Things to do
DOG FILM FESTIVAL: Bow wow wow your way over to Holborn for the first day of Top Dog Film Festival. Watch a curated selection of canine films showcasing the bond between dogs and their owners. Conway Hall (Holborn), £12-£14, book ahead, 1-2 October
COPPAFEEL COCKTAILS: Tuck into a cocktail and do a good deed throughout October. Slug & Lettuce is offering special cocktails in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with a donation from each drink going to CoppaFeel. The Berry Boobtini is strawberry purée shaken with coconut syrup, cranberry juice, lime and apple juice, then topped with cream and a raspberry. Slug & Lettuce (various locations), from £4.95, throughout October
LUNCHTIME CONCERT: Do something a bit different with your lunch break, and enjoy a free classical music concert. It takes place in the Long Gallery of Lauderdale House, overlooking Waterlow Park, and lasts 45 minutes — so there's still enough time to scoff a sarnie before heading back to your desk. Lauderdale House (Highgate), free, just turn up, 1.15pm
JAPANESE TASTING MENU: As part of Japan Week, M Restaurant offers a seafood and sake supper club, including a masterclass led by Japanese fusion food expert Raul Diaz. Tuck into dishes including fresh sashimi, and juicy Iberico pork with kimchi and yuzu, all paired with sake, and learn how sake is made. M Restaurant Threadneedle Street, £80, book ahead, 6pm-9pm
BOTANICAL ARTIST: Rachel Hein, a botanical artist who has been commissioned by the likes of Chelsea Physic Garden and Raymond Blanc’s restaurant, discusses her work. Learn about her process, influences, and art school memories. Hampstead School of Art, free, book ahead, 6.30pm-7.30pm
BLACK SCIENTISTS: As Black History Month begins, learn about some of the inventions and scientific breakthroughs made by black scientists. Topics covered include castles, computer games, car safety, vaccinations, torpedoes, outer space, computers, optometry, biology, mechanics, architecture and more. Southwark Cathedral, £3, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER: Do you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? As the seasons change, head to this free talk about SAD and pick up some tips on how to combat it, as well as finding out what it actually is and what causes it. 4 Dingley Place (Old Street), free, book ahead,6.30pm-8.30pm
WORLD-CHANGING MUSIC: BBC DJ Mark Radcliffe offers his take on music that changed the world. Hear him talk about the likes of Woodie Guthrie, Gloria Gaynor, Kurt Cobain and Bob Marley, and the ability that their music has to transform lives, based on his own personal experiences. Regent Street Cinema, £30-£40, book ahead, 6.45pm-8pm
ROSE MCGOWAN: Hear from actor and activist Rose McGowan as she performs her new show, Planet 9. It's a blend of memoir, music, storytelling, projections and performance — encouraging the audience to see Earth from a new perspective and learn how to create a liberated, fairer society. Shoreditch Town Hall, £20, book ahead, 7pm-9pm (sponsor)
GENIUS AND OPERA SINGER: Catch a screening of 2017 documentary The Genius and the Opera Singer, which tells the story of a 92 year old former opera singer and her daughter who share an apartment in Manhattan. Followed by a Q&A with director Vanessa Stockley. Bertha DocHouse (Bloomsbury), £12.50, book ahead, 7pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Have you ever noticed this door at Embankment station? Another can be found at Ealing Broadway. Who or what is Private Rod? Nobody seems to know, or is willing to say. Several online forums suggest this might be a 'Railway Operations Department' — but who are they, how do they differ from the people in the Underground control centres, and why would such an important-sounding department have marked rooms at only two stations? Other suggestions include 'risk of death', 'revenue officer's desk' and 'railwayman's orgy dungeon'. Send further suggestions to Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Throughout October, burger restaurant Patty & Bun teams up with charity Girl vs. Cancer. A special burger, The Rack, is on sale all month, with a donation from each one purchased going to the charity. Patty & Bun is also selling specially designed t-shirts in aid of Girl vs. Cancer.
What we're reading
- Lord Gravy reviews the roast dinner options at The Narrow, Limehouse.
- Typography and teasing in the Barbican Estate's launderette.
- Social tenants blocked from communal garden in west London development.
- Diamond Geezer on low-lying parts of London and flood risks.
