Things to do
REGENT'S CANAL: Join Footprints of London tour guide Jane Parker for a stroll along Regent's Canal, learning about the history of the waterway as you go. Its industrial past dates to a time when the towpaths were off limits to the general public, so dirty and dangerous were the businesses along the water's edge — very different from the colourful canal boats moored up there today. Angel, £12/£9, book ahead, 10.30am-12.30pm
CITY WALK: Take a guided walk through the eastern end of the City of London, visiting hidden alleyways and courtyards, a spooky graveyard, a market where part of Harry Potter was filmed, historic taverns and more. Learn bits of history, including the story of Dick Whittington and a wine bar that survived the Great Fire as you go. City of London (meeting point provided on booking), £10/£5, book ahead, 2.30pm-5pm (sponsor)
BACKSTAGE TOURS: Go behind the scenes at Barbican theatre, visiting backstage areas which are usually off-limits to the public. The backstage tour gives an insight into how the theatre works, and covers the architecture of the building. Barbican, £12.50, book ahead, 5pm
PORNO DOT TO DOT: It's dot-to-dot, but not as you know it. The kiddie pastime goes x-rated, as the dots join to reveal some rather more provocative images. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, from 6pm
EARTH: Several billion tons of earth are moved annually by humans — with shovels, excavators or dynamite. The people doing the moving are the subject of new Austrian documentary Earth, which meets workers from America, Italy and Hungary. Some are proud of what they're doing, while others don't understand why they're doing it. Bertha DocHouse (Bloomsbury), £9/£7/£5, book ahead, 6.30pm
CUBAN SALSA: Choose between Cuban salsa and bachata dancing, and take part in a dance class, followed by an evening of social dancing. Classes are available for all levels, including beginners, with DJs spinning tunes and experienced teachers showing you the ropes. Queen of Hoxton, £10 for 1 lesson/£13 for both/£4 for social dancing, just turn up, 6.30pm-10pm
AUTHOR TALK: What if your mind carried on working for a few minutes after your death? That's the concept behind new novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World. Hear award-wining author Elif Shafak discuss the novel, followed by a signing. Daunt Books (Marylebone), £10, book ahead, 7pm
JAPANESE LIVING: Celebrate new travel book Be More Japan, at an evening dedicated to the art of Japanese living. History, art and cultural quirks are all covered in a panel debate, with plenty of travel and trip-planning tips thrown in. Stanfords (Covent Garden), £4, book ahead, 7pm-8.15pm
LIVE MUSIC: Enjoy a live music festival in one of London's secret gardens. Alt-folk band Cocos Lovers and Kent-based acts The Selkies and Molly's Lips are on the line-up at Dalston Eastern Curve Garden. Food and drink is available to buy at the intimate, open-air festival. Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, £9, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Had he lived, Henry Moore would have been celebrating his 121st birthday today. Moore is most famous for his monumental sculptures, examples of which can be found outside King's Cross station, on Millbank and on College Green, Westminster. He also had strong connections to the tube. During the second world war, Moore made numerous sketches of families huddled together, as they sheltered from the Blitz on tube platforms (above). He also has a work of art installed above a tube station. His first public commission, courtesy of Charles Holden, is called West Wind. It's one of the relief sculptures that decorates the walls of 55 Broadway above St James's Park tube station. Happy birthday, sir.
Good cause of the day
The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow is crowdfunding to host the world's first exhibition looking at the links between Morris's work and that of the Bauhaus, the German design school. Find out more and make a contribution.
What we're reading
- Pelican numbers have doubled in St James's Park.
- London's Wheelie Gang helps children who use wheelchairs.
- Criticised London water fountain designs were chosen by a focus group.
- The garden where horticulture meets hip hop.
