Things to do
PANCAKE DAY: Flippin' heck, that crêped up on us. It's Shrove Tuesday, so peruse our guide to Pancake Day events to find a pancake race or towering stack near you. Otherwise take a look at London's best year-round pancake restaurants, including those with vegan and gluten-free options. Warning: they may be busy.
DIFFERENCE FESTIVAL: All this week, the University of Westminster hosts Difference Festival, a series of free events honouring the institution's roots, with a focus on 'truth' and what that means in the age of fake news. All events are free, and today's options include a look at the truth of ageing. University of Westminster (Regent Street), free, book ahead, 24-28 February
A WESTMINSTER STORY: Theatre show A Westminster Story follows the tale of a free spirited Scottish musician who's new to London, and a conflicted politician, and what happens to them as a result of a chance meeting on Albert Embankment one night. Waterloo East Theatre, £16/£13, book ahead, 25 February-1 March
MONOCHROMATIC MINDS: The work of self-taught disabled artists goes on display in new exhibition Monochromatic Minds, the largest ever show of its kind. 61 artists including Madge Gill and Donald Mitchell have contributed works to the exhibition, including drawings, ceramics and textiles. Candid Arts Centre (Islington), free, just turn up, 25 February-4 March
RAILWAY HISTORY: Ever heard of the Hertford Loop? Get yourself well acquainted with it at this free talk on Enfield's railway history by expert Dave Cockle. The Loop was the 1910 extension of the railway from Enfield and on to Hertford and Stevenage. Dugdale Centre (Enfield), free, book ahead, 1pm
SIR RANULPH FIENNES: Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is in north London to talk about some of the extreme adventures he's undertaken, risking life and limb to do so. He also talks about his book, Living Dangerously, which covers his life from early childhood to global expeditions. Alexandra Palace, £37, book ahead, 6.30pm
DAMNED OR DEVOTED: Watch new documentary The Accused: Damned or Devoted. It follows Cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi on his one mission: to preserve Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which prescribe a mandatory death sentence for disrespecting The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and life imprisonment for desecrating the Holy Quran. Today's screening is followed by a Q&A with director Mo Naqvi. Bertha DocHouse (Bloomsbury), £12.50/£10, book ahead, 6.30pm
FOOD WASTE: Entrepreneur workshop Fast Forward 2030 hosts an evening of talks and panel discussions about the problem of food waste and how to solve it. Guest speakers include Jessica Barlow of Karma, an app which helps people find surplus food from restaurants and cafes. Wayra (Soho), £10, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm
INHOUSE RECORDS: The world’s first record label to be launched in prison, InHouse Records showcases work by some of its graduates. Hear their stories, songs and spoken word performances at the label's only event outside of prison walls. The Other Palace (Victoria), pay what you wish, just turn up, 8pm
DELIVERY ROOM: Phil Nichol, Russell Hicks and Sarah Callaghan host The Delivery Room, an evening of professional comedians doing their thing. Joe Sutherland, Rajiv Karia, David Mills and John Robertson are on the line-up this week. The Taprooms (Islington), £5, book ahead, 8pm-10.30pm
London weather with Inclement Attlee
Our idiosyncratic weather forecaster returns, keeping you up to date on London's skies.
We may well see some sleet in the second half of the day, which is nowhere near as exciting as snow, but it's good enough to delight small children. Have you ever wondered what exactly sleet is, and how it differs from hail? No? Well I'm going to mansplain it to you anyway. Sleet happens when snow passes through a band of warm air, melts, but then refreezes into small ice pellets before hitting the ground. It tends to happen in colder months. Like this one.
Hail, on the other hand, can occur in warmer months and is usually associated with thunder storms. Here, large ice pellets grow within the updrafts of storm clouds. When they are too heavy to remain aloft, they plummet to earth and sometimes cause damage.
Contact Mr Attlee with any weather-related thoughts or pictures by emailing [email protected]; subject line "For Mr Attlee".
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Ever spotted a roundel clock? These wonderful contraptions from the 1940s replace the dial numbers with roundels, and incorporate a 13th on the large hand. The clocks can be found at four stations, all on the Central line — Bethnal Green, Wanstead, Redbridge and Gants Hill. A fifth roundel clock is planned for Chadwell Heath when the Elizabeth line opens. Find out everything you need to know about the clocks in this article.
Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Local community group The Friends of Gypsy Hill are fundraising to bring the above British Railways sign back to the local area and save it for future generations. It's over 70 years old and currently resides in Devon. £1,200 is needed to collect it and restore it — find out more and make a donation.
What we're reading
- Turkish bakery Oklava challenges Priti Patel over 'low-skilled' restaurant workers.
- London super sewer construction passes halfway point.
- Revised designs for new Millwall stadium have been revealed.
- Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey calls for London to host Tokyo Olympics if coronavirus forces the event to move.
