and Tom Parry going head to head in tasks. Moth Club (Hackney), £15, book ahead, 7pm
GINA MILLER: She’s best-known for taking the UK government on and winning, not once but twice. Hear from Gina Miller, who fought the triggering of Article 50, and the Supreme Court’s ruling that the decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful, talking about her new memoir Rise. She discusses how one person speaking out can make a difference, with news presenter Philippa Thomas. British Library, £16/£8, book ahead, 7pm-8.15pm
SKEPTICS IN THE PUB: Comedian Robin Ince is the special guest at this month’s Skeptics in the Pub (a wonderful evening we've attended many times... though we're skeptical that the current venue is actually a pub). Hear him talk about some of the topics covered in his book I’m A Joke And So Are You. Where does anxiety come from? How do we overcome imposter syndrome? What is the key to creativity? How can we deal with grief? The Roadtrip & Workshop (Old Street), £3, just turn up, 7.30pm
FANTASTIQUE: The Corinthian Orchestra performs a programme of works written by Tchaikovsky and Berlioz. Grammy Award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti joins the Orchestra for a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, followed by Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Southbank Centre, £15-£22, book ahead, 8pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Monday, as ever, is when I declare my Roundel of the Week. This week's entry requires two, for it is the strange, undocumented phenomenon of the Roundel Eclipse. The effect is best seen on the Bakerloo line, where No Smoking window roundels can — under the right circumstances — align with platform roundels to create an eclipse effect. They're rarer than you might expect. You have to be sat in the optimum position, with nobody seated opposite to mask the occultation. The above effort — a very slight partial eclipse — is the best I could do on a recent fact-finding mission up the brown line. I might have got up to 50% coverage by leaning over or going down on my knees, but I'd have seriously perturbed the lady to my left. If anyone is still reading my mad rantings, then please feel free to send me your own photos of the rare Roundel Eclipse by tweeting @HeckTube, or else emailing [email protected] with subject line "Roundel Photo for Barry Heck".
Good cause of the day
Book ahead to take part in the Big London Night Walk in aid of the Big Issue Foundation. It's a 15-mile route through Central London at night, on 6 March 2020. Find out more and sign up.
What we're reading
- Harrods security staff to go on strike over pay.
- Brick Lane's Beigel Bake now has a delivery app.
- My London, by Simon Reeve.
- Someone's having a laugh in Kingston.
