Things to do
WOOLWICH PRINT FAIR: Looking for some new artwork for your walls? Woolwich Print Fair brings together work by more than 500 artists, all with a contemporary spin. Screen-printing, etching and woodblock are just some of the disciplines represented, and keep your eyes peeled for pieces by Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin. Royal Arsenal (Woolwich), £10/£8, book ahead, 7-10 November
CARNABY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Today’s the day folks — Christmas officially begins with London’s first major Christmas lights ceremonies. Carnaby holds a Christmas shopping party with special events and discounts in businesses throughout the area. The lights have an ocean theme with an environmental message this year. Carnaby, free, book ahead, 5pm-9pm (switch-on at 6pm). Savile Row also switches its first ever Christmas lights on tonight, with David Gandy doing the honours (free, book ahead, 7pm-9pm).
MUSEUM LATES: The Royal College of Physicians Museum keeps its doors open late on the first Thursday of the month, for anyone who wants to visit. Browse the collection, including a 17th century set of human remains, and an impressive range of apothecary jars and surgical instruments. Or simply admire this stunning brutalist building. Royal College of Physicians (Regent's Park), free, book ahead, 5.30pm-8pm
PERIODIC TABLE: Gresham College celebrates 150 years of the periodic table with a free talk by astronomy lecturer Dr Stephen Wilkins. Find out about the astrophysical origins of the chemical elements, including neutron stars, which are responsible for the rarest elements including gold, silver, and uranium. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
BOAR'S HEAD PLAYHOUSE: Hear Museum of London Archaeology experts talking about recent excavation work at the Shakespearean-era Boar's Head Playhouse in Whitechapel. Find out what was found during the excavation, and what it tells us about the history of the building and the area. St George's German Lutheran Church (Whitechapel), £10, book ahead,6.30pm-7.30pm
KELLY HOLMES: Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes is also an Honorary Colonel in the British Army. Hear her talk about her military career, the impact it has had on her mental health, and the importance of supporting military veterans. The event raises funds for veteran housing charity Stoll. Trinity House (Tower Hill), £50 for two people, book ahead, 6.30pm-9.30pm
2040: New south London cinema Catford Mews hosts a screening of feature documentary film 2040, which ponders what the planet could look like in 21 years, if we embrace new technology now to clean up the planet. Screening followed by a Q&A with director Damon Gameau. Catford Mews, £6.99, book ahead, 6.30pm
LGBTQ ARCHIVE: Join a curator for a tour of Bishopsgate Institute's LGBTQ+ archive. Cuttings, banners, badges and even a set of wizard's robes are among the records and archives kept in the collection, and there's some excellent trivia to be heard too, Bishopsgate Institute (Liverpool Street), £7/£5, book ahead, 6.30pm
NOT ABOUT THE BURQA: Writers, poets and activists take to the stage to talk about the experiences of modern Muslim women, as highlighted in new anthology, It’s Not About The Burqa. 17 Muslim women have told their stories in the anthology, produced as a response to then Prime Minister David Cameron’s comment about the ‘traditional submissiveness’ of Muslim women. Southbank Centre, £12, book ahead, 7pm
TOWER BRIDGE: The construction of Tower Bridge is the subject of the latest talk celebrating the span’s 125th birthday. Tom Furber of London Metropolitan Archives talks about some of the weird and wacky ideas submitted for the 19th century competition to design the river crossing, and about the construction of the chosen design. Tower Bridge, £20, book ahead, 7pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Have you ever spotted one of these tube beasties, reflected in the doors of underground trains? Here, I captured the common four-legged headless beast in the window of a Jubilee train. But the creatures come in many different varieties. Londonist readers have sent in examples of other subterranean miscreations, with distorted heads, gaping orifices and other strange physiognomies. If you've spotted such a creature, send images to [email protected], or tweet me on @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Book ahead for Ben Elton's comedy night in aid of disability charity Scope. The comedian and writer is the headline act for the 21 December event at Shepherd's Bush Empire, with support acts to be announced. Find out more and book tickets.
What we're reading
- A Walthamstow Hindu temple needs a new storage space for its 6-metre tall wooden chariot.
- Lawyer criticises British Museum as the 'world's largest receiver of stolen property'.
- Diagram shows which tube lines are the most polluted.
- There are talks of NFL team The Chargers moving to London.
