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Congregation, a new installation by Es Devlin, is on show for less than a week.

A new installation by Es Devlin — the artist and set designer who's worked on major West End plays, and U2's recent show at the Sphere in Vegas— comes to central London this Friday (4 October).

Over the past four months, Devlin has been making large-scale chalk and charcoal portraits of 50 Londoners who have experienced forced displacement from their homelands. The portraits go on display in the beautiful 18th century St Mary Le Strand church, as Congregation, a free installation running from 4-9 October 2024.

Devlin has drawn 50 Londoners who have experienced forced displacement from their homelands.

Devlin's process was to draw each of the sitters for 45 minutes without speaking, thus seeing them through the eyes of a stranger. "I am drawing my own perspectives and biases," says Devlin. After that, each subject spoke to Devlin about their lives in London, and their journeys from more than 25 countries, including Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Drawing resumed, with a fresh angle opened up to Devlin.

Each of the sitters will appear in towering form at one end of the church. Each will be shown holding a box, which contains a projected animated sequence which they have invited Devlin to envisage. The portraits are also accompanied by a soundscape composed by Polyphonia, and featuring poetry by the Kinshasa-born poet JJ Bola, as well as extracts from Recomposed by Max Richter, Vivaldi's Four Seasons (which Devlin played during drawing sessions) and a reworking of Anton Bruckner's sacred motet Locus Iste (This Place).

The artist spent 45 minutes drawing each subject without speaking, before they then revealed their stories and personalities.

Explaining Congregation, Devlin says: "I was moved in 2022 by the generosity of spirit with which we, as a country and as individuals, offered support to those displaced by the war in Ukraine. I wanted to understand why we have not yet been drawn to show an equivalent abundance of support to those displaced in comparable circumstances from other countries including Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and many more."

Free public choral performances take place just outside the church for the duration of the installation, at 7pm each evening (barring Monday 7 October).

Congregation, St Mary Le Strand, Friday 4-Wednesday 9 October 2024, 11am-9pm, free

Share you home movies with the Cinema Museum this October.

Noir, horror, sci-fi: throughout the year, Kennington's Cinema Museum screens all types of films in its unique location in a former workhouse chapel.

Things get particularly personal in October, though, when the cinema invites you to celebrate Home Movie Day, by bringing in your own films. In particular, the Cinema Museum is interested in seeing your 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm and 16mm: maybe it's something that's been passed down through the family, or perhaps you've just stumbled across the film in a corner of the attic, or under the floorboards. The museum archivists will help you play the films, and give you advice on looking after them. You'll also get a chance, should you wish, to screen the film to a wider audience on the day.

This promises to be a day filled with camaraderie and nostalgia — as well as providing a glimpse into the personal lives of Londoners past. But don't just take our word for it. As the great Martin Scorsese says: "Home movies do not just capture the important private moments of our family's lives, but they are historical and cultural documents as well. Home Movie Day is a celebration of these films and the people who shot them. I urge anyone with an interest in learning more about how to care for and preserve their own personal memories to join in the festivities being offered in their community."

No home movie? Everyone's welcome to this free event. From 1pm, enjoy a specially curated screening from the archives of the Imperial War Museum on the Blitz, as well as some of Noel Coward's home movies, accompanied by film composer and pianist Neil Brand.

Home Movie Day, the Cinema Museum, Sunday 20 October 2024, 10:30am until 4pm, free

October is pumpkin patch season! Image: Michala Li via Unsplash

Exciting things to do close to the capital in October 2024, all easily accessible in a day trip. Browse our Beyond London section for ideas for other day trips and weekends away.

PUMPKIN PICKING: Embrace the Halloween spirit and go pumpkin picking in one of these fields and patches close to London. Put your wellies on and pick your gourd — some venues offer special Halloween events and carving sessions too.

SOUTHEND JAZZ FESTIVAL: Live performances, workshops and film screenings are all part of Southend Jazz Festival, taking place at various venues around the Essex seaside city. Derek Nash, the Tara Minton Trio and the Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra are among the big names. Some events are free. 30 September-6 October (Essex)

ABBEY BY NIGHT: Clouds of incense, the sounds of monks chanting, and the hustle and bustle of a lively medieval abbey at work are part of the Abbey At Night experience at St Albans Cathedral. Visit after dark, by candlelight, and watch the Abbey's history come to life around you. 2 October, 6 and 13 November (Hertfordshire)

SCRIPTORIUM LIGHT SHOW: Light art specialists Luxmuralis seem to be everywhere at the moment — including Rochester Cathedral at the start of this month. Scriptorium is a light and sound show showcasing Anglo-Saxon artefacts and medieval manuscripts, including images from the British Library. Read our guide to Rochester, for other things to see and do while you're in the town . 3-7 October (Kent)

MAIDSTONE LIT FEST: Stuart Heritage, Lucy Strange and Rosie Wilby are just some of the authors taking part in the second edition of Maidstone Lit Fest, held at venues in the town including All Saint's Church and Maidstone Museum. There are events for children too, including rhyme and storytelling sessions. 4-12 October (Kent)

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CANDLELIT MODEL VILLAGE: We love model villages, and we're fans of a candlelight setting too, so we're intrigued by the Model Village Candlelight Evenings at the Museum of Power in Langford. Across three consecutive Fridays, the museum's model village stays open late, illuminated by 400 candlelit lanterns. It's open to both adults and children, and the miniature railway is open for rides too. 4, 11, 18 October (Essex)

HASTINGS WEEK AND BONFIRE: To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings (14 October, FYI), and to celebrate the local people and culture, the seaside town of Hastings hosts Hastings Week. Events include live music, a classic car show, a tractor run, guided walks and winkle tossing. Also in town that week is the Hastings Bonfire (12 October), complete with torchlit procession and fireworks on the beach. 4-20 October (East Sussex)

PUPPETRY FESTIVAL: 48 puppetry performances, including two UK premieres and one world premiere, come to Tunbridge Wells, for its annual puppetry festival. Many of the shows are suitable for all ages. The final day (Sunday 13 October) has the largest programme, with a puppet parade through the town centre and free indoor and outdoor performances dotted around the area. 5-13 October (Kent)

HARWICH SHANTY FESTIVAL: Yo ho ho! Enjoy three days of hearty singing in an historic seaport for Harwich Shanty Festival. Performances, barge trips, walks, talks and workshops are all part of the salty fun, taking place across boats, pubs, and other historic buildings. 11-13 October (Essex)

GIANTS OF STEAM: The Bluebell Railway pulls out the big guns for its Giants of Steam autumn gala. Special guest locomotive LNER class A4 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is on show, along with Bluebell's own fleet, with a chance to ride them between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead. 11-13 October (East Sussex)

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SPECTACLE OF LIGHT: This year's festive light shows get underway properly in November, but Welford Park in Newbury kicks things off early with Spectacle of Light, an illuminated trail through woodland and gardens accompanied by a soundtrack. 18 October-10 November (Berkshire)

TRANSPORTFEST: The London Bus Museum (which is not quite in London) hosts Transportfest, a gathering of all manner of vehicles — remember, this is the museum with a real-life Concorde outside. Buses, taxis, military and emergency vehicles dating from different periods are all on display, along with live music, a collector's market and family-friendly entertainment. 20 October (Surrey)

Rooftop Film Club stays open in Peckham for spooky season 2024.

Your guide to spooky and scary film screenings in London around Halloween 2024.

Halloween films at Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square

Leicester Square's independent Prince Charles Cinema hosts its HorrOctober season once again. It's (more than) a month of scary films, and as you'd expect from the cinephiles who run the place, it's not just the obvious flicks. Sure, The Exorcist, Hocus Pocus, Ghostbusters, The Shining and Nosferatu are on the bill, but so are lesser-known movies, such as 1982's The Slumber Party Massacre, and 2009 release, Jennifer's Body.

Halloween itself is an absolute fright-fest, including a sing-a-long screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

HorrOctober at Prince Charles Cinema, runs September-November 2024.

Halloween films at Regent Street Cinema

Regent Street Cinema was probably the first in London to make audiences scream, when it showed the Lumiere Brothers' L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat back in 1896. These days, it lays on a spine-chilling line-up of films throughout October, this year including Shaun of the Dead, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. On 25 October, there's a special screening of 1922's Nosferatu, accompanied by the cinema's eerily-timbred pipe organ.

Halloween films at Regent Street Cinema, runs until end October 2024.

Spooky season 2024 at Rooftop film Club, Peckham

Summer staple Rooftop Film Club is keeping its doors open for Halloween, showing horror films throughout the month of October.

New release Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sits on the programme alongside Halloween classics including American Psycho, Scream, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Addams Family. It's a double bill on Halloween itself, with Hocus Pocus and Halloween both shown. A few family-friendly screenings are sprinkled throughout the month too.

Kick back and get your fill of scares (with waterproof blankets to hide under if it all gets a bit too scary), with pizza from Share A Slice and drinks available to be delivered to your seat.

Rooftop Film Club Peckham, until 2 November 2024.

Regent Street Cinema is screening a bunch of scary films, although L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat (pictured) isn't one of them.

Scary films at the Cinema Museum

No full-blown Halloween season at Kennington's marvellous Cinema Museum, but there are a few niche screenings that complement the season: a double bill of Kenneth Anger's controversial short Scorpio Rising and satanic biker flick Psychomania (25 October) followed by Roland West's comedy mystery, The Bat about a masked criminal who dresses as a giant bat to terrorises the guests at a house party. (30 Oct).

The Cinema Museum, 25 and 30 Oct

Ghostbusters in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall

Supernatural comedy caper Ghostbusters marks its 40th anniversary with a screening at the Royal Albert Hall, while Elmer Bernstein's score is performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Bernstein's son, Peter. There's also a chance to hear from Peter about his father's work in a special pre-concert talk.

Ghostbusters in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 October 2024.

Halloween films at Clapham Grand

Clapham Grand loooves Halloween: it's putting on a frightening amount of events in October, including film screenings. There are two chances to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show (26 October and 2 November), with full sing-along, dance-offs and a costume competition. On Halloween itself, Hocus Pocus is screened, again with a costume competition, spooky decor, dance-offs and the like.

Halloween films at Clapham Grand, 26 October-2 November 2024.

Summer's over, but Rooftop Film Club is still going strong

Halloween film screening at the Musical Museum

Brentford's wonderful Musical Museum — whose continued existence is currently under threat — occasionally screens silent films, with live musical accompaniment on its Wurlitzer organ. For Halloween it's showing the original version of The Phantom Carriage, a film that's more than 100 years old. Set on New Year's Eve, it's about the driver of a ghostly carriage forcing a drunken man to reflect on his selfish and wasted life.

The Phantom Carriage at the Musical Museum, 27 October 2024.

Halloween films at Rivoli Ballroom/ Crofton Park Pictures

Before Rivoli Ballroom was a dancing venue, this building was the Crofton Park Picture Palace. It often returns to its cinematic heritage with Crofton Park Pictures, a regular series of film screenings, including a Halloween selection.

Pick from The Lost Boys, Carrie 1976, The Shining, Hocus Pocus, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The venue has two bars, and popcorn, ice cream and hot dogs are available to nosh on.

Halloween at Rivoli Pop-Up Cinema, 28-31 October 2024.

Hocus Pocus In Concert at Eventim Apollo

Disney's Hocus Pocus in Concert comes to London the day before Halloween, screening the 1993 Salem-set comedy about witching trio the Sanderson Sisters, on a large screen at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, accompanied by a live orchestra performing John Debney's score.

Hocus Pocus in Concert. 30 October 2024.

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Hobbledown Heath.

No need for Londoners to venture outside the M25 to get their pumpkin-picking fix this year! Just in time for spooky season, Hobbledown Heath — AKA west London's ultimate adventure playground and zoo — has sprouted a glorious new pumpkin patch.

This autumnal idyll is handily located in Hounslow, just a short bus ride or cycle from Hounslow West station. It's got everything you need for a wholesome family day out: seasonal street food, plenty of photo opportunities, and an expansive meadow to frolic in.

Whether you plan to transform it into a jack-o-lantern, blitz it for a soup, or stick it in a pie, you're sure to find the pumpkin of your dreams at Hobbledown Heath. Each one is priced according to size, starting at just £3. Purchasing one isn't mandatory, though — you're welcome to just have a wander, soak up the autumn vibes, and snap some tasteful photos for the 'gram. Entry to the pumpkin patch itself costs £6.50, and you can bring along your under 2s for free.

Fancy making a day of it? Opt for a combined Hobbledown Heath and Pumpkin Patch ticket, which costs £23, or £17 off-peak. You'll get all-day access to the whole of Hobbledown Heath — home to ponies, meerkats, giant tortoises, alpacas, and many more wonderful creatures. Hobbledown Heath also boasts one of London's largest play arenas, plus an excellent outdoor play area featuring slides, chutes, and living treehouses. Older adventurers, meanwhile, can take advantage of zip lines and treetop high ropes courses offered in partnership with neighbouring sister attraction, Gripped.

Hobbledown Heath Pumpkin Patch is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm until 3 November. Get your tickets online now.

Battersea Park hosts one of the capital's biggest firework displays.

London's bonfire night fireworks are among the best in the country, and this year they're back with a bang. Accompanying the explosive entertainment are funfair rides, cockle-warming grub, and various other festivities. Here's our guide to firework displays and bonfire night events across London on and around 5 November 2024 (which, FYI, falls on a Tuesday this year).

Firework displays in central London

For obvious reasons, there aren't that many firework displays and bonfire night events in central London... but there is one, and it's free:

CORAM'S FIELDS, BLOOMSBURY: Coram's Fields is a very special park, where adults must be accompanied by a child at all times. On Bonfire Night, it opens its gates to 6,000 people for a free firework display. The 18-minute long show is accompanied by funfair rides and food and drink stalls. FREE, 5 November

Firework displays in north London

Members of the Wild Wolf Explorer Scout Unit put on a fireworks display in Bounds Green

ALEXANDRA PALACE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL 2024: The daddy of north London bonfire events, Ally Pally's Fireworks Festival is more than a mere pyrotechnics display — in fact it's been described as the 'Glastonbury of fireworks'. Family-friendly activities include an ice disco and film screenings; and there are street food stalls by StrEATlife festival, plus a German Bier Festival. And that's before we even get to the fireworks themselves, which are released against a stunningly scenic backdrop. A mountainous, roaring bonfire is the icing on the cake toffee on the apple. 1-2 November

BOUNDS GREEN: Wild Wolf Explorer Scout Unit offers a family-friendly fireworks display at Scout Park in Bounds Green. The event is run by the young people who make up the Scout Unit, giving them a chance to put their skills into action. 2 November

SOUTHGATE FIREWORKS 2024: Head to The Walker Ground sports complex for Southgate's fireworks, complete with rides, inflatables, and warming refreshments. 2 November

HARROW FIREWORKS 2024: Byron Park is the location for Harrow Fireworks, an afternoon and evening event incorporating a small fun fair, as well as a bar marquee and a world food arena, celebrating both Bonfire Night and Diwali. That's all open from 12pm, with free entry until 3pm. You'll need a ticket after that, with the fireworks sparking up around 7.45pm. If you don't book in advance, it's cash only on the gate; no cards, as the event supports the Save Our Cash campaign. 9 November

Spectacular views from the Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival

Firework displays in south London

DULWICH FIREWORKS 2024: The 'kids for a quid' offer is back for the fireworks at Dulwich Sports Club — making it popular with local families. The 20-minute display is accompanied by the likes of burgers, Indian and pizza — washed down with ale or mulled wine. Live music kicks off at 5.30pm, with the fireworks display at 7pm. 2 November

BECKENHAM FIREWORKS 2024: Croydon Road Recreation Ground is the venue for Beckenham's fireworks display, organised by and raising money for the 5th Beckenham South Scout Group and other local causes. There's a quieter display for younger children at 6pm, followed by the biggie at 7.45pm. Both are set to music. There are also funfair rides and over 20 food stalls. 2 November

DANSON PARK FIREWORKS 2024: Welling Round Table's fireworks display takes place in Danson Park, Bexley, raising money for local causes. Gates open at 5pm, and there's live music, a funfair and food and drink stalls to enjoy. At 8pm, there's a 20-minute spectacular over the park's lake, choreographed to music. 2 November

MORDEN PARK FIREWORKS 2024: Merton Council runs two official firework shows, the first of which is the Morden Park fireworks display. There's a food village and funfair on site, and two displays in one night — the earlier (6.45pm) is aimed at families, while the latter (8.30pm) is more for adults. 2 November

BATTERSEA PARK FIREWORKS 2024: One of the biggest displays in the capital, Battersea Park's fireworks take place across two nights. Full 2024 details haven't been announced at time of writing, but usually, Saturday night is a traditional fireworks event, with bonfire, sing-along fireworks display, and autumnal food and drink stalls. Sunday night is the family-friendly event — earlier start time, light installation instead of a bonfire, fireworks display, and sweet treats at Sweetieland. Both events take environmental considerations seriously; no single-use plastic will be issued, and fireworks provider Titanium Fireworks is partnered with a UK tree planting scheme to offset the footprint of all explosives and their journey to the event. 2-3 November

WIMBLEDON PARK FIREWORKS 2024: Merton's second display (see Morden Park, above, for the first) is in Wimbledon Park on Guy Fawkes Night itself. It's a similar set-up, with food stalls, a funfair, and two different displays in one evening. For both events, organisers are working on sustainability. Last year they made a donation to Just One Tree in order to offset the carbon footprint of the show, by purchasing pyrotechnics from European suppliers rather than those in China, and by working with the supplier to recycle some of the plastic tubes within the fireworks, which would otherwise be single-use. 5 November

BROMLEY FIREWORKS 2024: Bromley High School's grounds host a firework display for the fourth time, along with funfair rides, food stalls and a bar. 9 November

CARSHALTON FIREWORKS - CANCELLED: Sadly one of south London's biggest firework displays is no longer taking place. Other previous displays which haven't happened in recent years include Blackheath, Southwark Park and Crystal Palace, largely due to council budget cuts.

