Things to do
BRAIN PARASITES: Zombie ants and fearless mice are some of the creatures discussed in this free lecture on brain parasites. By looking at how brain parasites change the effects of their hosts in other species, we can learn more about how our own brains work. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
PUBLIC ART: Find out what the deal is with public art in the City of London. Benjamin O’Connor (Director, The City Centre) chats to artist Thomas J Price and other experts about the benefits and problems of installing public art in the Square Mile. Although public arts projects in the area have increased in recent years, there's still a way to go before the City matches other parts of London. The City Centre, free, book ahead, 6pm-7.30pm
PORTRAIT PAINTING: Watch Ann Witheridge, founder of London Fine Art Studios, create an oil portrait of a British soldier right in front of you. The painting demonstration ties in with the current Alfred Munnings exhibition, with Witheridge replicating Munnings' Impressionist style. National Army Museum (Chelsea), £10, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
FEMALE WRITERS: Literary critic Lucy Scholes chats to authors Katharine Smyth and Nell Stevens about how great female authors, including Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Gaskill, have influenced their own work. Smyth first read Woolf's To The Lighthouse when she was a student at Oxford, and Stevens wrote Mrs Gaskell and me, weaving her own story with Gaskell's despite the two centuries between them. Waterstones Gower Street, £10/£8, book ahead, 6.30pm
COMMEMORATING LONDON: Ever walk around London and see a statue or sculpture so ugly, you wonder why it was ever erected? Join the London Society for an evening all about these ugly statues — as well as some suggestions of non-existing commemorations that are long overdue. The results of a joint poll between the London Society and London Historians to find London's least popular statue are announced — Londonist's own Editor-at-Large Matt Brown chairs the event. Sir Christopher Hatton pub (Chancery Lane), £5, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm
SPLOSH: Comedy meets swimming in Splosh, a new show by physical comedian Ben Target. No need for your swimsuit though, as he's doing all the hard work, bringing synchronised aquatics, front crawl relays and doggy paddle lessons into the bewildering equation. Battersea Arts Centre, £10/£8, book ahead, 7pm
FUTURE OF MONEY: Nine years since cryptocurrency Bitcoin was first used to purchase pizza, find out what's going on with the digital asset. Which cryptocurrencies are likely to last, and which ones have real world uses? Financial engineering expert Alexander Lipton and Tatiana Cutts, Assistant Professor of Law at LSE, discuss the future of money for cryptocurrencies and central banks. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
RISE UP: North-west London's open mic night Rise Up comes to King's Cross for an evening of poetry, rapping, singing and storytelling. The evening aims to give an equal platform to both established and emerging performers, with a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. Resident DJs provide the soundtrack between performers. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), free, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
JEEVES HOMAGE: Bestselling author Ben Schott discusses his new novel based on the work of P G Wodehouse: Jeeves and the King of Clubs. Expect espionage in Whitehall, gentleman's clubs in St James's and several characters familiar from the original novels. Dulwich College, £10/£8, book ahead, 7.30pm-8.30pm
PAINT LIKE BANKSY: Pick up a paintbrush (and a drink or two) and have a go at recreating Banksy's famous Girl With The Red Balloon painting. All supplies are provided, as is guidance from an experienced artist, and everyone from novices to experts is welcomes. The Tabard (Chiswick), £26.99, book ahead, 7.30pm-9.30pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
London has 270 tube stations. This is an auspicious total. 270 is the number of US Electoral College votes needed to become President of the USA. It is also the average number of days in a human pregnancy. 270 CE was the year in which the Chinese invented gunpowder. This is the lowest whole number to have divisors that end in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The other fact we learnt today is that Wikipedia is a wonderful thing.
Good cause of the day
Spotted this new mural on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch? Renowned street artists Gary Stranger, Pref and Ben Eine each painted one of the words in their own typographical style to raise awareness for The Shannon Trust, a literacy trust which helps prisoners learn to read. Find out more about the charity here.
What we're reading
- London firms are helping London landlords break letting laws.
- Junk food adverts are now banned on London's transport network.
- All pre-bookable tickets fro V&A's Dior exhibition have sold out for the entire run.
- 5,120 tonne loading test above Moorgate tube station.
- The chair of Borough Market has warned that traders are at risk from a no-deal Brexit.
