Things to do
LOVE FACTUALLY: Babble Talks is a series of lectures for parents of young babies — but not on the subject of parenting. Today, author Laura Mucha talks about topics covered in her debut book Love Factually, about who we love, and why. East Dulwich Picturehouse, £10, book ahead, 11.30am-12.30pm
EASTER FILM NIGHT: Start Easter a few days early with a free, open-air screening of animated family film Hop. It’s the story of E.B, a young rabbit who’s destined to become the Easter Bunny, but goes to Hollywood to become a rock star instead. Merchant Square (Paddington), free, just turn up, 5pm-7pm
THE LONG GOODBYE: When American founder Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, an international period of mourning begun, setting a precedent that we still live by today. On the anniversary of his death, cultural historian Dr Boudreau discusses the lasting ideas that Franklin’s memorial had on ideas of remembrance and identity. Benjamin Franklin House (Charing Cross), £6, book ahead, 5.30pm-7pm
MINING VOLCANOES: Volcanoes are dangerous geological features, often avoided — but they also contain a wealth of natural resources. Dr Richard Herrington of the Natural History Museum discusses why,and how, we should be extracting diamonds, copper and geothermal energy from inside volcanoes. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
TWILIGHT TOUR: Horace Walpole's Gothic masterpiece Strawberry Hill House is impressive enough in daylight, so imagine what it looks like on a twilight tour. Visit it out of hours, drink in hand, and admire the building in a whole new light. Strawberry Hill House (Twickenham), £25/£20, book ahead, 6.30pm
UNNATURAL HISTORY: Jack Ashby — former manager of the Grant Museum of Zoology, now in charge of the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology — knows a thing or two about natural history museums. Hear him talk about the quirks and biases in how museums talk about animals, in ways that can reflect politics as much as science — and whether they offer a realistic representation of nature at all. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
BOOK QUIZ: If you know your Dickens from your Dahl and your Twilight from your Harry Potter, get yourself to the Betsey Trotwood book quiz — apparently London’s only regular book quiz — and put your literary knowledge to the test as you compete for prizes. Max team size is five. The Betsey Trotwood (Farringdon), £2, just turn up, 7.30pm
JAWDANCE: London’s biggest open mic poetry night, Jawdance is a chance for new and established performance poets to show off their latest work. Sign up for a chance to perform a 3-minute slot, or sit back and watch others strut their stuff. Rich Mix (Shoreditch), free, just turn up, 7.30pm
SH*T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: If you’ve never really understood Shakespeare anyway, why not throw some booze into the mix to make it completely unintelligible? The Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare actors perform The Taming of the Shrew — but as they’re getting increasingly tipsy as the performance goes on, it may not bear much resemblance to the Bard’s original work. Leicester Square Theatre, £16.25-£20.75, book ahead, 7.30pm
GREEN BOOK: Watch Oscar-nominated film Green Book, the true story of famous African-American pianist Dr. Don Shirley, and his working-class Italian-American chauffeur Tony Lip, on a tour of the Deep South USA in 1962. Harris Academy South Norwood, £8.50/£7/£5, book ahead, 7.45pm
QUEENIE: Candice Carty-Williams’s debut novel, Queenie, is expected to be one of the best-selling novels of 2019. It's the story of Queenie Jenkins who works on the culture desk of a national newspaper, and lives in a close, if overbearing, Jamaican family in Brixton, until she falls into a spiral of self-destruction. Hear Carty-Williams discuss the novel and her inspiration behind it with TV presenter June Sarpong. Southbank Centre, £12, book ahead, 7.45pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Did you know, London’s last wooden escalator could be found at Greenford tube station as recently as 2014? It was replaced by the Underground’s first incline lift. Two pub quiz questions in one station. Follow Barry Heck on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Book now to join filmmakers Huw Cordey and Patrick Morris — who've worked on BBC series Life, Planet Earth, and The Hunt — for an evening of the stories that have inspired them across thirty years of wildlife filmmaking. The event raises funds for Just A Drop, a charity working to bring sustainable, safe water to all communities.
It takes place on 25 April, and we suspect it will sell out ahead of the event itself. Find out more and book tickets.
What we're reading
- The highs and lows of impersonating Boris Johnson.
- A seal hitches a ride from a Thames paddleboarder.
- The mezzanine at Waterloo station has been filled with photos of railway footbridges.
- A day out at London's police auctions.