Photo: Arthur Chauvineau via Unsplash

Firework displays in east London

Bad news, east Londoners — neither the Clissold Park nor the Victoria Park displays look to be going ahead in 2024.

STOW FIREWORK SPECTACULAR: Usually selling out well in advance, Stow Firework Spectacular at Walthamstow Cricket, Tennis and Squash Club takes place across two nights. Both nights have a quieter children's display (6pm) and a full display (8pm), around which there are fire performers, games, a funfair and food and drink stalls. 8-9 November

Firework displays in west London

RUISLIP FIREWORKS 2024: Head to McGovern Park for a fireworks event with a monster theme. There's also a funfair, Irish dancing, live music, food stalls, bars and a glow disco after-party... phew. Oh yeah, there's also a fireworks display (7.30pm). 1 November

RICHMOND FIREWORKS 2024: Richmond's annual family fireworks are back at Richmond Athletic Ground. As well as the choreographed display, the event includes funfair rides, food and drink stalls — plus an afterparty in the Members' Bar. 3 November

Photo: Elisha Terada via Unsplash

Have we missed any firework displays in London? Let us know by emailing hello@londonist.com. We'll continue updating this guide as more are announced.

All weekend

Sup your way around the capital for London Cocktail Week

REMBRANDT AND CHILDREN: Last chance to see the British Museum's current, free exhibition, New life: Rembrandt and children. It's centred around a drawing of a sleeping child, an artwork which was in a private collection for over two centuries, before the British Museum acquired it, and is showcased alongside other drawings of children in Dutch and Flemish art. FREE, until 6 October

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY: No swimwear required for the Underwater Photography of the Year exhibition. Simply wander down Glasshouse Street (near Piccadilly Circus) to get an eyeful of the snaps, which feature seals, orcas and jellyfish. Some of the photos come to life through AR filters too. FREE, until 6 October

LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK: Shakers at the ready! London Cocktail Week is back in full swing. The annual boozefest has 200 bars from across London taking part, all serving up signature cocktails which you can enjoy for £8 a pop once you've bought yourself a festival wristband (£20). There are also special events including tastings, masterclasses, bar takeovers... in short, this is not the week to decide to go teetotal. 3-13 October

FASHION RENEGADES: The Fashion & Textile Museum's anticipated new exhibition opens in time for the weekend. Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London centres around legendary nightclub Taboo, opened by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery in 1985, and looks at how its dress code and hedonistic philosophy influenced fashion. 4 October-9 March

Porridge Radio guest DJ at Scared To Dance on Saturday night

MONTH OF THE DEAD: As October gets underway, so does London Month of the Dead, a festival of events on the theme of death, spanning talks, tours, film screenings and more. Highlights this weekend include a tour of Smithfield with a focus on death and debauchery, and a bat skeleton-mounting workshop at Kensal Green Cemetery. Be quick though, as events tend to sell out in advance. Until 2 November

DECORATIVE FAIR: Furniture, lighting, art, textiles, jewellery and other items are available at The Decorative Fair, which takes place in Battersea Park. 130 stands sell items dating from 1700 to the 1970s. 1-6 October

FESTIVAL OF THE GIRL: Islington's Business Design Centre hosts the Festival of the Girl, timed to coincide with the International Day of the Girl. Aimed at girls aged 7-11 and their families, the event seeks to inspire, engage and to break down harmful gender stereotypes. Coding, art, sports, periods, experiments, activism, engineering, body confidence, friendships and sustainability are just some of the topics covered. 5-6 October

ARTISTS' OPEN HOUSE: If you missed Artists' Open House at Crystal Palace last weekend, fret not — it's happening again this weekend! Pop your head into the studios of over 50 local artists in the Crystal Palace Triangle, admire their work, and have a chat. If you fall in love with an artwork, maybe you'll even end up buying it. FREE, 5-6 October, 11am-6pm

Saturday 5 October

Raise a glass to Oktoberfest at Flat Iron Square. Image: Johnny Stephens Photography

FAMILY KNEES-UP: Cor blimey! Queen's Theatre Hornchurch invites you and the little 'uns to gather around the Joanna, and join in with cockney songs like The Lambeth Walk, and Let's All Go Down the Strand! Inflatable bananas, puppets and bubbles make this one extra fun. 11am-11.45am

CHELSEA DOG DAY: A dog-themed market is the centrepiece of Chelsea's Dog Day, where you can buy all manner of canine food, drink and accessories. Talks on dog behaviour, handling and training are also part of the fun in Duke of York Square, and there's a giant sausage dog bench for photos. FREE entry, from 10am

SPANISH BOOK FAIR: Found by Words is the theme of this year's Spanish Book & Zine Fair at Conway Hall. The programme of events includes talks on topics including indie publishing, and poetry as an act of resistance. The works of more than 50 publishers are available to view, along with zine workshops and storytelling for children. 10am-4pm

WILDLIFE ART: Wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation takes up residence at Mall Galleries for the final day of an exhibition by wildlife artist Gary Hodges. Drawn From The Heart features dozens of Hodges' photorealistic pencil drawings of species including lions, elephants and leopards. They're all available to buy via auction, starting at £400, but don't worry if your pockets aren't that deep, as the exhibition is free to view. FREE, 10am-6pm

BLACK HISTORY MONTH WALK: Book ahead for Hammersmith's Black History Month guided walk, led by guide Guy, and focusing on topics including the founder of Afrobeat, a poet who inspired Gandhi, a famous concert venue and a Caribbean music record label. Begins outside Shepherd's Bush Market, and lasts around an hour. FREE, 11am-12pm

Take your pets along to Chelsea Dog Day

DEAF RAVE FESTIVAL: Rich Mix in Shoreditch hosts the Deaf Rave Festival, an event showcasing Deaf culture through learning and entertainment. The daytime session is family-friendly with a children's workshop and a gaming zone, but after 8pm it's 18+ only. All activities and performances are designed to be accessible to both deaf and hearing attendees. 11am/8pm

OKTOBERFEST: London's not short of Oktoberfest events and parties over the coming weeks. Today's it's Flat Iron Square's turn. Head there to get your fill of German beers, pretzels, bratwurst, currywurst, live music, DJs, games and the like. From 12pm

DRINK JAPAN: For the second and final day, St Mary's Church in Marylebone is awash with Asian beverages. Drink Japan spans sake, shochu, whisky and biru, and is open to seasoned connoisseurs and newbies. Sample new drinks, stock up on your favourites, and learn how they're made. 12pm-9pm

POKEMON MATHS: Mathematician Tom Crawford is at the Royal Institution for a talk about maths in Pokémon, aimed at both children and adults. Find out how many Pikachus it takes to change a lightbulb, and why the world of Pokémon seems to ignore the basic laws of physics. 2pm-3.15pm

SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: The monthly opening of London's Sewing Machine Museum — located in Balham — takes place today, offering you a chance to see inside one man's collection of the machines. Many of them are historic, including one which belonged to Queen Victoria's daughter. Here's some more background on the little-known museum. 2pm-5pm

PLANET EARTH III LIVE IN CONCERT: Celebrate the natural world in all its glory, as Planet Earth III Live in Concert comes to the OVO Arena Wembley for two shows. Watch incredible footage from the TV series on a huge screen. The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performs Emmy-nominated music from the series, written by Hans Zimmer, Sara Barone and Jacob Shea, live as you're transported through deserts, grasslands and forests, along coastlines and into the depths of the ocean. Executive Producer Mike Gunton hosts the event, offering behind-the-scenes insight. 2.30pm/7.30pm (sponsor)

ICE HOCKEY: Ice hockey is back in full swing in the capital. Tonight, the Haringey Huskies play at their home rink, Alexandra Palace, taking on the Oxford Rising Stars. New to the sport, or need a refresher? Read our guide to ice hockey in London. Doors 5pm

SCARED TO DANCE: Alternative club night Scared to Dance is back at the Victoria in Dalston, with Dana Margolin from Porridge Radio taking to the decks as guest DJ. Dance the night away to post-punk, indie, pop, new wave and art rock music from the likes of Kraftwerk, Manic Street Preachers, David Bowie, New Order and The Cure. 10pm

Sunday 6 October

Hunt out a bargain at Walthamstow Flea Market

THEATRELAND WALK: Take a walking tour of the West End's theatre district, focusing on the hidden Black and African history in the area and the industry. Hear about Black magicians and performers, enslaved people on the West End stage, US Civil Rights connections, and how far back in history the African/Caribbean presence on stage goes. 10am-12pm

JAPAN MATSURI: The sights, sounds and scents of Japan fill Trafalgar Square for the all-day Japan Matsuri extravaganza. Immerse yourself in cuisine, cosplay, taiko drumming and so much more. FREE, 10am-7pm

APPLE DAY: Fulham Palace holds an Apple Day to celebrate the orchard harvest. Expect a market with autumnal goods, a tombola, and a baking competition, among other entertainment. The palace's cafe will be open, so if the weather's looking good you can purchase a picnic and enjoy it on the lawn. 11am-4pm

WALTHAMSTOW FLEA MARKET: Over 60 traders pitch up at Big Penny Social for Walthamstow Flea Market, selling all manner of items. The good news is that the venue's a beer hall, so there's plenty available in the way of refreshment while you shop. 11am-5pm

CONKER CHAMPIONSHIPS: It's autumn, which means conker season has landed. Hampstead Heath is one of few places in the capital which still hosts a conker championship each year, with participants competing as per the rules set by the Grand Conker Meister. There are prizes to be won, as well as nature activities, stalls and live music for those who turn up to watch. 12.30pm-4pm

SUNDAY CONCERT: Finish up your weekend at Conway Hall with a performance by the Brompton Quartet, accompanied by pianist Simon Callaghan. Hear works by Haydn, Bacewicz and Dvořák and, as an added bonus, enjoy a pre-concert recital with the Tondo Duo. 5.30pm-8.30pm

COLLYWOBBLERS COMEDY: Gispy Hill Brewery hosts Collywobblers Comedy tonight. Among the performers is, fittingly, James Dowdeswell, "possibly one of the most passionate beer loving comedians out there". Others on the line-up include Lateef Lovejoy, Sarah Mills, Cheekykita and Currer Ball. 7pm-10pm

Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.

Have a canine-centric day out at Chelsea Dog Day

Looking for more free things to do in London? Here are 102 of em! We've also compiled this epic map of free stuff in London.

See this wildlife art exhibition

Wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation holds an exhibition of work by pencil artist Gary Hodges. Taking place at Mall Galleries, it features around 100 photo-realistic works depicting lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, and polar bears. Entry is free 2-5 October, though if you've got deeper pockets there's an exclusive fundraising preview event on 1 October.

Free, 2-5 October.

Stay late at the British Museum

Coinciding with its recently opened Silk Roads exhibition, the British Museum stays open later on Friday night for a 'barter and bazaar' evening, themed on the communities and cultures that shaped centuries of exchange along the Silk Road route. Keep an eye on the website for the full programme when it's announced, including origami sessions and a new trail through the galleries. Age 14+.

Free, 4 October.

Spitalfields in 2023. Image: Doreen Fletcher

Follow in the footsteps of the East London Group

Ever heard of the East London Group? They were an historic collection of artists, mainly from working class backgrounds, recreating the streets of the East End. The Nunnery Gallery in Bow has a new exhibition of works by 22 painters from the Urban Contemporaries group, who were inspired by the East London Group, showcasing how the city has changed in the intervening years.

Free, 4 October-22 December.

Take part in a free Black History Month walk

Book ahead for Hammersmith's Black History Month guided walk, led by guide Guy, and focusing on topics including the founder of Afrobeat, a poet who inspired Gandhi, a famous concert venue and a Caribbean music record label. Begins outside Shepherd's Bush Market, and lasts around an hour.

Free, 5 October.

Discover the sounds of the future

In the latest edition of Southbank Centre's futuresense series, Sofia Gillani and Naia perform in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer from 5pm-6pm this Saturday. Gillani is known for her bold and invigorating avant-garde pop sound, while Naia's style is described as rooted in jazz, with touches of neo-soul, funk, and Latin rhythms.

Free, 5 October.

Get your hands on a free oat milk coffee in Spitalfields this weekend

Take your pooch along to Chelsea Dog Day

A dog-themed market is the centrepiece of Chelsea's Dog Day, where you can buy all manner of canine food, drink and accessories. Talks on dog behaviour, handling and training are also part of the fun in Duke of York Square, and there's a giant sausage dog bench for photos.

Free entry, 5 October.

See inside artists' studios

Artists working across several different mediums open their doors for Lambeth Open Studios, inviting the public inside for one weekend only to see their work spaces and get an idea of their creative processes. Venues in Oval, Stockwell, Herne Hill and Streatham are among those confirmed to be taking part so far. Check the website for the full map.

Free, 5-6 October.

Sip on a free oat milk coffee

There's a free oat milk flat white, banoffee, or strawberry and coconut matcha latte with your name on it this weekend, if you're passing through Bishops Square in Spitalfields. Alpro are handing out caffeinated freebies from 9am-4pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Free, 5-6 October.

Attend an evening themed on the Silk Roads exhibition on Friday. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Catch the final week of this Rembrandt exhibition

Last chance to see New life: Rembrandt and children, a special display at the British Museum showcasing a drawing of a sleeping child. It's the first work by Rembrandt to be added to the British Museum's collection for decades, after being owned privately  for more than 200 years. It's displayed alongside other drawings of children in Dutch and Flemish art.

Free, until 6 October.

Dive into an exhibition of underwater photos

No goggles required for the Underwater Photography of the Year Exhibition, which you can view for free on Glasshouse Street (just north of Piccadilly Circus) until the end of this week. Orcas, jellyfish and seals are among the creatures captured in the photos, some of which are brought to life using AR filters.

Free, until 6 October.

Watch the annual Hampstead Heath Conker Championships

It's autumn, which means it's conker season. Hampstead Heath is one of few places in the capital which still hosts a conker championship each year, with participants competing as per the rules set by the Grand Conker Meister. There are prizes to be won, as well as nature activities, stalls and live music.

Free to watch/donation to take part, 6 October.

Bob along to Fulham Palace's Apple Day

Elsewhere in the 'quintessentially autumn' category, Fulham Palace holds an Apple Day to celebrate the orchard harvest. Expect a market with autumnal goods, a tombola, and a baking competition, among other entertainment.

Adult £3/child £1, 6 October.

Leadenhall Market is one of the few buildings in London with its own Halloween costume.

If you walk by Leadenhall Market this October, you'll hardly be able to help but notice the six-metre-long purple tentacles wriggling out of the windows.

Not many London buildings have their own Halloween costume, but the City of London's Victorian market (aka Diagon Alley if you're into a certain wizard saga) certainly does. Leadenhall Market first donned its monstrous calamari suit in October 2021, and must've received compliments, because it's worn the same outfit every year since.

You can go and get snaps of the tentacles between Monday 30 September, and Halloween itself.

How this monster is on two sides of the building we do not know.

A series of guided 'Burials, Bombs and Fantastic Beasts' tours also set off from Leadenhall Market during spooky season (2, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 October) exploring the more sinister side of the area including witchcraft and murder. Tickets cost £8.30.

Tentacles and tours at Leadenhall Market, October 2024

Just look at that view!

Want to see this view for yourself? It's just a short walk from King's Cross.

I'm standing at the top of the Caledonian Park Clock Tower. It's something of a local landmark in Islington, though not exactly in the A-list of famous London landmarks.

That's a pity, because this 1850s Italianate tower is something of a beaut.

The tower deserves to be better known. To that end, Islington Council recently gave it a major overhaul, with help from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The spruced up tower is now safe for public tours (which were free, but alas no longer). You should definitely give it a try. But first a bit of history...

Last remnants of London's main cattle market

The tower has stood here since 1855, when it formed the centrepiece of the new Metropolitan Cattle Market (which explains the slightly odd quote in our top image). This huge complex took over from Smithfield as London's main livestock market, at a time when animals had to be slaughtered close to where they'd be sold and served up. The vast site could hold up to 13,000 live animals, which must have been quite a sight (and sound, and smell).

The livestock market was operational up to the 1930s when advances in transport and refrigeration diminished its need. Meat was still sold here up until the 1960s, however.

Most of the market's buildings have long since been swept away, with the land converted into Caledonian Park. The exceptions are three former pubs, which once served pints at each corner of the market, and a few of the original railings around the perimeter. And then, of course, there's the clock tower...

Climbing the Caledonian Park Clock Tower

Through the round window...

