Things to do
SPYING ON SPIES: 7-11 year olds are invited to Time Travel Club, a world of secrets, gadgets and spies. It's a child-friendly introduction to the current Cold War exhibition with stories of spies, and a chance to make a disguise to take home. National Archives (Kew), £7.50, book ahead, 10.30am-12pm
STREET FOOD: Bao buns, fiery Thai dishes are a range of pasta are just some of the options at lunchtime street food market Cabot Street Bites. Ditch your soggy sarnie and head down to the free-entry market to peruse your options, then enjoy your choice in one of the many parks and open space in the area. Cabot Square (Canary Wharf), free entry, just turn up, 11am-3pm
BURGER FESTIVAL: It's National Burger Day, and street food market Hawker House is celebrating with the Bundance Burger Festival. Apparently Europe's biggest burger bash, it hosts 16 restaurants and traders serving up slider-sized versions of their menus, so you can sample as many as possible. Hawker House (Canada Water), £15/£12, book ahead, 4pm-11pm
LDN 195: Tonight's the first in three nights of special menus celebrating the capital's culinary diversity. LDN 195 celebrates what are believed to be the six most underrepresented cuisines in London; Romanian, Goan, Slovenian, Polynesian, Armenian and Ukrainian. Tuck into Goan curry and Armenian flatbreads, among other dishes. Carousel (Marylebone), £50, book ahead, 7pm, 22-24 August
CATHEDRAL LATES: St Paul's Cathedral stays open late, offering a chance to see Wren's masterpiece from within, after the daytime crowds have gone home. Climb up to the galleries and watch the sun set over London, see the burial sites of some of the capital's heroes, and view the current exhibition about the restoration of the building. St Paul's Cathedral, £12.80, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
CALLIGRAPHY CLASS: Put pen to paper in the fanciest way possible at this beginner's modern calligraphy class. Learn how to create basic shapes and strokes using a pointed pen — ticket includes a calligraphy starter kit and a glass of prosecco. The Maker Station (Brentford), £50, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm
STARMAN: This month’s Science Fiction Theatre focuses on 1984 film Starman, about a space being who tries to contact humans after receiving a message from NASA, until his spaceship is intercepted by an American missile. The Castle Cinema (Homerton), £10/£8, book ahead, 7pm
ACOUSTIC HOGROAST: The inaugural Acoustic HogRoast takes place tonight, an event designed to let the audience into the stories behind the songs. Atmospheric pop singer Hatley, folk singer Jake Among The Willows, and country singer-songwriter Amelia Lappert are among the performers introducing their music. The Harrison (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, 7pm
OPHELIA REWOUND: Part of Camden Fringe, Ophelia Rewound is an autobiographical one-person show by Antigoni Spanou, who shares her experiences of depression and mental health. It begins with the attempted suicide of the character of Ophelia, drawing the audience into her story through intimate interactions. Camden People's Theatre, £12/£10, book ahead, 9pm (until 25 August)
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
The concourse of Liverpool Street tube station recently had a bit of an upgrade. One feature that hasn't been replaced, however, is this destination board near the top of the escalators. It still shows the stations of North Weald and Ongar, which closed a quarter of a century ago (though are now part of the Epping-Ongar railway attraction). Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
How To Start A Revolution is a BAFTA-winning documentary about Nobel Peace Prize nominee and political theorist Gene Sharp, put together using archive footage and interviews. Watch a screening of the 2011 film, followed by a Q&A session with director Ruaridh Arrow. Money raised goes to Extinction Rebellion and the Albert Einstein Institution. Find out more and book tickets.
What we're reading
- Derelict mansion on Billionaire's Row finally sells after 15 years.
- What's it like to manage the programme at Prince Charles Cinema.
- Tower Hamlets gay fetish club saved from redevelopment.
- The London bakery that's changing lives.