There's plenty more to say about the history of the market and tower, but rather than type it here, we'd recommend taking one of the tower tours. These are facilitated by Islington Council and led by the knowledgeable guides of Islington Guided Walks.

Your journey to the top is an adventure in its own right. Visitors must climb a succession of increasingly steep steps (178 in total), which are essentially ladders at the more nervy sections. The climb might be tricky for those with an acute fear of heights, but the ladders are sturdy, with well-positioned handholds at the tops.

Some of the less-steep stairs. Don't worry, the photo was taken at a jaunty angle.

The ascent takes you to a series of internal platforms, from which the guide gradually tells the story of the tower. Along the way, you'll get glimpses of the panoramic views, see photographs and illustrations from the site's history, and get a chance to view the tower's clock face and mechanism up close.

The view looking north towards Highgate.

Needless to say, the views from the top are breathtaking. You can walk right around the balcony level, allowing panoramas in every direction. Interpretation boards point out the key buildings, but the guides will also be able to identify most locations. All that remains then is to make your way back down the ladders... perhaps the scariest part.

Behind the tower's clock face.

Tours of the Caledonian Park Clock Tower must be booked ahead (semi-regular) and cost around £17. Those unable to climb the tower also have the option of a virtual tour. Spaces on each tour are limited, so be sure to cancel your ticket if you can't make it.

While the London Museum is closed, we're taking the opportunity to seek out some of London's local history museums. This week, we're in the London Borough of Sutton to visit the enchanting Whitehall museum.

I suspect if you say "I'm off to Cheam today," most of your friends will reply with an "Oh yes. Where's that?". Older friends might make a comment about Tony Hancock, whose most famous radio and TV persona lived in "East Cheam". Otherwise, this pleasant neighbourhood at Greater London's south-western border keeps a low profile.

You really should visit, though. It's a remarkable village with the largest collection of ancient, weatherboarded buildings I've seen anywhere in the capital. It also has the largest population of parakeets I've ever seen. A superabundance of avian shrieks will follow you throughout the village.

Upper floor of Whitehall. Yellowhall?

Cheam's greatest asset is the confusingly named Whitehall. Today, it's the area's local museum, but the building's history is as important as any of the exhibits it contains. Whitehall was the home and birthplace of James Killick, captain of the famous clipper Challenger. Before that, it was used as a council house, perhaps visited by Elizabeth I during stays at nearby Nonsuch Palace. It's also believed that the Cheam School was founded here in 1645. This institution survives today, now located in Hampshire, and was attended by Charles III and Prince Philip in their youth. Quite a legacy for one small cottage in Cheam.

The Grade II*-listed building has been around since around 1500. It predates Shakespeare, and was a new-build when Henry VIII was still a child. Whitehall has been much enlarged and altered since, but plenty of the Tudor structure remains intact. It is a joy to wander around its three floors.

Model of Nonsuch Palace. Note the pointy obelisk to the left of the model, because we'll meet it again later.

The building alone would be a reason to visit, but Whitehall contains a number of interesting artefacts. The main 'wow' moment is the model of Nonsuch Palace, a well-named Tudor structure that was built from scratch for Henry VIII. The palace stood about half a mile away in what is now Nonsuch Park. Sadly, it was demolished centuries ago for building material. The model shows us just what a stupendous triumph of architecture we lost. A few fragments of the palace — weathered decorative features — are on show in an adjacent cabinet.

Cheam was once noted for its sheep. This one is a decoration from Nonsuch Palace.

The rest of the museum tells the story of Cheam, an ancient settlement that probably dates back to early Anglo-Saxon times (its name is thought to mean 'village of tree stumps'). We learn that Cheam was once famous for its pottery, but that the local clays were instead turned to brick making once Nonsuch Palace was commissioned. Upstairs, we find a door from the 17th century which has the word 'Remember' scratched into its surface. This is believed to be a reference to Charles I's last word upon his execution. It's evidence of Royalist sympathies within the local community, which lasted dangerously into Cromwell's Interregnum.

Cheam bricks

The museum is well kitted out for kids, with several dressing-up opportunities, and other diversions. They'll enjoy exploring the attic spaces, which are decorated as they would have looked when the Killick family were resident.

Attic level

It's possible to unlock a 'bonus level' when visiting Whitehall. Ask at the front desk for the key to the Lumley Chapel (another is held at the nearby library). You can then head across to the churchyard to access one of the most remarkable memorial chambers in London.

The Lumley Chapel is the oldest building in Cheam — a surviving chunk of the medieval church, which has otherwise been demolished. Its age is somewhat debated, but many of the stones may predate the Norman Conquest. That makes it one of the oldest buildings in London, never mind the Borough of Sutton.

Lumley Chapel

Inside, the walls are festooned with expensive memorials to local luminaries. The most impressive is the resting place of Jane Lumley, wife of John Lumley who inherited Nonsuch Palace after the royals had done with it. Her tomb is decorated with panels showing her three children praying inside the palace. Look for the unusual obelisk in the background, which can also be seen in the model of Nonsuch at Whitehall.

Tomb of Jane Lumley. On the bottom-left panel, outside the lower window, you can see the obelisk from the model of Nonsuch Palace.

Many of the memorials feature colourful representations of a parrot or popinjay. This was one of the emblems of the Lumley family, who must have had some kind of affinity to the then-exotic bird. It's almost as if they foresaw that the emerald birds would one day dominate the skies of Cheam and Nonsuch. Peter Ackroyd would shiver at the historical resonance.

Those parakeets get everywhere

All images by Matt Brown/Londonist

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Trowbridge Estate, 1986

Explosive seems a good way to describe the photography of Chris Dorley-Brown.

Tower blocks crumble on the Trowbridge Estate. Jet planes lift off from City Airport. You can almost hear the thunder rumbling seemingly inches above Dalston high-rises.

The Castle, 2009

This is Chris Dorley-Brown's coffee table book, A History of the East End — the title very much belying the fact that there is nary a word jotted down in it. Dan Cruikshank this ain't. In Dorley-Brown's world, the pictures do the talking.

London Fields, 1987

Photo essays of London's East End have become a book genre in their own right (we've previewed a fair few ourselves), but while they sometimes have the air of amateur snaps rooted out of an attic shoebox, scanned in and couriered off to the printer's, Dorley-Brown is a pro through and through. A career that's seen him work for Time magazine, and on projects with the BBC and Museum of London (now London Museum).

Upton Park, 2016

The photographer set up a practice in 1984, focussed on projects that hone in on east London and its hospitals, social housing and architecture. You might call A History of East London a 'best of' compilation.

Tate Institute, Silvertown, 2016

The dynamism of these photos speaks of a place that is constantly reinventing itself; West Ham's stadium is bashed down, while their new home, the London Stadium, is illuminated by fireworks as the 2012 Games kick off.

London City Airport, 2019

Plumes of black smoke, jet fuel and clouds of concrete dust waft through the pages: not only can you hear these photos, you're occasionally in danger of choking on them.

Aspire Point, Stratford, 2017

There are moments of calm, too; the drip-drip of a puddle in an emptied out section of Dagenham's Ford factory; the lapping of the Thames on the foreshore, as framed by Queenshithe arches like a live action quadriptych. These kind of photos are no less explosive; they just speak volumes in a different kind of way.

South from Dalston, 1988

At this point we might add in a quote from Dorley-Brown, except there are none in the book. And so, to follow suit with this article, the rest is pictures...

Cazenove Road, 1987

Ford Factory, 2017

Olympic Zone, 2007

Hackney Wick, 2013

Chrisp Street, 2015

Alie Street, 2009

Queenhithe, 2020

A History of the East End, Chris Dorley-Brown, published by Nouveau Palais éditions

Dark Arts returns to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Adult Halloween events and parties in London: Halloween 2024

DARK ARTS: The Warner Bros Studio Tour London — located just north of the capital in Hertfordshire — gets a spooky makeover for Halloween. The Great Hall is decorated with more than 100 floating pumpkins, Dementors will appear unexpectedly in The Forbidden Forest (fear not though, you can banish them with a Patronus charm), and you can learn duelling techniques in The Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. The Dark Arts events are in addition to the usual tour of sets from the Harry Potter film series. 13 September-10 November

SEASON OF THE WITCH: Always a solid bet for the unique and macabre, The Last Tuesday Society has a special Season of the Witch series of events running through Halloween and beyond, to celebrate the venue's 20th anniversary. Lectures, workshops, art and absinthe cocktails all feature, with a talk about Scandinavian folklore and ancient witchcraft on Halloween itself. 25 September-March 2025

MONTH OF THE DEAD: Halloween may not be until the end of October but London Month of the Dead goes on for the whole month. Informative, entertaining, and often pretty creepy, the festival enthuses on the subject of death through talks, cemetery tours, screenings and workshops. Many events are already selling out, so be quick. 3 October-2 November

The Clapham Grand goes big for Halloween 2024

ROOFTOP FILM CLUB: Open-air cinema Rooftop Film Club keeps its doors open right up until Halloween, with several spooky screenings to catch throughout October. Classics such as Hocus Pocus, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Addams Family are joined on the programme by more recent releases, such as new Tim Burton film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. There are a couple of family-friendly screenings in there, too. 5 October-1 November

MIXTAPE HALLOWEEN: Mixtape Choir, a volunteer-run, non-auditioning choir for women, non-binary and genderqueer people, are at Magdalen Hall in Bermondsey for an evening of pop, rock and indie classics, with some spooky extras thrown in. 12 October

HALLOWEEN ESCAPE ROOM: Escape room chain No Escape, which has branches in Victoria, Oxford Street, Holloway and Aldgate, is offering Halloween twists on its nine games, including the newly introduced ones The Orphanage and The Witch Hunt. Other themes include The Killer, The Gates of Hell and The Haunted Toy Store, all of which sound sufficiently ghoulish for Halloween. Each experience lasts 60 minutes, with professional actors in the room with you. A costume contest runs over the Halloween period, with prizes for the best outfit. Age 16+. 24 October-2 November

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT: Take an evening tour of London's oldest botanical garden, armed with UV torches in search of moths, bats, snails, slugs and fungi. 25 October. The garden also hosts Hex in the Garden, about the 17th-century women who were persecuted for witchcraft, on 28 October

CLAPHAM GRAND: Legendary events venue The Clapham Grand has a whole host of Halloween events, from film screening nights and themed bingo to a huge Halloween party. 25 October-2 November

Wednesday is one of the productions which features in the Design Museum's Tim Burton exhibition. © 2022 MGM Television Entertainment Inc - All Rights Reserved - Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing

TIM BURTON: Just in time for Halloween, the Design Museum opens World of Tim Burton, looking at the director's comically grotesque and the endearingly misfitting style. 600 items including costumes and artworks are on display, spanning his films including Catwoman, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands — as well as Netflix series Wednesday. 25 October-21 April

CANDLELIGHT CLUB HALLOWEEN BALL: Legendary speakeasy party The Candlelight Club once again holds a clandestine, 1920s-themed Halloween ball. Dress code is 1920s elegance with an optional Halloween twist: think ghostly flapper or vampish witch. Expect live jazz, cabaret and cocktails, all overseen by host Champagne Charlie, at an historic mansion in south London. 26 October

BLACK AT THE MANSION: A regular fixture on London's Halloween calendar, The Mansion is back at a top-secret venue for a hardcore party spread across two floors, with cage dancers, tarot readers, and a spooky graveyard thrown into the mix. 26 October

Flight Club hosts a spooky brunch

SPOOKY BRUNCH: Social darts bar Flight Club hosts a spooky brunch. Dance to Halloween-themed tunes from the resident DJ, sup on a devilish cocktail on arrival followed by a bottle of prosecco, soaked up with bottomless pizza. An hour of darts is included in your ticket too. Arrive in fancy dress to be in with a chance to win a prize. 26 and 27 October

MURDER MYSTERY: Mr Fogg's Residence in Mayfair beckons you into an eerie Victorian setting, where deception, betrayal and murder await. As the clock ticks away, you must rack your brains to solve the crime. Maybe the two cocktails included in the ticket price will help sharpen your senses. 26 and 27 October and 2 and 3 November

PALACE GHOST TALES: Head to Eltham Palace for three evenings of spooky storytelling for visitors aged 16+. A narrator leads you through the palace, recounting tales of supernatural sightings as you go. Take a torch with you, things are likely to get rather dark. 26-31 October

CLUB DE FROMAGE: Cheesy disco night Club de Fromage hosts two 'Murder on the Dancefloor' Halloween specials at O2 Academy Islington. Gruesome and revolting outfits very much encouraged, with sing-alongs, confetti cannons and themed cocktails all part of the fun, as DJs spin Halloween-themed tunes. 26 October and 2 November

Rooftop Film Club in Peckham stays open until Halloween

SKY GARDEN PARTY: Celebrate Halloween on high at Sky Garden. The 35th floor venue hosts its annual bash celebrating both Halloween and the Day of the Dead with live music, dancing and cocktails, not to mention sublime views over London. Ghoulish costumes very much encouraged for this one. 31 October

SCIENCE MUSEUM HALLOWEEN LATES: Science Museum gives its monthly late night opening a spooky theme for October, which is apt as it falls on Halloween itself. Delve into the science of phobias, learn how to survive a zombie outbreak, find out about nature's real-life monsters and explore how science has inspired some of the scariest stories ever told. As always, you can also explore the museum's usual galleries and exhibitions after dark, and dance the night away at a silent disco. FREE, 31 October

HALLOWEEN WINEMAKER DINNER: Not into hardcore partying, but still want to mark Halloween with a drink or two? Humble Grape in Fleet Street has a special supper club hosted by winemaker Tomás Stahringer from Vinyes Ocults in Argentina. Taking place by candlelight, tuck into six courses paired with Vinyes Ocults wines. Fancy dress encouraged! 31 October

Mark both Halloween and Day of the Dead at the Sky Garden

HAUNTED HOUSE: Sambourne House in Kensington stays open for a Halloween late, as the former home of Victorian illustrator and photographer Linley Sambourne transforms into a haunted house. An actor playing the role of Mrs Sambourne leads a tour through her family's home, taking you back into Victorian London, with a welcome drink and introductory film included in your ticket. 31 October

HALLOWEEN AT THE MUSEUM: Once again, the Natural History Museum stays open late on Halloween itself for a spooky, adults-only event. Don fancy dress to take a spooky tour of the museum's all-time strangest specimens, or to visit the exhibitions and displays after dark. Age 18+. 31 October

DICKENS GHOST STORIES: "The monstrous thought came into my mind, as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man." The Charles Dickens Museum hosts three performances of two of the author's most spine-chilling stories, The Signalman & The Trial for Murder. James Swanton (who you may recognise from some scary stuff on TV) spins the yarns. 31 October-2 November

Spend Halloween at the Natural History Museum © Trustees of the Natural History Museum

GOTHIC OPERA: Theatre company Gothic Opera presents Maria de Rudenz by Donizetti, fully staged with a new arrangement for chamber orchestra. The opera — which premiered in Venice in 1838 — tells a story of deceit, murder, betrayal and resurrection from the dead. This is the first time Maria de Rudenz has been staged in the UK, so the event, at Battersea Arts Centre, is rather special. 31 October-2 November

OGREPALOOZA: South Bank venue Between the Bridges celebrates Halloween in unique style: Ogrepalooza is headlined by the UK's #1 Shrek tribute band The Ogretones. There's a lot to unpack in that sentence, so we'll just say this: arrive dressed to impress, and ready to hear covers of hits by the likes of Ricky Martin, The Proclaimers and Bonnie Tyler. 1 November

THE LAST TUESDAY SOCIETY: The Absinthe Parlour at The Last Tuesday Society has a slightly... unsettling selection of events year-round, so it really comes into its own for spooky season. Events this October include séances and tarot readings.

Family-friendly events in London for Halloween 2024

Watch Hocus Pocus in Concert

PUMPKIN PICKING: Embrace all things autumnal and take the kids to one of these farms or pumpkin patches near London where they can pick their own. Some have play areas, tractor rides and other fun activities too — and one will even let you carve your pumpkins on site, to save you making a mess on the kitchen table at home. Don't forget your wellies!

HALLOWEEN AT KEW: For the first time ever, Kew Gardens holds a Halloween trail. After dark, wander through a fiendish fire garden, and illuminated haunted woods filled with creepy neon cobwebs, ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, larger-than life spiders and beastly bats. Given how good Kew's Christmas trail is each year, and the fact it's produced by the same team, we've got high hopes for this one. 18 October-3 November

BOO AT THE ZOO: London Zoo has a host of family-friendly spooky activities included in its ticket price this Halloween. Boo at the Zoo events include a pumpkin patch where children can pick and decorate their own gourd, and spooky animal talks about species including bats and spiders. 19 October-3 November

EAST SHEEN HALLOWEEN HUNT: Once again, the Hare & Hounds is the base for the East Sheen Halloween Hunt, a trail through the local area visiting different businesses. Each is home to a letter which, when combined, spell out a phrase. Once your kids have sussed out the phrase, head back to the pub where they can collect a prize. 26 October

Image: London Zoo

TOWER OF LONDON: The restless spirits at the Tower of London are brought back to life for October half term. Halloween-inspired decorations and installations are dotted around the site, and the Yeoman Warders continue to recount the tower's gory history, which includes plenty of grim deaths and potential ghosts. 26 October-3 November

HAMPTON COURT PALACE: An Alchemist's Apothecary, a Spider's Lair and a Haunted Gallery are among the Halloween attractions opening at Hampton Court Palace for October half term, along with Halloween storytelling, and spooky sound effects which bring the palace's former residents back to life. 26 October-3 November

HOCUS POCUS: Come, we fly! Disney's Hocus Pocus in Concert comes to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, screening the 1993 Salem-set comedy about witching trio the Sanderson Sisters, accompanied by a live orchestra performing John Debney's score. 30 October

SPOOKY WALKS: Highgate's Lauderdale House offers family-friendly spooky walks around the house and through Waterlow Park next door at dusk. Aimed at 5-9 year olds and their families, the walk has actors dressed up as creepy characters, striking a balance between fun and a little bit spooky. 31 October

Things to do in London this month is sponsored by Art of London.

A Tim Burton exhibition opens at the Design Museum © 2022 MGM Television Entertainment Inc - All Rights Reserved - Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing

AUTUMN PURSUITS: With autumn well and truly settling in, why not wrap up and go on a walk to see London's autumn leaves at their best? Or release your inner child with a game of conkers — there are even two official conker championships taking place in London this month.

FRIEZE SCULPTURE: Your annual fix of abstract outdoor artworks has arrived in Regent's Park. This year's Frieze Sculpture features an ersatz Roman mosaic, pillars of pills, and a nightmarishly comical scrotum flower with chicken feet. FREE, Until 27 October

HOBBLEDOWN HEATH: West London has sprouted a brand new pumpkin patch… and it looks absolutely gourd-geous (sorry). Bring the whole family to Hobbledown Heath adventure playground and zoo this month to sample seasonal street food, snap Insta-worthy family photos, and pick your very own pumpkin to blitz into soup, chuck in a curry, or carve into a jack o'lantern. Open Thursday-Sunday, 27 September-3 November (sponsor)

ICE HOCKEY: We're well into the ice hockey season now. Don't know much about the sport? Need a refresher? Wondering where you can watch a match? Have a read of our guide to ice hockey in London.

OKTOBERFEST: The German celebration of Oktoberfest has made itself right at home on our shores. There are loads of beer-based celebrations going on in London this month if you know where to look... which we do, naturally. Read our guide to Oktoberfest events and parties to find your way to your nearest stein, bratwurst or oompah band.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: October is Black History Month, honouring the all-too-often unheralded accomplishments of Black Britons in all fields throughout history. It's national, but we've picked a few highlights happening in London this month. 1-31 October

FREE LSE EVENTS: Is the UK entering a new era of progressive politics? What philosophical discussions are sparked by the music of Taylor Swift? Is AI a danger to American democracy? These are just some of the topics tackled in The London School of Economics and Political Science's autumn programme of free public events. Evening talks take place at LSE's central London campus, and can also be watched online via LSE Live. On select dates, Monday-Thursday throughout the month. (sponsor)

DECORATIVE FAIR: Furniture, lighting, art, textiles, jewellery and other items are available at The Decorative Fair, taking place in Battersea Park. 130 stands sell items dating from 1700 to the 1970s. 1-6 October

London Restaurant Festival is a highlight of the foodie calendar

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Three nights of art and culture across the West End

Autumn has descended on London. But this is no time for drawing the curtains and hunkering down. Instead, make the most of the arty extravaganza that is Art After Dark. Running from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October, central London glows with late gallery openings, awe-inspiring al fresco artwork, and more.

Some things to tempt you out:

🍷 Explore a slew of independent galleries on the Art of London Gallery HOP!, and get that 'private view' feel without the need for an invitation. Galleries include Stern Pissarro Gallery, Cristea Roberts Gallery and Skarstedt Gallery (10 Oct)

💡A stunning new free al fresco public art installation in Leicester Square Gardens by Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE, famous for her vibrant neon light displays (10-12 Oct)

🍽️ Tasty dining offers in a number of West End restaurants (10-12 Oct)

🧑‍🎨 Late night access to some of the world's biggest and best galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and the National Gallery (11 Oct)

Embrace London's radiant art scene with Art After Dark, from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October 2024. Best of all, it's totally free. Check out the full line-up.

THE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB: Catch the international premiere of India's first ever show about drag kings, as The Gentlemen's Club opens at Soho Theatre. Set in a fictional nightclub, it offers an insight into Mumbai’s thriving underground club scene exploring gender fluidity and queer performance, via a cabaret show combining dance, music and visual projection. 1-12 October

WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT: Experimental drama White Rabbit Red Rabbit comes to Soho Place, with no rehearsals, no director, and a different actor each night taking on a script they've never seen before. The play itself is about contemporary Iran, by Iranian writer Nassim Soleimanpour, with Jill Halfpenny, Olly Alexander, Catherine Tate, Minnie Driver, Stephen Merchant, Lenny Henry and Ralf Little among those taking part on different nights. 1 October-9 November

IMMERSIVE 1984: Everything you say or do is scrutinised. Even your innermost thoughts are probed. Such is the set-up at Immersive 1984, an interactive theatre show in Hackney Town Hall, AKA the Ministry of Truth, set in the world of George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. The action moves through the building, with the audience following it from location to location. 1 October-22 December

LONDON RESTAURANT FESTIVAL: London Restaurant Festival runs for the entirety of October, with eateries across the capital putting on special menus. There are also restaurant-hopping tours, tastings and masterclasses, though these tend to book out in advance, so get planning. Throughout October

WILDLIFE ART: Wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation takes up residence at Mall Galleries for an exhibition by wildlife artist Gary Hodges. Drawn From The Heart features dozens of Hodges' photorealistic pencil drawings of species including lions, elephants and leopards. They're all available to buy via auction, starting at £400, but don't worry if your pockets aren't that deep, as the exhibition is free to view. FREE, 2-5 October

Hear from Sarah Koenig at Southbank Centre

BELONGINGS: King's College London opens new exhibition Belongings, by artist Susan Aldworth. She challenges anti-immigration narratives through a display of 35 objects, the imagined contents of the suitcase her grandmother brought with her when she was migrating from Northern Italy to London in 1924. FREE, 2 October-8 November (Monday-Friday)

BALLROOM DANCING: As a new series of Strictly gets underway, get in the mood for all things sparkly with the International Ballroom Dancing Championships, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall, and starring the world's best professional ballroom and Latin American dancers. 3 October

10 YEARS OF SERIAL: Sarah Koenig, host of incredibly popular podcast Serial is at Southbank Centre for an evening celebrating 10 years of the show. Koenig was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015, and the show has been downloaded 420 million times. 3 October

LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK: Shakers at the ready! London Cocktail Week is back. The annual boozefest has 200 bars from across London taking part, all serving up signature cocktails which you can enjoy for £8 a pop once you've bought yourself a festival wristband (£20). There are also special events including tastings, masterclasses, bar takeovers... in short, this is not the week to go teetotal. 3-13 October

FRENCH TOAST: A new adaptation of Jean Poiret's play French Toast is performed on the English stage for the first time, at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. It's set in Basingstoke in 1977 and tells the story of a director trying to make his comeback, and a wannabe leading lady who can't sing or dance. 3-26 October

Take your pooch along to Chelsea Dog Day

MONTH OF THE DEAD: Halloween may not be until the end of October, but London Month of the Dead goes on all month. Informative, entertaining, and often pretty creepy — the festival enthuses on the subject of death, through talks, cemetery tours, screenings and workshops. There's often a free gin in the mix, too. 3 October-2 November

DRINK JAPAN: For two days, St Mary's Church in Marylebone is awash with Asian beverages. Drink Japan spans sake, soju, whisky and biru, and is open to seasoned connoisseurs and newbies. Sample new drinks, stock up on your favourites, and learn how they're made. 4-5 October

EAST LONDON GROUP: Ever heard of the East London Group? They were an historic collective of artists, mainly from working class backgrounds, recreating the streets of the East End. The Nunnery Gallery in Bow has an exhibition of works by 22 painters from the Urban Contemporaries group, who were inspired by the East London Group, showcasing how the city has changed in the intervening years. FREE, 4 October-22 December

FASHION RENEGADES: The Fashion & Textile Museum's anticipated new exhibition opens this month. Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London centres around legendary nightclub Taboo, opened by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery in 1985, and looks at how its dress code and hedonistic philosophy influenced fashion. 4 October-9 March

CHELSEA DOG DAY: A dog-themed market is the centrepiece of Chelsea's Dog Day, where you can buy all manner of canine food, drink and accessories. Talks on dog behaviour, handling and training are also part of the fun in Duke of York Square, and there's a giant sausage dog bench for photos. FREE entry, 5 October

Five teams take part in NFL in London. Image: NFL UK

DEAF RAVE FESTIVAL: Rich Mix in Shoreditch hosts the Deaf Rave Festival, an event showcasing Deaf culture through learning and entertainment. The daytime session is family-friendly with children's workshop and a gaming zone, but after 8pm it's 18+ only. All activities and performances are designed to be accessible to both deaf and hearing attendees. 5 October

FESTIVAL OF THE GIRL: Islington's Business Design Centre hosts the Festival of the Girl, timed to coincide with the International Day of the Girl. Aimed at girls aged 7-11 and their families, the event aims to inspire, engage and to break down harmful gender stereotypes. Coding, art, sports, periods, experiments, activism, engineering, body confidence, friendships and sustainability are just some of the topics covered. 5-6 October

THE DUCHESS: Jodie Whittaker returns to the stage for the first time in more than a decade, taking on the lead role in The Duchess [of Malfi] at Trafalgar Theatre. The contemporary take on the 17th-century play tells the story of a recently-widowed duchess in search of a new lease of life. 5 October-20 December

LONDON MEMORY WALK: Sign up for the London Memory Walk, and walk either 2km or 5km through London, raising money for Alzheimer's Society. Starts and finishes at Potters Fields Park, next to Tower Bridge. 6 October

SUNDAY PAPERS LIVE: Roasts, talks, papers, crosswords, walks… Sunday like you’ve never Sunday’ed before at this jam-packed yet oh-so-laid-back event. Sunday Papers Live brings the broadsheets to life at ONE Marylebone. 6 October (sponsor)

APPLE DAY: Fulham Palace celebrates the orchard harvest with its annual Apple Day, a family-friendly event featuring market stalls, a tombola, a baking contest, garden games, storytelling, children's crafts and other activities. 6 October

Dance Umbrella takes place at venues across London. Photo: Maria Baranova

JAPAN MATSURI: Japan Matsuri returns to Trafalgar Square, offering a free celebration of Japanese culture that's open to all. Dance performances, an anime cosplay catwalk, martial arts demonstrations and other entertainment takes place, with food and info stalls scattered throughout the Square. FREE, 6 October

NFL IN LONDON: Five NFL teams take part in matches at Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur's Stadium for this year's NFL in London season. Tickets are hard to come by, though you might get lucky. Otherwise, head along to your nearest sports bar to catch the action. 6-20 October

ART FAIRS: Some of London's biggest art fairs take place in October, bringing members of the art industry from all over the globe back to the capital. Frieze London (9-13 October) sets up shop in Regent's Park, with galleries showcasing work by contemporary artists in a variety of mediums. Over in east London, The Other Art Fair (10-13 October) takes over the Old Truman Brewery, with a focus on artworks available for all budgets, from over 100 artists. At Somerset House, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (10-13 October) brings together 60 international exhibitors, representing 23 countries, and the Women in Art Fair takes place at Mall Galleries (9-12 October)

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL: The 68th incarnation of the BFI London Film Festival takes place at various venues on the South Bank and in the West End, with some events also screened on BFI Player after the festival, for those who can't make it in person. The world premiere of the restored version of Watership Down, and the public premiere of Steve McQueen's Blitz are the festival's headline events. 9-20 October

DANCE UMBRELLA: International festival Dance Umbrella returns to venues across London, for contemporary performances spanning hip hop culture, performance art, audio-visual experiences and operetta, with a particular focus on intersectional, diverse, innovative, international and national female dancemakers. 9-31 October

Behind The Boosh marks the surreal comedy show's 20th anniversary

LAND OF THE FREE: With the US election looming, a new play about John Wilkes Booth, the actor who assassinated Abe Lincoln, opens. Land of the Free comes to Southwark Playhouse in Borough, and with recent goings on in America, the timing is even more apt than originally intended. 9 October-9 November

NEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS: As is its way, the Photographer's Gallery opens three new exhibitions simultaneously. Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage highlights the work of the American fashion photographer, Ten.8 in Focus: The Legacy of Black Image and Body Politics is a special archive display celebrating the renowned photography journal, and Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily is a solo show of work by the trailblazing Italian photographer. All 9 October-23 February

MENTAL WEALTH FESTIVAL: On World Mental Health Day, City Lit launches its Mental Wealth Festival, with a focus on the impact of connections on mental health through workshops and talks. All events are either free or low-cost, and topics include boosting your brain power and thriving in menopause. 10-12 October

KNITTING AND STITCHING SHOW: The Knitting & Stitching Show is at Ally Pally, with hundreds of exhibitors selling supplies including yarn, fabric, buttons, fat quarters, sewing machines and more. Get inspired in the galleries, which display works by textile artists and groups. 10-13 October

BEHIND THE BOOSH: Marking 20 years since The Mighty Boosh first appeared on TV, Behind The Boosh is an exhibition of photos by Boosh cast member Dave Brown, aka Bollo, telling the story of the comedy troupe's journey from unknown to a hit TV show and live tour. 10-13 October

Photos by Letizia Battaglia go on show at the Photographer's Gallery

FRANCIS BACON: The National Portrait Gallery opens a new display, Francis Bacon: Human Presence, showcasing more than 55 works from the 1950s onwards which show how Bacon challenged the traditional definitions of the portraiture genre. 10 October-19 January

BENJAMIN BUTTON: F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button comes to life on stage at Ambassadors Theatre, in the form of a musical. The tale of a man who is born old and becomes younger as his life goes on, is set in a Cornish fishing village in this retelling. 10 October-15 February

TURN OF THE SCREW: Just in time for Halloween, Britten's unnerving opera The Turn of the Screw arrives at the London Coliseum, performed by the English National Opera. The story of a young woman terrorised in a remote country house is told through flashbacks from a psychiatric ward. 11-31 October

MAKING A RUKUS!: The joy, friendship, resistance and art of Black LGBTQIA+ people in Britain is explored in new Somerset House exhibition Making a Rukus! Over 200 objects including archive materials, contemporary artworks and brand-new commissions feature, with a programme of public events running alongside the exhibition. FREE, 11 October-19 January

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: One of our favourite annual exhibitions, Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to the Natural History Museum for its 60th incarnation. See photos of animals and the natural world taken by photographers all over the globe, including the overall winners (announced on 8 October). From 11 October

Together We'll Fly is open for just three days

GO MENTAL: Aimed at people who want to safeguard their own mental health, as well as those who want to help others who are struggling, Go Mental is a one-day festival of interactive workshops, and keynote speakers including GP and nutritionist Dr Divya Sharma, Alcohol Change UK ambassador Millie Gooch, and mental health campaigner Ben West. Takes place in Bloomsbury. 12 October

NEW SCIENTIST LIVE: Supermassive black holes, brain health, volcanoes, screen time and free will are just some of the topics covered at this year's New Scientist Live at ExCeL London. Experts from all manner of fields give talks on their topics including Professor of Forensic Science Anne Coxon, primatologist Caroline Thompson and astrophysicist Chris Lintott. 12-13 October

CHOCOLATE FAIR: Kickstart Chocolate Week at the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair at Fidelio Cafe in Farringdon. Sample chocolate from some of the best chocolate makers in the world, learn why craft chocolate is so much better for you and the cocoa farmers, and enjoy tastings and talks hosted by experts including Paul A Young and Annalisa Barbieri. 12-13 October

ROYAL PARKS HALF: The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes runners on a route through four of the eight Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens), and closed-off roads around central London. You've missed your chance to take part this year, but why not turn up on the day to support the runners. 13 October

THE REST IS POLITICS: Podcast series The Rest Is Politics has a live show at The O2. Former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, and cabinet minister Rory Stewart join forces across the political divide to lift the lid on the secrets of Westminster. 15 October

The Birmingham Royal Ballet performs Luna at Sadler's Wells. © Manvir Rai

WIMBLEDON BOOKFEST: Elif Shafak, Richard E. Grant, Mary Berry, Clare Balding and Rick Stein are among the speakers at this year's Wimbledon BookFest, which takes place at venues around central Wimbledon. 17-27 October

OM YOGA SHOW: Head to Alexandra Palace for the Om Yoga Show, apparently the biggest yoga gathering in Europe with open classes led by the world's top teachers, along with 200 exhibitors offering yoga accessories, clothing, jewellery, retreats and more. 18-20 October

OASIS EXHIBITION: Shortly after the reunion tour went on sale, an exhibition of Oasis memorabilia was announced. Together We'll Fly is the largest collection of Oasis pieces ever seen in one place, including guitars, tickets, backstage passes, records and more. You can see it at the Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch but it's not cheap. That said, the £45 tickets are raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. 18-20 October

HALLOWEEN AT KEW: We've put together a guide to London's Halloween events, but worth a specific mention is Halloween at Kew. New for this year, and by the same team as the magnificent annual Christmas at Kew, it's a spooky light trail through the gardens after dark, though fire gardens, glowing pumpkins and an illuminated haunted wood. 18-26 October

BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL: Beginning with a Big Night Out at Conway Hall, Bloomsbury Festival celebrates the area's arts, culture and science, through more than 100 events across nine days, including theatre, music, exhibitions, talks and walks. 18-27 October

Rupert Everett is on the line-up for London Literature Festival. Photo by Rick Pushinsky/Contour by Getty Images

CHOCOLATE UNWRAPPED: Another treat for chocoholics this month, Chocolate Unwrapped spans four floors, following the cocoa journey from bean to bar... as in cocktail bar. Brands such as Pump Street, Knoops, Melt Chocolates, Bare Bones and Cocoa Runners showcase their chocolate bars, truffles, ganaches and cakes, and the experience finishes with hot chocolate from Knoops, smooth chocolate liqueur from Bouvery and cocktails from MayaJules Mezcal. 19 October

LUNA: The Birmingham Royal Ballet pitches up at Sadler's Wells for three performances of its current production, Luna, a new ballet by five female choreographers, who've taken inspiration from the pioneering women of Birmingham. 22-23 October

LITTLE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL: Inclusivity is the driving force of the Little Venice Film Festival, a showcase of work by UK and international filmmakers with underrepresented voices. It takes place at locations around Little Venice and Paddington, as well as the Curzon Mayfair. 22-27 October

STAMPEX INTERNATIONAL: The Philatelic Traders Society brings together stamp collectors and traders from all over the world for Stampex International at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Join businesses, societies, exhibitors, influencers and hobbyists to trade collectibles. 23-26 October

LONDON LITERATURE FESTIVAL: Keanu Reeves, Deborah Levy, Robert Macfarlane, Richard Dawkins and Rupert Everett are among the faces on the programme at this year's London Literature Festival at Southbank Centre, which celebrates the written and spoken word in all its forms. 23 October-3 November

Browse all manner of craft objects at Made London. Image: Mapperia

FOR THE CULTURE: A festival honouring Blackness through art, performance, conversation, love, and joy, For The Culture comes to the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. The programme includes performances, gigs and special events, all with a local focus. 24-26 October

MADE LONDON: Browse and buy goods from 120 exhibitors spanning jewellery, homeware, ceramics, textiles,  furniture, lighting and design at Made London, which takes place at One Marylebone. The fair focuses on original and innovative designer-makers from across the UK and beyond. 24-26 October

DEVIL WEARS PRADA: The much-awaited musical adaptation of book and film The Devil Wears Prada struts into the Dominion Theatre, telling the story of an aspiring journalist working for the exacting editor of top fashion magazine Runway. From 24 October

DOC 'N ROLL FESTIVAL: Music documentary film festival Doc 'n Roll Festival takes places at several venues in London and around the UK. It begins with the international premiere of ODB: The Tale Of Two Dirtys, about the late Russell Tyrone Jones, founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, at BFI. Other films focus on British singer and rapper Hak Baker, and Pauline Black, lead singer of two-tone hit band The Selecter, among many other musicians. From 24 October

MCM COMIC CON: Halloween isn't the only reason to dig out your fancy dress costume at the end of October. MCM Comic Con returns to ExCeL for three days of celebrity guests, panel discussions, cosplay, tabletop and video games and more.  25-27 October

Ol'Dirty Bastard opens the Doc 'n Roll Film Festival

MEDIEVAL WOMEN: Both famous and forgotten women have their stories told in the British Library's new exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words. It uses 140 items including books, an ivory cross, textiles and a lion's skull to break free from traditional narratives and tell the real stories. 25 October-2 March

TIM BURTON EXHIBITION: The Design Museum opens a new exhibition dedicated to the world of film director Tim Burton. His fantastical style is explored through a collection of 600 drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, sculptural installations, sets and costumes, including Jenna Ortega's dress from Netflix series Wednesday. 25 October 2024-21 April 2025

HALF TERM: The school break falls over the last week of October, meaning there will be plenty of family-friendly events taking place around London. Browse our half term events guide for theatre shows, exhibitions and other events and activities for all ages. 26 October-3 November

ICE RINK: With still more than two months to go until Christmas, the first of London's seasonal ice rinks opens for business. Ice Rink Canary Wharf is located at the foot of east London's skyscrapers, below hundreds of fairy lights. Oh, and it has a roof, meaning rain won't stop play. Alternatively, try one of London's year-round ice rinks. 26 October-3 February

CLOCKS CHANGE: A reminder that the clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sunday 27 October. Sadly that means winter is truly coming, but fear not, we've put together some ideas for brightening up the dark nights here in London.

JUNIOR BOOK FESTIVAL: The Week Junior Book Festival is a one-day event at the Barbican, designed to inspire children to be imaginative through performances and workshops. Michael Rosen and Joseph Coelho are among the special guests. 29 October

Ice Rink Canary Wharf is the first to open for the festive season

GENSHIN CONCERT: Video game Genshin Impact comes to life as the Genshin Concert Tour comes to Wembley Arena for one day only, with melodies from the game performed live. 29 October

WOMEN & FREUD: The women who helped Freud invent psychoanalysis are the subject of a new exhibition at the Freud Museum in Hampstead. Patients, Freud's own daughter and her partner, and artists all feature. 30 October-May 2025

HALLOWEEN: Expect to see plenty of pumpkins, ghosts and witches around town as October draws to a close and Halloween celebrations take over. Here's our guide to London's best Halloween events. In the meantime, book yourself into one of these spooky film screenings. 31 October

DIWALI: Although Diwali officially falls on 1 November this year, expect to see events and celebrations taking place in London towards the end of October. Keep an eye on this website to find out whether the official festival in Trafalgar Square is going ahead this year. 1 November

LAST CHANCE: A few things are closing this month too. It's your last chance to go to:

• REMBRANDT AND CHILDREN: The British Museum's current, free exhibition, New life: Rembrandt and children. It's centred around a drawing of a sleeping child, an artwork which was in a private collection for over two centuries, before the British Museum acquired it. It's showcased alongside other drawings of children in Dutch and Flemish art. FREE, until 6 October
• UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY: No swimwear required for the Underwater Photography of the Year exhibition. Simply wander down Glasshouse Street (near Piccadilly Circus) to get an eyeful of the snaps, which features wildlife including seals, orcas and jellyfish. Some of the photos come to life through AR filters too. FREE, until 6 October
• I WISH YOU WELL: Musical theatre show I Wish You Well is a take on the legal trial which Gwyneth Paltrow was involved in, following a ski crash at a resort in Utah. See it at the Criterion Theatre. Until 12 October

Tuck into all manner of festive butties at the Christmas Sandwich Festival

Spread the news! A festival focusing entirely on Christmas sandwiches is coming to London in November 2024.

Across three days, Londoners can tuck into festive takes on the humble sarnie, whipped up by 20 top chefs. Expect to see (and taste) plenty of turkey, stuffing and cranberry, but also more unusual twists on Christmas sandwiches.

Smoked meat experts Ruben’s Reubens, ciabatta makers The Black Pig, woodfire chefs Rogue Sarnies, stacked sarnie creators Untitled Sandwich Shop, and pizza restaurant Dough Hands are among the vendors taking part. Got a sweet tooth? East London-based Lil Wong Bakes are serving up desserts, while Happy Endings keep the theme going with their ice cream sandwiches.

Taking place at a Copeland Park in Peckham, the event also includes festive music and sing-alongs, aided no doubt by the copious amounts of mulled wine available. Children are welcome at the afternoon sessions. It's a ticketed event, and your admission gets your three tokens to spend on sandwiches of your choice. Needless to say, your go-to supermarket festive sandwich will never hit quite the same spot again.

Sarnie Party: Christmas Special takes place at Copeland Park in Peckham, 15-17 November 2024. Tickets are £30 adult/£7.50 child, available now.

From this moment despair ends and tactics begin. A relatively recent London Banksy (2019) at Marble Arch, themed around Extinction Rebellion

Where to find Banksy art in London.

Love him or hate him, there's no denying Banksy's place in art history. The elusive satirist was synonymous with street art in the Noughties, and he remains the one graffiti writer that most people can name. His habit of stencilling London's walls appeared to have slowed down in recent years, but he was back with a bang in 2024 with a series of animal-themed images.

Street art is, by its very nature, ephemeral. New works are quickly erased, either by unimpressed property owners or by other street artists and taggers. Banksy's works tend to stick around longer than most, however, because of the cachet (and cash) that a Banksy fetches. Here, we've photographed and mapped all the surviving works we're aware of — some of which are almost a quarter century old.

See also: How many Banksys were left in 2016.

Where to see Banksy rats in London

A faded Banksy rat underneath Cannon Street rail bridge. 2023

Banksy's earliest works often depicted rats. The stencils were all over London in the early years of the century, but most have now followed the Pied Piper into oblivion. Here and there, though, you can still find a murky murine mural.

Besides the Cannon Street rat above, another better-preserved rodent could, until very recently, be found skulking beneath the arch of London Bridge on Tooley Street — a rare Banksy south of the river. Sadly, it was whitewashed over sometime in late 2022. Perhaps the Banksy rat has been forgotten by many, and it wasn't recognised for what it was.

One that does still survive clings to the rear wall of the old Camden Town Hall annexe, protected from further deterioration by a sheet of plastic.

Another Banksy rat on Tonbridge Street, King's Cross

The best-preserved rat of them all, however, lurks on Chiswell Street to the north of the City. Here, a medallion-wearing rodent holds up a placard declaring its love of London. Despite a plastic overcoat, the stencil has been targeted several times. The blacked out text beneath 'London' once said 'Robbo' — a graffiti writer with whom Banksy had a long-running spat. It's now been overwritten by a sticker-tagger.

Further rats can no doubt be found across London. One additional critter we've not yet had chance to photograph seems to have survived on Whymark Avenue, Turnpike Lane, for example.

In 2023, Banksy's largest rat made a reappearance on Old Street. This image of a rat holding a knife and fork was painted around the back of the old Foundry nightclub in 2004. It then spent most of its life covered up with board. The recent construction of the drum-shaped Art'otel on the same site has now liberated the rat, along with another Banksy work showing a TV getting thrown out of a window. Full story.

The 2024 Banksy menagerie

Banksy enjoyed something of a London comeback special in August 2024, when nine animals were sprayed up in very different locations. The daily reveals might have been better left until December, when they could have formed a city-wide advent calendar. As it was, August was a good choice because it brought a bit of lighthearted fluff among depressing news about far-right racist rioting. Here are the locations of the nine stencils, and their status as of September 2024.

1. Mountain goat (Kew): still there, covered in perspex
2. Elephants (Edith Terrace, Chelsea): still there, one has been defaced with stripes
3. Monkeys on a bridge (Brick Lane): still there, image above
4. Wolf on a satellite dish (Rye Lane, Peckham): stolen shortly after installation
5. Pelicans on a fish shop (Pretoria Avenue, Walthamstow): still there
6. Big cat (Edgware Road, Cricklewood): removed shortly after installation
7. Piranhas on a police kiosk (Ludgate, City): quickly moved from the scene and now in Guildhall Yard (see below)
8. Rhino humping a car (Charlton): still there, slightly defaced, but the impregnated car has gone
9. Gorilla at London Zoo: removed by zoo for safekeeping and probably redisplay

The box has since been moved a few metres north of this location, and is behind the glass inside the Guildhall complex

The monkeys, incidentally, swing over part of Brick Lane that was once known as the "Banksy Bridge" thanks to an earlier work, which was removed in 2007. I'm not sure the wider press picked up on this detail.

Other works by Banksy

One of the artist's best preserved murals is also one of his earliest. This mock royal family have been waving to the good people of Stoke Newington Church Street since 2001. It remains in good condition, despite several attempts at removal.

Image by JOHN19701970 in the Londonist Flickr pool, under creative commons licence.

Less well-preserved is the double-yellow flower of Bethnal Green. This large mural appeared in 2007, along with images that may (or, more likely, may not) have shown the artist's face. The work didn't last long before being assaulted by a barrage of rival graffiti.

Another pair of images in good nick can be found beneath the Barbican in the Beech Street tunnel. These murals, which pay homage to street art pioneer Jean-Michel Basquiat, are much more recent, appearing in 2017. They were quickly covered in perspex to prevent damage.

The same cannot be said for the famous girl-clutched-by-cash-machine wheeze on Rosebury Avenue, Clerkenwell. Our image, below, taken in 2008, shows the mural in its prime. It is now fatally faded, though protected by a perspex sheet. (Similarly, a very poorly preserved piece on Essex Road, which once showed children flying a flag that's actually a Tesco bag, can just about be seen.)

Banksy returned to Islington in March 2024, when he painted some greenery on a wall behind a supposedly dead tree on Hornsey Road. It drew crowds at the time, with people queuing to get a photograph (alas, not me, so no snap of this one). The work has since been defaced with white paint, and the tree is now in leaf, so it's not aged well.

Just about still visible, on the Thames Path at Bermondsey Wall, is this silhouette of a boy fishing. It's hard to make out now, but his prize catch was once a needle. Our photo is from 2015, but the mural still looks the same in a 2022 Street View image.

Notting Hill, meanwhile, is home to a panel depicting Velasquez. The work, dating from 2008, was covered up for many years, but has recently been restored to view. It's on the corner of Portobello Road and Acklam Road.

Two Banksy works survive in the Shoreditch/Spitalfields area. The first is in the much-weathered form of a pink car, which nestles in the Truman Brewery complex with another old banger by D*Face. They've been there for years, and frankly look a bit crappy.

On nearby Rivington Street, you can find the much-photographed Designated Graffiti Area mural, in the yard that belonged to the now-defunct club Cargo.

Hidden Banksy works

It's never been 100% confirmed if the faded image of a pouting girl on Whitton Road, Hounslow is a genuine Banksy or not. But locals are convinced enough that the Smile mural, dating from 2007, has been protected with perspex. Sadly, the image was recently covered up by an advert for crispy dosas — at least according to the dubious reportage of MyLondon who've used my image without asking, and credited it to someone else!

All images by Matt Brown unless otherwise indicated. Let us know in the comments if you know of further surviving Banksy works around London.

This feature first appeared in Jan 2024 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

Image: Matt Brown

London’s first bikes were advertised in February 1819… London’s first fines for pavement cycling came in March 1819.

Wealthy Londoners had a new fad. As the chill winter of 1819 turned to spring, fashionable young gentlemen took to the streets on the latest continental import: the velocipede, or hobby horse. These early bicycles were chunky wood-and-iron affairs. They lacked pedals, gears or brakes. Without tyres or padding, they offered a very bumpy ride. Still, they’d proven popular in Paris and Berlin, after Baron Karl von Drais had set his invention loose the year before. They’d now reached London, and everyone wanted a piece of the action.

Pavement riders

An early hobby horse. Image Science Museum London, under creative commons licence.

Trouble was, London’s roads were appalling. Far from being “paved with gold”, the best you could hope for was granite setts. This blocky surface would have proven bone-shaking for anyone on a modern bike, never mind the rigid hobby horse. Throw in the heavy horse traffic and the faecally lacquered carriageway, and this was no place for a cyclist. Consequence: everybody rode on the pavement.

The Metropolitan Paving Act of 1817 made it unlawful to ride any wheeled vehicle on the pavement. The rules had been drawn up to stop carts and carriages mounting the kerb, but they also applied to these new-fangled velocipedes. It didn’t take long for people to fall foul of the law.

The first example of enforcement I can find comes from the 14 March edition of the National Register (London). Here we learn that an unnamed gentleman had been stopped by a beadle for riding his hobby horse along the footpath of Great Queen Street in Covent Garden. He was duly escorted to the local magistrate and fined £2. It is the first London cycling offence on record.  

Then comes a bizarre twist. The guilty man turned his gaze towards his captor and dropped a bombshell. The beadle, he claimed, had also taken a turn on the bike. It seems that the official couldn’t resist the chance to ride the novelty vehicle. Eyewitnesses confirmed it. The beadle had freewheeled across Queen’s Court, a paved space. He’d broken the same law that he’d been cack-handedly enforcing. The magistrate levelled a £2 fine on the humiliated man “amidst the laughter of a very crowded office”.

And so, John Kendrick, bumbling beadle of St Giles-in-the-Fields, is the first rogue cyclist for whom we have a name. His ignominy is reminiscent of Mr Bumble, the corrupt beadle in Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, published 18 years later.

Velocipedes of Long Acre

Image: Matt Brown

Let’s back up a bit and take a deeper look at these early bikes. As we’ve seen, the chief difference from a modern bike was a lack of pedals. Riders had to punt their feet along the road (or pavement) surface to gain momentum. Even so, they could pick up some speed. 10mph was achievable on flat surfaces. Downhill, riders might easily overtake a horse.

We can thank Denis (or Dennis) Johnson of 75 Long Acre, Covent Garden for introducing the first bikes to London. Johnson was a wily coachmaker who used his skills to improve on the original German design. His velocipede had larger wheels, cushioned handlebars and metal fittings to improve durability. It weighed in at around 50 pounds (22kg) – about the same as one of TfL’s modern cycle hire bikes.

In December 1818, Johnson was awarded Letters Patent that gave him protected rights to make and sell the vehicles. They were an instant hit. Over the coming months, the moonlighting coachmaker would construct several hundred bikes, bespoke to his customers’ needs. Johnson opened a riding school at 377 Strand, where young gentlemen could test-drive the machines. They might purchase one for eight guineas which, according to the National Archives currency converter, was about the price of a cow.

The fad spreads

The Horns Tavern in Kennington. Sketched in 1820, a year after the velocipede craze it helped to start. From Old and New London. Image: Public domain

Another riding school seems to have opened in March 1819 at the Horns Tavern in Kennington. Here, for a moderate charge, gentlemen could take the metal steeds around the venue’s sizeable ballroom. The Horns, on the corner of Kennington Road and Kennington Park Road, was quite a landmark in its day. Surrey Cricket Club was formed in the same pub 26 years later. (The site is now a Job Centre.)

Johnson was able to ramp up production to meet demand, reportedly manufacturing over 300 in the early months of 1819. The bikes quickly became popular in wealthy circles and gained the nickname “dandy horses” because of their toffish associations. Indeed, “dandy horse racing” is listed as one of the “juvenile amusements” at the Prince Regent’s 57th birthday party later that year.

The bikes were also seen in London’s most fashionable promenade – the king’s road (Rotten Row) through Hyde Park — though it took time for them to be accepted. The Morning Herald of 29 March 1819 notes a group of three velocipede riders who attempted to progress towards Kensington Gardens. “They were so much impeded in their operations by the curiosity of promenaders… they suddenly tacked about and retired by the gate at Hyde Park Corner.” Here they were jeered by “two or three dozen” boys, with a similar kind of inverted snobbery we might, a few years ago, have directed at a trio of hipsters on electric scooters.

“One of those machines which may probably alter the whole system of society…”

The machines really were the talk of the town. In April, a crowd of thousands gathered near Whitechapel Church (today’s Altab Ali Park) to witness the start of a velocipede race to Romford. No riders or velocipedes materialised, and the whole thing was deemed a pickpocketers’ hoax by the police. Even more bizarre is a report from the London Gazette of 22 June 1819. It notes that passengers on London Bridge were “amused with two men, dressed as sailors, mounted on dandy horses, exercising them on the centre sterling (starling; a supporting leg) of the Bridge”.

Meanwhile, Dennis Johnson was busy drumming up custom for his vehicles, and he embarked on a national tour. April 1819 saw him exhibiting the bikes at Bristol’s Assembly Rooms. “Mr Johnson particularly invites the Ladies,” a problematic notice in the Bristol Mercury tells us, “because he fears, from their known delicacy, they may debar themselves from that gratification which the perfections of the Vehicle are highly capable of imparting.” He would soon modify his design, lowering the crossbar to assist riders in long skirts. As the image below shows, it must still have been a challenge to ride the bikes without becoming entangled in the wheels.

Image: Public Domain

The hype was such that commentators saw all kinds of revolution in the dandy horse. One anonymous hack speculated that the “velocipede is one of those machines which may probably alter the whole system of society – because it is applicable to the movement of armies, and will render rapidly practicable marches far more distant than have ever yet been undertaken.” Given the lack of smooth roads in early 19th century war zones, it’s not hard to fathom why you’ve never heard of His Majesty’s Dandy Horse Cavalry Regiment.

The bikes also made regular appearances at the theatre (including one production re-enacting the siege of Troy), while dandy horse races became a popular sport for wagers. In June 1819 we read (St James’s Chronicle, 10 Jun) about the first known London to Brighton ride on a horseless vehicle. The feat was accomplished in nine hours by a Mr T. Alford and three others.

Putting the brakes on

By summer, the novelty was wearing off. Velocipedes were proving slow, uncomfortable and occasionally dangerous. Many more people were fined for riding on pavements, and the number of injuries soared. The satirists had a field day, not just in the ubiquitous cartoons but also in news print. One item in the 17 May edition of the London Packet purported to be the Minutes of a meeting of the Royal College of Surgeons. We hear that the learned gentlemen unanimously voted to bestow the Thanks of the College upon “…the inventors and multipliers of the Velocipedes and Accelerators, for the able assistance they are likely to give the profession” (i.e. supply more paying customers for doctors). The imagined Vote of Thanks was written onto ass skin.

A satirical cartoon featuring the Prince of Wales (future George IV) on a bike with his mistress Lady Hertford. Image public domain, artist unknown.

One final hoorah came in August, when a daily meet of velocipede riders at the south-east corner of Regent’s Park attracted large crowds. Injuries were common and the gathering was soon suppressed.

The fad seemed to wane with the summer. Few press reports appear after August and, when they do, it’s usually to quip that an emerging fad will fade as quickly as the dandy horse. The velocipede fell out of fashion as quickly as it had arrived. Bicycles were rarely seen on the streets of London over the next forty years. Eventually, the invention of pedal power would drive a fresh craze for cycling – a topic for another day.

Denis Johnson went back to coachmaking, and seems to have continued trading until his death in 1833. He’s buried in St Martin’s churchyard in Camden Town. His plaque on Long Acre was unveiled in 1998 by the then-Minister for Sport, Tony Banks. By chance, or perhaps design, the building nextdoor-but-one is today home to Brompton Bicycle, the London company who pioneered fold-up bicycles in 1979, exactly 160 years after Johnson’s innovation. We’ve come full cycle.

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Oh my gourd, I bet that's heavy. Image: iStock/EvgeniiAnd

Pumpkin picking, a somewhat American concept, has really taken off in the UK during October/Halloween, with patches and pick your own farms springing up all over the place. Here are some PYO farms and pumpkin patches near London opening their gates to pumpkin pickers for autumn 2024.

Due to the rural nature of these farms, you're probably going to need a car to get to most of them... and wellies.

Tulleys Pumpkin Farm, Sussex

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Tulleys Farm, near Crawley in West Sussex, has absolutely got seasonal entertainment nailed, from its tulip festival in the spring, through to sunflowers in the summer, and pumpkins come autumn.

Tulleys Pumpkin Festival consists of 1 million (!) pumpkins across 100 acres of farmland. Wander among them and pick your own, with roaming performers and photo opportunities dotted around the fields. Tuck into hot dogs, donuts, burgers and the like at the street food festival.

This one always sells out way in advance, so be quick if you want tickets. If you miss out, sign up to hear when they go on sale for next year.

Tulleys Pumpkin Festival 2024, 28 September-31 October.

Pumpkin patch at Cammas Hall Farm, Hertfordshire

Cammas Hall is a PYO farm with a steady stream of crops all summer. But when the soft fruits are over, it's pumpkin time. There are 60 varieties available to pick here, including the knobbly Knucklehead, and the more unusual white Snowman pumpkin. Either harvest your own from the field, or choose from the ready picked pumpkin patch.

There are other Halloween activities, including a terror tunnel and a maize maze (extra charge), and refreshments and a farm shop are also on site.

Cammas Hall Farm, Needham Green, near Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM22 7JT. From 5 October 2024.

Image: Unsplash/Emily Levine

Pumpkin picking at Crockford Bridge Farm, Surrey

The first pumpkin patch at this Surrey farm opened more than 15 years ago, and it's getting increasingly popular. This year, the pumpkin fields open to the public again on selected days, when you can head to the field to pick your own gourd. Alternatively, between 4 October and 1 November, you can take home a ready-picked one (lazy) from the Pumpkin Boutique, no ticket required.

Crockford Bridge Farm, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2BU. Booking is essential for PYO. 4-20 October 2024.

Pumpkin picking at Stanhill Farm, Kent

Sitting on the edge of Swanley, Stanhill Farm offers 150 acres of fields in which the public are invited to pluck their own crops. And surprise, surprise, one of the most popular is pumpkins. Grab a wheelbarrow, head to the pumpkin patch, and stock up on gourds. Pumpkin patch sessions are on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October; Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October; and Wednesday 16 through until Tuesday 29 October. They may or may not open the patch after these dates — it depends if they have any pumpkins left! Pre-booking is essential, and tickets cost £5 per ticket (one vehicle of up to seven people). Any pumpkins you pick naturally cost extra.

Stanhill Farm, Birchwood Road, Dartford, DA2 7HD. 5-29 October 2024, specific days only.

Image: Beck Evans Farm

Pumpkin picking at Beck Evans Farm, Sidcup, Kent

Slap-bang on the London-Kent border, Beck Evans Farm is a family-run establishment offering seasonal events throughout the year. At Halloween, that means pumpkin picking from the farm's own patch. Sounds like hungry work, so don't forget to swing by the on-site Penelope's Restaurant, which'll be serving up seasonal dishes including pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin picking at Beck Evans Farm, Water Lane, Sidcup, DA14 5ET. Pumpkin picking selected dates 5-31 October 2024.

PYO pumpkins at Foxes Farm, Basildon and Colchester, Essex

Foxes Farm has two pumpkin patches in Essex, located close to Basildon and Colchester. They started out by growing them for wholesale, before deciding to let the public get in on the picking action, accompanied by games, a corn maze trail, and photo opportunities. Ready picked pumpkins are available too, but for an extra-special experience, book for Pumpkin Patch Nights at the Colchester location. It's an opportunity to pick pumpkins and navigate the corn maze (watch out for roaming actors!) as darkness descends, with other seasonal entertainment thrown in.

Got energy to burn? Sign up for the Pumpkin Run, a new event this year with 1k, 5k or 10k routes through the fields, pumpkin patch and corn maze.

Foxes Farm, Green Lane, Aldham, Colchester, CO6 3PR, and Watch House Farm, Wash Road, Basildon, SS25 4ER. Advance booking required. Open 5 October-1 November 2024.

Image: iStock/mtreasure

Pumpkin picking and Halloween Trail at Priory Farm, Surrey

Dialling up the pumpkin/Halloween hijinks to 'positively American', this sustainable, family-run farm offers up a variety of seasonal experiences. You can simply 'park and pick' pumpkins from the patch (with play features and Halloween-themed photo ops along the way for young 'uns). There are also tractor rides to the pumpkin patch — and really, why would you turn down a tractor ride?

Closer to Halloween, other events take place at the farm, including a Hay Bale Maze and the House of Pumpkins. There's also a Discovery Land Halloween Trail, where kids have to unravel a mystery caused by the 'Weather Witch' and the mischievous 'Mud Monster'. (Various fees apply for these.) There's also a farm shop, gift barn, cafe... all in all, easily an entire morning or afternoon out. Booking is recommended.

Halloween on the Priory Farm Estate, Sandy Lane, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 4EJ. Pumpkin picking 5 October-3 November 2024.

Pumpkin picking at Four Winds Farm, Bidborough, Kent

This small, family-fun farm near Tonbridge in Kent offers all the seasonal goodness you could want — Christmas trees at Christmas, lambing weekends in spring, and of course, pumpkin picking in October. This year, the Country Pumpkins PYO is back, with a variety of pumpkin sizes and colours to pick (wheelbarrows available if you're going XL), as well as a scarecrow trail and face painting.

Pierson Agriculture at Four Winds Farm, Penshurst Road, Bidborough. Advance booking required. 19-20 and 26-31 October 2024.

Image: Shutterstock

Pumpkin Week 2024 at Secretts, Surrey

100,000 pumpkins spanning 11 different varieties form the centrepiece of Pumpkin Week at this Surrey farm and farm shop.

Pumpkin picking runs over half term week, when you can pick your own pumpkins from the field. There's also a fancy dress competition and scavenger hunt for kids, and a pumpkin-centric menu at the cafe.

Pumpkin Week 2024 at Secretts, Hurst Farm, Chapel Lane, Milford, Surrey, GUB 5HU. Advance booking required. 19-30 October 2024.

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Pumpkin and squash picking at Garsons, Kent

A whole host of crops are available for picking at this popular farm a touch south-west of Greater London. Right now, various squash are ripe to be harvested by your own fair hands (great for autumnal soups, stews, and indeed decorations). At time of writing (late Sept), the pumpkins need a little longer to grow, but they should be ready soon (check 'what's picking today?'). In the meantime, it's worth pre-booking a pumpkin pass, which gets you entry to the Garsons Pumpkin Parade, a kid-friendly trail with plenty of Halloweeny photo ops.

Pumpkin picking and Pumpkin Parade, Garsons, Winterdown Road, Esher KT10 8LS. Pumpkin season is expected to kick off early October 2024.

October is Black History Month in the UK — a chance to learn about Black creatives, heroes, and campaigners from the past and the present. There's a whole lot going on in London — we've picked some highlights.

Immerse yourself in Black History this month. Image: TfL

Black History Month walks, talks and tours

• Black History Walks host a number of guided walks in October, including a Theatreland Black History Walk and Hackney Black History Walk (various dates in Oct)
• The Wellcome Collection in Euston puts on a series of special Black History talks and tours this month, covering themes including incarcerated labour and the cultural significance of kola nuts (FREE, throughout October)
• You have two chances to do the Culture Mile BID Black History Walking Tour, in which you'll uncover the fascinating stories of Black Londoners in the Square Mile (FREE, 2 and 31 Oct)
• Social activist and historian Darrel Blake leads the City Of London: Slave Trade Money Trail Tour, following the hidden story of one of Britain's first slave traders, London's Plantation Economy Triangle and the blood money trail of the Lloyds family (5, 12 and 19 Oct)
• Jon Newman of Lambeth Archives talks about a new exhibition, Shakespeare's Othello in Lambeth, which hones in on historic performances of Othello by Black actors. (FREE, 10 Oct)
• Kids will love Travel Back to Tudor London: A Family Adventure in Southwark, an immersive experience in which families must solve riddles and clues on the trail of a thief (17 & 29 Oct)
• Find out about 'Lost Woman of British Jazz' Sadie Crawford, and a street named after an African King from Botswana, on this Tooting Black History Walk (FREE, 19 Oct)

Ira Aldridge is one of the Black actors who's played Othello, and appears in the Shakespeare's Othello in Lambeth talk/exhibition

Other Black History Month events

• London Museum Docklands has a slew of events taking place, including first-hand Windrush generation testimony and talks about people of African heritage who were central to England's abolition campaigns. Check out the lineup (throughout October)
• At time of writing, Brixton's Black Cultural Archives haven't announced their October listings, but no doubt there'll be some insightful things happening, plus this month is always a good excuse to call in and explore the archives (throughout October)
• Barbican hosts the Black British Book Festival 2024, packed with well-known speakers, including Dianne Abbott and Big Manny (5 Oct)
• Get down to Brixton's Black Culture Market, with over 40 traders selling cakes, clothes, skincare, fashion and African art (5 & 6 Oct)
• 1970s American rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group The Blackbyrds take to the stage at Islington's Union Chapel (12 Oct)
• The music and culture of Guinea are explored by musician Shumba Maasai and singer and percussionist Falle Nioke, at Kindred in Hammersmith (16 Oct)
• Pete Rock, one of the most renowned figures in hip-hop history, plays the Electric Brixton (19 Oct)

Inage: London Museum Docklands

• Trailblazing Somali women writers Yasmin Mohamed Kahin and Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf are at Southbank Centre to share some of their poetry and words (25 Oct)
• Brixton Library hosts a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, where you'll be taught how to write, and enhance existing articles about Black people, history and society. (FREE, 29 Oct)
• Last year, a set of artworks by Trinidad-based artist Che Lovelace was unveiled in St James' Piccadilly, dedicated to Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, a former enslaved man who ended up living in London and campaigning against slavery. It's free to go and see. (FREE, anytime)

Londonist on Black history

The UK's first Black train driver, Wilston Samuel Jackson.

Check out our articles on Black history in London:

• "I Had Never Seen A Train Before!" Memories Of A Windrusher Arriving In London
• A Black History Tube Map
• 10 Black Women Who Changed London For The Better
• Wilston Samuel Jackson: A Plaque For The UK's First Black Train Driver's At King's Cross Station
• Who Were The First Black Footballers At Every London League Club?
• This Botanical Map Of Brixton Spills Unsavoury Truths About Slavery
• 10 London Locations Linked To Slavery
• London's Best Walking Tours: Black History Walks
• This Map Of Black History In London Charts Slavery To Black Lives Matter
• Black London: 10 Sculptures, Murals And Plaques To See
• 8 Remarkable Vintage Images Of Black Londoners
• Who Was Samuel Coleridge-Taylor? (He's Not To Be Confused With Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
• Plaque To Phillis Wheatley: The First African-American Woman To Be Published In English

Noah and Patrizia: I hope you're still together, for your padlock on Tower Bridge is now heading an article. Image: Matt Brown

Left as tokens of love, remembrance and hope, "lovelocks" are an increasingly common sight across the capital.

We've all seen them. You might have even added to their number. Personalised padlocks, or lovelocks, are to be found in various places across London.

I first became aware of the trend more than a decade ago, when locks started gathering on the fence opposite Shoreditch station. Who started the fad, and why, is not clear. This was one of those spontaneous, collective shrines that spring up from time to time, like the dangling shoe bundles elsewhere in Shoreditch, or the "skateboard graveyard" on the Golden Jubilee Bridges.

The Shoreditch lovelock fence. Image: Matt Brown

It's not, of course, a purely London phenomenon. The tradition is often said to have started on the Pont des Arts in Paris in the early Noughties, but it's very likely that smaller-scale lovelock clusters have been a 'thing' for much longer. You can find examples elsewhere in Britain, too, such as this heavily adorned bridge in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

Lovelocks in Camden Market. Image: Matt Brown

People leave padlocks for many reasons. The majority, judging from the inscriptions, are left by visiting couples to mark their courtship, engagement or marriage — much as previous generations scratched names or initials into trees. Some are left in memory of a departed loved one. Still others are clipped on by kids, eager to participate in a playful bit of naughtiness. Usually, the padlock is off-the-shelf and decorated with permanent marker. But some are professionally engraved.

JW3 Lovelock Hostage Bridge. Image: Matt Brown

Most lovelocks are left with a light heart, but the simple gesture can also take on more profound significance. The JW3 Jewish cultural centre on Finchley Road recently established a Lovelock Hostage Bridge, in solidarity with the men, women and children held hostage in Gaza. Hundreds of people have added padlocks to the bridge, including well known names such as Rachel Riley, Alistair Campbell, Dame Maureen Lipman and Sir Simon Schama.

Image: Matt Brown

Bridges seem to be popular locations for lovelocks more generally. We've spotted examples on Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Millennium Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges. You can also find a long run of padlocks on the river wall east of Millennium Bridge. Every lock needs a quay.

But, really, lovelocks can pop up anywhere. While halfway through putting this article together, I chanced across this fence outside the Piccadilly Theatre on Denman Street. Here, padlocks have been left in celebration of Pride.

Image: Matt Brown

I've heard people dismiss lovelocks as tacky, scruffy, difficult to remove and "just another form of litter". But that misses the point. Every padlock is a token of love or remembrance or hope. They are emotions given tangible form. They are semi-permanent memories written onto interlocking steel. They enrich the streetscape by adding a touch of humanity amid corporate overdevelopment. Long live the lovelocks.

Forget PSLs  — autumn is all about the conkers! Here's our hard-hitting guide.

London hosts two major conker championships each autumn. Image: Elizabeth McCafferty/Londonist

Sorry, I was busy playing on my Wii. What's conkers again? The act of nurturing the fruit from a horse chestnut tree until it's as hard as Jason Statham, attaching it to a bit of string, then making your best friends/arch enemies/children cry by battering their opposing conker into wood chips.

Wasn't conkers banned or something? Some people seem to have thought so; in 2019 there was even a petition to 'reinstate' conker playing in schools. To which the government responded "There's no law or government policy banning children from playing conkers, so we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do."

Image: Don Blandford/Peckham Conker Club

So conkers isn't dangerous? Obviously don't go shinning right up to the tops of trees, but the worst story we can find about conkers in London concerns a bloke who slipped on some running from London to Brighton and twisted his ankle — and surely the moral there is don't run from London to Brighton.

Where is the best place to find conkers in London? You'll find plenty of horse chestnut trees dotted here and there, but parks are of course your best bet. Peckham Conker Club has a great guide on where to source your conkers from, which includes Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, Morden Hall Park, Hampstead Heath, Greenwich Park and Tower Hamlets' Victoria Park. You could also try your luck at the legendary Wood Street Horse Chestnut, one of arboreal enthusiast Paul Wood's faves.

Had to feature this terrifying stock image. Image: iStock/blackjake

Are there any conker tournaments I can take part in? Yes, two biggies in London each year:

• Hampstead Heath Conker Championships (Sunday 6 October 2024, 1pm-3pm). The 'Grand Conker Meister' oversees competitions of various age categories, at the picturesque setting of the Parliament Hill bandstand. There are also family nature activities and live music from Mad Dog Bites. Don't get us wrong though, destruction is still on the menu.
• Peckham Conker Championships (Saturday 12 October 2024) This urban conker tournament, which happens outside the breweries/in the alleyways of Peckham, is for the tough nuts. Its 'Battle Royale' rules mean that nut-pimping, stampsies and basically any kind of cheating are allowed. It's all in the name of winning the coveted 'Golden Nut', a 22 carat gold conker. In 2023 'Pietro the Pummeler' beat 'Harry Hard Nut' to the top prize. There's a Juniors (1pm-3pm) and a Seniors (3pm-6pm) competition and we predict tears at both. To play, you'll need to secure a place — 500 people turned up in 2023! And to show how serious things have got, this year you can buy 'nut sacks' of pre-laced, cellar-aged conkers for £15...

Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.

Momtaz Begum-Hossain leads a free weaving workshop at Southbank Centre

Looking for more free things to do in London? Here are 102 of em! We've also compiled this epic map of free stuff in London.

Switch on to computing history

Tuesday's Gresham College lecture features cybersecurity expert Professor Victoria Baines discussing the ancient history of computers and code. Find out how ancient shipwrecks and the textile mills of northern England both made use of the forerunners of today's modern computers. Watch in person at Barnard's Inn Hall, or online.

Free, 24 September.

Grab a free slice of pizza

Mobile network Slice has teamed up with Yard Sale Pizza (one of our faves it's got to be said), to give away free slices to folks passing by Yard Sale's Hackney Road shop from noon on Tuesday. You'll need to download the Slice app to claim your freebie.

Free, 24 September.

Watch a livestream of Sally Rooney discussing her new book

Author Sally Rooney — best known for her 2018 novel Normal People — is at Southbank Centre to discuss her newest book, Intermezzo with writer and critic Merve Emre. It's about two brothers who navigate their grief over the recent death of their father in very different ways.

Though tickets to attend in person will set you back £15, there's a livestream allowing you to watch for free.

Free, 25 September.

Scandinavian mountain brand Peak Performance arrives in the UK, with a showcase in Covent Garden.

Brighten your life with a colourful weaving workshop

Colour expert and Londonist contributor Momtaz Begum-Hossain leads a weaving workshop focused on the meanings of colour at Southbank Centre. Prior to the workshop, enjoy a live performance by London-based pop/R&B artist Asha Gold.

Free, 25 September.

Solve the problem of sewage in our water

LSE brings together a panel of experts including David Henderson, CEO of Water UK, and James Wallace, Chief Executive of River Action, to discuss the problem of sewage in our waters. Find out about the new laws and huge investments which are needed to prevent the dumping of sewage and plastics in our oceans, leaking from landfills, and other environmental issues surrounding water supplies.

Free, 26 September.

Watch some skiing... in Covent Garden

The UK's first Peak Performance store opens in Covent Garden this Friday, and to set the scene there's a day of demonstrations from top skiers such as Olympian and Newschoolers' Skier of the Year Anni Karava, and two-time X Games medalist Alex Hackel. Fancy having a go yourself? You can also sign up for a tuition slot.

Free, 27 September.

Last chance to play Wild Swing mini golf. Image: Vivid Squad

Stay late at Dulwich Picture Gallery...

On Friday, Dulwich Picture Gallery holds its final summer late themed around the current Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking exhibition. View the exhibition, and the gallery's other displays, and take part in workshops spanning sashiko stitching, lino printmaking, and more. There's also a pop-up bar, and food from Roy's Authentic Jerk Chicken.  

Free, 27 September.

...or Christie's auction house

Also on Friday, auction house Christie's in Mayfair stays open late for an evening in advance of Black History Month. It brings together artists and thinkers from across the African diaspora — keep an eye on the website for the full programme.

Free, 27 September.

Watch a free screening of Wonka

The Free Film Festivals organisation offers a screening of 2023 film Wonka — the prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — on Saturday. It takes place at Eckington Gardens in New Cross, so dress for the weather, take along snacks or a picnic (chocolate might be a good shout) and enjoy the show.

Free, 28 September.

The Sheep Drive takes place on Sunday — though a different celebrity is heading up proceedings this year. Image: @ThisMediaLarke

Go to a Latinx takeover

Head to UCL East Marshgate for V&A East's InBetween: A Latinx Takeover event. There are DJ sets from east London-based Latinx queer club night 2C Perrea, live performances from Colombian singer-songwriter Montañera, discussions from online bookstore Romancero Books, papier-mâché mango making — and lots, lots more besides.

Free, 28 September.

See sheep driven over Southwark Bridge

One of London's wackiest annual events is the Sheep Drive and Livery Fair, taking place on Sunday. Each year, a chosen celebrity has the honour of herding sheep over Southwark Bridge, a nod back to the time when Smithfield was London's major livestock market. The baa-rmy happenings on the bridge are free to watch (get there early if ewe want a good view) and are followed by a livery market at the north end of the bridge. This year, Damian Lewis is the celebrity shepherd.

Free, 29 September.

Attend a rather special harvest special

Also taking place in the City on Sunday, the London Pearly Kings and Queens Costermongers Harvest Festival brings together pearly kings and queens from across London and beyond for a gathering in Guildhall Yard, followed by a church service at St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside. There will likely be charity collections taking place, so worth having a few quid on you to make a donation if you can.

Free, 29 September.

Play a last round of this summer mini golf course

Last chance to tee off on what may just be London's most photogenic golf course. Wild Swing Mini Golf at Greenwich Peninsula is decorated with species of wildflower found nearby. All equipment is provided, and it's only £2.88 per person — bargain!

£2.88 per person, until 29 September.

All weekend

The Classic Car Boot Sale parks up in King's Cross

SHOREDITCH STREET ART: London Mural Festival is in full swing, with things to see and do all over the city, including at landmark Shoreditch development, The Stage. On Saturday, check out Sophie Mess' 'Together We Rise' — a permanent new piece of public art adding botanical beauty to a lift shaft — as part of an expert-led guided tour of this year's murals. On Sunday, you’re invited to get creative yourself with a flower stencil art workshop led by the artist. (sponsor)

TOTALLY THAMES: This is the final weekend of this year's Totally Thames festival, a celebration of London's main waterway. Highlights this weekend include a sketching session on the Thames Pathway, a talk about mudlarking, and a deep dive into the history of the River Westbourne. Browse the full programme to find events which take your fancy. Until 30 September

FOE TO FRIEND: Last chance to see the National Army Museum's free exhibition, Foe To Friend, about the British Army's presence in Germany since the end of the second world war in 1945. Hear about the lives of individual soldiers in Germany over the last 45 years, and how the Army helped rebuild a divided nation, provided protection during the Cold War, and later used Germany as a base from which to deploy troops across the world. FREE, until 29 September

MARC QUINN: 17 stainless steel and bronze sculptures have been dotted around Kew Gardens — including inside the Temperate House. They're the work of sculptor Marc Quinn, who aims to reflect the relationship between nature and humanity, and this weekend is your last chance to see them. Until 29 September

The World Halal Food Festival is on at the London Stadium

STORYTELLER: The Imperial War Museum marks the 13th anniversary of the death of photojournalist, filmmaker and humanitarian Tim Hetherington. Photography from across his career as a war reporter, and a selection of his cameras and diaries are on display, with his film Sleeping Soldiers available to watch too. FREE, Until 29 September

MINI GOLF: Last chance to tee off on what may just be London's most photogenic golf course. Wild Swing Mini Golf at Greenwich Peninsula is decorated with species of wildflower found nearby. All equipment is provided, and it's only £2.88 per person — bargain! Until 29 September

CHELSEA HISTORY FESTIVAL: Returning for its 6th edition, Chelsea History Festival is extra special this year, as it celebrates the launch of the new Chelsea Heritage Quarter. Events include a preview of the new Soane Stable Yard at Royal Hospital Chelsea, which opens in October — the first time part of the RHC site has been permanently open to the public. Also on the programme are talks by bestselling author Kate Mosse, writer and broadcaster James Holland, and Horrible Histories author Terry Deary. 25-29 September

BRITISH ART FAIR: The British Art Fair takes place at Chelsea's Saatchi Gallery, showcasing Modern British and Contemporary British Art, with 70+ exhibitors selling works by names including David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Frank Auerbach, Alan Davie, Paul Nash, L.S. Lowry, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Grayson Perry, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Banksy. 26-29 September

SILK ROAD: The British Library's new exhibition, A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang, is a chance to learn about Dunhuang, at the edge of the Gobi Desert, once a bustling town on the Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. Individual stories of people who lived there 1,000 years ago are told, thanks to the contents of the 'Library Cave', part of the Buddhist cave complex of Mogao, where manuscripts, documents and artworks remained sealed for nearly 900 years. From 27 September

Silk Roads opens at the British Museum in time for the weekend © The Trustees of the British Museum

SILK ROADS: Confusingly (yet happily), in addition to the British Library's new exhibition (above), the British Museum opens a new, separate exhibition about Silk Roads. It highlights the fact that there was more than one such route, joining places as far apart at Scandinavia, Madagascar, Britain and Japan, and delves into how the silk roads shaped history and cultures. 28 September-23 February

MONET AND LONDON: The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House also has a new exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. See paintings of Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, which were put on display in Paris in 1904, but have never been shown in London until now. 27 September-19 January.

CLASSIC CAR BOOT SALE: All manner of vintage vehicles park up at King's Cross for the autumn edition of the Classic Car Boot Sale. Ogle the wheels, while buying vintage fashion from the back of them. Other entertainment includes clothing repair workshops, live DJs, and motorcycle and scooter ride-ins. 28-29 September

BEE AND HONEY SHOW: Capel Manor Gardens in Enfield hosts its annual Bee and Honey Show, a chance to learn all about honeybees and the threats they face. Watch them going about their daily business in an observation hive, and speak with exhibitors and beekeepers to get further insight. Local honey is for sale, and children can take part in activities including candle rolling and bee badge making. 28-29 September

HALAL FOOD FESTIVAL: 150+ vendors pitch up at the London Stadium in Stratford for the World Halal Food Festival. As well as dishes from all of those vendors available to purchase, the event encompasses a cookery theatre, a live entertainment stage and a kids' zone. 28-29 September

Saturday 28 September

Take the family - including soft toys - along to the teddy bears' picnic

FARMERS' MARKER: Get up early and head to Wembley for the monthly farmers' market, where 25+ traders sell fruit and veg, meat, plants, homemade pies, organic wines, Italian deli food and more. 9am-3pm

TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC: Under-5s and their families are invited to the Teddy Bears' Picnic at Orchard Dry Dock near Trinity Buoy Wharf. Take part in instrument playing, singing and dancing, along with imaginary play, nursery rhymes, bubbles and parachutes — all with teddies in tow, of course. 10.30am-4pm

JAPANESE MARBLING: Learn Suminagashi — the Japanese technique of painting on water to create marbleised effects on paper — in a workshop at Dulwich Picture Gallery. You'll also learn different bookbinding techniques, and create a book with your marbling designs to take home with you. 12pm-4pm

Peckham Salvage Yard is back at Copeland Park on Sunday

ALGERIAN CULTURE FESTIVAL: Rich Mix in Shoreditch hosts DzFest, a festival of Algerian arts and culture. Today's the final day, and it includes live music, dance workshops and a singing workshop. From 1.30pm

MULTI-STORY ORCHESTRA: Peckham's Multi-Story Orchestra is at Southbank Centre for a performance of current show, Verified. The show blends orchestral, R&B, reggaeton and rap music to explore the pressures of social media. 4pm

MERCURIAL: "Cocaine, crocodiles, and Australian soap operas: Welcome to London's strangest one night stand." It's your last chance to catch Mercurial at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios tonight. Rosaleen Cox's dark comedy explores why we want relationships and how far we go to keep their spark alive. 5pm-5.50pm

OTIS REDDING: Soul singer Reuben Richards teams up with  The Jezebel Sextet for a tribute to the music of Otis Redding. Head to Camden's Jazz Cafe to hear covers of the American singer-songwriter's greatest hits, accompanied by an eight-piece band. 7pm-10.30pm

TINA TURNER: Tina Turner tribute show What's Love Got To Do With It? comes to Cadogan Hall. Dance the night away as a singer and live band perform hits including Proud Mary, Simply The Best and Private Dancer. 7.30pm

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN: Fans of musical film The Greatest Showman should head to Earl's Court for Come Alive!, a circus show inspired by the film. Expect a blend of musical theatre and circus performance including songs from the soundtrack such as This Is Me, Rewrite the Stars, and A Million Dreams. 7.30pm (and other dates until January 2025)

Sunday 29 September

Join a walking tour offered by the Bow Street Police Museum

SHEEP DRIVE: One of London's wackiest annual events is the Sheep Drive and Livery Fair. Each year, a chosen celebrity has the honour of herding sheep over Southwark Bridge — this year it's Damian Lewis. FREE, 10am-4pm

MORRIS MINOR CLUB: The Morris Minor Club parks up at Whitewebbs Museum in Enfield, showcasing models including saloons, tourers, vans, pickups and the Traveller estate to the public. The museum itself is open too — read about our visit for an idea of what to expect. 10am-4pm

VOTES FOR WOMEN: The Bow Street Police Museum offers a Votes For Women walking tour, transporting you back to Edwardian London via the locations linked to the Suffragette movement around Covent Garden and Westminster. Hear about Vandalism in the National Gallery, human smuggling, and an Indian princess who joined the cause. 10.30am

CARDS AND COLLECTABLES: Trading card collectors and sports enthusiasts gather in Boxpark Wembley for the Cards and Collectables Show and London Trading Card Event. 100+ vendors from around the UK are exhibiting and selling objects spanning sports cards and Pokémon to Magic The Gathering, One Piece, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 11am-5pm

PECKHAM SALVAGE YARD: Vintage furniture, reclaimed industrial fixtures, lighting, and salvaged electricals, homewares, curiosities and collectibles are all up for grabs at Peckham Salvage Yard, which returns to Copeland Park. 11am-5pm

Camden Cult Cinema screens Pink Floyd's The Wall

HARRISON FESTIVAL: The Harrison pub — which is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to keep it open — holds a fundraising festival at nearby Jamboree. Watch folk, world and jazz acts performing live, including Flotsam Orchestra, Nick Hart and Whiskey Moon Face. Your ticket includes re-entry, so you can pop over to the Harrison between sets for a Sunday roast if you like. 12pm-7pm

HARVEST FESTIVAL: The London Pearly Kings and Queens Costermongers Harvest Festival brings together pearly kings and queens from across London and beyond for a gathering in Guildhall Yard, followed by a church service at St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside. There will likely be charity collections taking place, so worth having a few quid on you to make a donation. FREE, 1.30pm

BSL TOUR: The National Portrait Gallery offers a BSL tour of its collection for D/deaf and hard of hearing visitors, as well as BSL students. Join guide Alan Murray for the informal tour, to learn about some of the stories associated with the artworks. FREE, 2pm-3pm

PINK FLOYD: Pop-up venue Camden Cult Cinema screens 1982 surrealist musical film Pink Floyd's The Wall. The screening also features live performance footage of Pink Floyd, and features extracts from archive interviews with Gerald Scarfe and Alan Parker. 6pm

JAZZ IN NEW YORK: The Jazz Repertory Company and presenter Kerry Shale host a night at Cadogan Hall, shining a spotlight on the nightclubs, recording studios and radio stations of 1930s New York, when jazz and swing were at their peak of popularity. Hear songs by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. 6.30pm

Unpublished proof of Harry Beck’s 1933 First Edition underground map, Harry Beck, 1932. Courtesy of The Map House

Tube maps from the distant past come together at a new exhibition and sale at The Map House.

50 years after Harry Beck's death, a Knightsbridge shop is mounting an exhibition of tube maps dating back to Victorian times. Mapping the Tube: 1863-2023 presents dozens of maps and documents showing how different generations have represented the underground network. That includes the evolution of Harry Beck's famous 1933 map, but also plenty of pre-Beck material.  

If you're looking to pick up a bit of cartographic history, then this is very much the right place. The exhibition includes "the most significant collection of Beck manuscripts ever offered for sale". This includes a hand-annotated early draft of the map, with marginalia from both Beck and his predecessor Fred Stingemore, which "...highlights some of the tricky design questions he had to overcome, such as whether to use the official name of 'Willesden Green (New Station)' or stick with a simplified 'Willesden Junction'".

We're promised more than just tube maps, as well. Among various posters on show is a large version of Macdonald Gill's celebrated Wonderground Map of London from 1914, which presents the capital in a colourful cartoonish map.

The Wonderground Map of London, Macdonald Gill, 1914. Courtesy of The Map House.jpg

Exhibition Curator at The Map House, Charles Roberts says: “The survival of many of the materials we have on display is remarkable. These maps were largely distributed for free as a tool for the public. They were not intended to be saved but here they are, providing us with a unique insight into London’s history. The Harry Beck manuscripts we are offering present a unique opportunity to look over his shoulder and see the great designer at work.”

Mapping the Tube: 1863-2023 is at The Map House, 54 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge SW3 1NY from 25 October to 30 November 2024. Entrance is free.

Fillings at Sandy's included pig's cheek, kedgeree, and grouse. Image: BenFrantzDale~commonswiki via creative commons

It's 1927 and you've just seen the spiffing new Noel Coward play at the Criterion.

Spilling out into London's electric West End — Piccadilly Circus blazing incandescent with Bovril and Schweppes Ginger Ale — you decide you're peckish. It's OK, your companion knows a place.

A short amble takes you to 25 Oxendon Street, just off Leicester Square, where the figure of a Scottish dragoon accompanies a sign jutting out from above: 'Sandy's'.

Your friend beckons you into a wood panelled room, the oak itself slathered with paintings, cartoons and caricatures of Edgar Wallace and George Bernard Shaw, signed beneath by the stars in question. Signs dangle from the ceiling: 'NO TINNED FOOD', 'NO SHELLFISH'. Taking pride of place in a glass case is a large beef sandwich, the inscription beneath it comically suggesting it is a "Model (enlarged) of the original railway sandwich (beef)".

Kenelm Foss aka 'Sandy' — big in the world of film, theatre... and sandwiches. Image: public domain

Half of London's bohemia seems to be packed into Sandy's: novelists, painters, composers, stage directors — all perched on high stools, all hungrily chomping into their bready suppers, washing it down with Fortnum & Mason coffee, served in branded Sandy's mugs. Business is brisk. This is somewhere for people 'who want food served quickly, but not thrown at them'. On another night you might spot Charlie Chaplin, Rex Harrison, or Noel Coward himself stopping for a bite. They are among the thousands of 'Sandyites' drawn to this cosy West End joint.

From behind the glass counter, a jolly fellow in a white jacket, and with tall, glossy hair, asks what you'd like. There's a lot to choose from — '60 varieties' as the signs everywhere have it. Your eyes dart about for inspiration. In one corner, Princess Bibesco — teetering at the top of a stool, with her gold lace gown flowing over it — is halfway through a ham sandwich. A chap who must be a theatre critic frantically scribbles his critique of The Marquise, while brushing crumbs from his roast beef sandwich off his notebook and onto the floor. Other fillings include pig's cheek, grouse, scrambled egg with mashed tomatoes, sheep's tongue, hare, wild duck, honey, and kedgeree made with dried finnan haddock and freshly-laid eggs. You've never seen (or smelt) anything like it.

"We all went to Sandy's," wrote Rex Harrison in his autobiography, "It was the place to go and be seen in." Image: Allan warren via creative commons

You're still overwhelmed, but the chap behind the bar has a sandwich in mind: try the grated stilton, celery and parsley number: it was a favourite of the late Edward VII, and if it wasn't packed for shooting parties or jaunts to the races, then Eddie would go into a huff. The sandwich, winks the chap behind the bar, is his favourite too.

He is, by the way, Sandy. At least that's what he calls himself. In truth, he is Kenelm Foss — the celebrated actor, writer and director — but a couple of years back, he branched out into the sandwich racket. The concept of the sandwich shop is not entirely new to London (indeed, above the fireplace at Sandy's is a painting depicting the origin of the sandwich, indebted to the 18th century Earl of Sandwich, who wished to continue gambling with one hand, while snacking with the other). But until now the city's been lacking a properly decent place to get one.

Strolling around New York, Foss was struck by the number of sandwich and coffee joints that had sprung up in the age of Prohibition. After biting into a particularly bad sandwich back in England, and declaring "God! I could do a lot better than that!", he was good to his word, and soon built one of the world's finest sarnie emporiums, here in the West End. He named it Sandy's as a tribute to the Scots — a nation, whom he reckons, make the best sandwiches in the world. "Sandwiches by magic!" the press exclaimed in 1925, "Famous actor opens a sandwich bar! Forsaking the stage for a shop!"

Greggs is hardly a worthy replacement to Sandy's... but there is another place nearby that's now filling in. Image: Londonist

Sandy's will go on to great success — extending its premises on Oxendon Street, opening up a new, 24/7 branch on Fleet Street (popular with journos, naturally) and another in Brighton. Sandy's delivery vans will wend their way through the city, feeding everyone from office workers to Theatreland actors breaking for lunch. At Sandy's peak, it will offer 150 varieties of filling. Soon though, central London will become swarmed with inferior imitators that bite into Sandy's' profits — precursors to the Pret a Mangers that will arrive in London some half a century later. Sandy's will begin to struggle, and all the branches will close in the early 1930s.

Fast forward almost a hundred years, and the Greggs now perched at one corner of Leicester Square seems an unworthy substitute (neither do you regularly see Tom Hanks sinking his teeth into a vegan sausage roll here). But not all is lost: on nearby Whitcomb Street, hungry Londoners can be found queuing outside Sandwich Express, impatiently waiting for their fix of salt beef. Sandy would no doubt approve.

Written with help from the brilliant British Newspaper Archive, and the book Stage, Screen and Sandwiches: The Remarkable Life of Kenelm Foss.

Feature image: BenFrantzDale~commonswiki/Allan warren via creative commons.

Things to do in London this month is sponsored by Art of London.

October marks peak art season in London. The art fairs are in town, along with lashings of blockbuster exhibitions. Allow us to steer you towards the top exhibitions to catch this month.  

1. Food, glorious fakes: Looks Delicious at Japan House

Photo: Masuda Yoshirо̄ for Japan House

Shokuhin sanpuru is the concept of placing unexpectedly realistic food replicas in the windows of restaurants across Japan. Here's a chance to see them up close as art objects, admiring the uncanny detail in models representing cuisine in all 47 of Japan's prefectures. It's so tasty, it'll make you want to grab a pair of chopsticks and dig in — but this one's a feast for the eyes only.

Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture at Japan House London. 2 October - 16 February, free.

2. London's evolution: Frank Auerbach at Offer Waterman

Mornington Crescent. © Frank Auerbach, Courtesy Frankie Rossi Art Projects

Thick gloopy paintings of London appear in rich earthy tones through to vibrant yellows. Frank Auerbach's heavily layered painting style has captured our city across his seven-decade career — an evolution from post-war recovery to a flourishing 21st century metropolis. Showcasing key locations like Oxford Street and Hampstead Heath, this exhibition also highlights how Auerbach's style has evolved with the city.

Frank Auerbach: Portraits of London at Offer Waterman & Francis Outred, 17 St George Street, W1S 1FJ. 4 October - 7 December, free.

3. 80's Fashion: Fashion Renegades at Fashion and Textile Museum

Image courtesy Fashion & Textile Museum.

Showcasing over 30 designers' radical garments and accessories, the exhibition delves into 1980s London's underground fashion scene. With recreated markets and nightclub Taboo's legendary dance floor, Outlaws highlights the creativity, gender-bending styles, and DIY ethos of working-class designers. The exhibit also traces Taboo's lasting impact on global fashion and contemporary designers.

Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of the 80s at Fashion and Textile Museum. 4 October - 9 March, £12.65.

4. Indian Art: The Imaginary Institution of India at Barbican

© Gieve Patel Courtesy Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

1975-1998 was a period of cultural and political transformation in India, including the 1975 declaration of a state of emergency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the nuclear tests in 1998. Featuring nearly 150 works from 30 artists, this exhibition spans painting, sculpture, photography and film, highlighting themes of violence, urbanisation, gender, and indigenous practices while tracing Indian art's evolution from figurative painting to installation and video art.

The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975–1998 at Barbican Art Gallery. 5 October - 5 January, £20 - pay what you can options will be available.

Sponsor message.

Three nights of art and culture across the West End

Autumn has descended on London. But this is no time for drawing the curtains and hunkering down. Instead, make the most of the arty extravaganza that is Art After Dark. Running from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October, central London glows with late gallery openings, awe-inspiring al fresco artwork, and more.

Some things to tempt you out:

🍷 Explore a slew of independent galleries on the Art of London Gallery HOP!, and get that 'private view' feel without the need for an invitation. Galleries include Stern Pissarro Gallery, Cristea Roberts Gallery and Skarstedt Gallery (10 Oct)

💡A stunning new free al fresco public art installation in Leicester Square Gardens by Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE, famous for her vibrant neon light displays (10-12 Oct)

🍽️ Tasty dining offers in a number of West End restaurants (10-12 Oct)

🧑‍🎨 Late night access to some of the world's biggest and best galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and the National Gallery (11 Oct)

Embrace London's radiant art scene with Art After Dark, from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October 2024. Best of all, it's totally free. Check out the full line-up.

5. Light bulb moments: Haegue Yang at Hayward Gallery

© Haegue Yang. Photo: Zachary Balber. Courtesy The Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach.

Haegue Yang takes everyday objects like drying racks, light bulbs, nylon pom-poms and hand-knitted yarn to create sensory large-scale installations. These works touch on ideas such as cross-cultural pollination, folk traditions, and personal and political histories.

Haegue Yang: Leap Year at Hayward Gallery. 9 October - 5 January, £19.

6. Deep anguish: Francis Bacon at National Portrait Gallery

© The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2024. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London.

Showcasing over 50 paintings, here's a chance to explore Bacon's evolution in portraiture from the late 1940s onwards, featuring self-portraits, and depictions of lovers and friends. He drew inspiration from Velazquez and Van Gogh and painted fellow artist Lucien Freud. Though Bacon's style undoubtedly changes over time, it always remains deliciously unsettling.

Francis Bacon: Human Presence at National Portrait Gallery. 10 October - 19 January, £23.

7. Fantastic beasts: Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum

© Ian Ford / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

From savage deaths to cuteness overload, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition takes us through the full range of animalistic emotions. Creatures you've never heard of, and shots that are so impressive they have us wondering how the photographer pulled it off, await at the Natural History Museum in one of our favourite annual photography exhibitions.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum. 11 October - 10 March, £18.

8. English icon: Constable and the Hay Wain at The National Gallery

© The National Gallery, London

Ask people to name a quintessentially English painting and John Constable's landscape painting The Hay Wain is likely to be the top hit. How did Constable come to be this symbol of the countryside, how did this painting become so popular, and how was it acquired by the National Gallery? These and more are answered, on this deep dive into a masterpiece.

Discover Constable and the Hay Wain at The National Gallery, Sunley Room. 17 October - 2 February, free.

9. Imperial artefacts: Hew Locke at The British Museum

Hew Locke with his work The Watchers at the British Museum © Richard Cannon

Many objects in the British Museum are tied to Empire and Colonialism, and the museum has invited Hew Locke to curate a selection of these objects alongside his Carnivalesque figures. Focusing on Britain’s historical interactions with Africa, India, and the Caribbean — all of which had a significant impact on Guyana where Locke grew up — the exhibition features over 150 objects with ties to an Imperial past.

Hew Locke: what have we here? at The British Museum. 17 October - 9 February, £12.

10. Queens and Scribes: Medieval Women at The British Library

Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, presented with a book © British Library Board

The British Library delves into the dynamic lives of European women from 1100-1500, unveiling challenges and triumphs through original documents and artefacts, and illuminating women's impact across private, public, and spiritual domains. It explores their diverse roles in trades, professions, politics, and spirituality — offering insights into their artistic, literary, and musical contributions, as well as the nuanced facets of their personal lives, beauty rituals and healthcare.

Medieval Women at The British Library. 25 October 2024-2 March 2025, £17.

11. Gothic masterpieces: Tim Burton at Design Museum

© Tim Burton

Beetlejuice, Batman, Edwards Scissorhands and The Nightmare before Christmas: just a handful of the spectacular films that Tim Burton has created. Now, it's time to get immersed in his creative psyche through his archives. There are sketchbooks, sculptural installations, storyboards, paintings and photos, in an exhibit that captures a singular imagination that's been fizzing with ideas from Burton's childhood to the present day. The show's been on the road for a decade but this — its final stop — will be the first (and last) time for Londoners to dive into this rabbit-hole.

The World of Tim Burton at Design Museum. 25 October 2024-21 April 2025, £19.69.

Short-run events and art fairs

A previous Affordable Art Fair. Photo: Graham Hunter.

London becomes over-run with art fairs in October, the grandaddy of them all being Frieze London in Regent's Park (9-13 October, £46) for the latest in contemporary art with over 160 galleries from more than 40 countries. At the other end of the park and almost as large is Frieze Masters (9-13 October, £46, combined ticket £90) which ranges from antiques to post-war artists. There's also Frieze Sculpture (free, until 27 October) — we've already been along to take some snaps.

More bite-sized specialist fairs include 1:54's Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House (10-13 October, £29); The Other Art Fair at Truman Brewery (10-13 October, £19.69) which lets you deal directly with artists without going through galleries (there are bargains to be found); LAPADA at Berkeley Square (22-27 October, £25) for those more interested in a mixture of art, design and antiques; and PAD, one for the design aficionados — also in Berkeley Square (10-13 October, £30).

StART 2024 moves to a new venue in King's Cross (7-13 October, £24) and mixes things up with both international galleries and artists present. The Women in Art Fair at Mall Galleries (9-12 October, £15) returns for a second year, solely showcasing work by women-identifying artists. And the Affordable Art Fair is in Battersea (16-20 October, £14) for those looking to spruce up their home with new works.

© AdrienMClaireB - part of the expanded programme of London Film Festival

This year's BFI London Film Festival isn't just for film buffs; the expanded programme (11-27 October) will include immersive art installation and extended reality experiences across five venues including Oxo Bargehouse and BFI Southbank.

Or head to the blinging interiors of Fitzrovia Chapel for a moving photography exhibition by Paula Rae Gibson — a tribute to her late husband, an exhibition of portraits of emotion (1-6 October, free). Otherwise, get your strategic hat on with game board designers, Purling, whose The Art of the Game exhibition features stunning chess, chequers and other sets that they have designed by working with artists. It's on at 67 York Street (7-13 October, free) and the Sicilian defence has never looked this good.

Exhibitions outside London

© Barbara Walker. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2024. Photo: Gary Kirkham 2024

Barbara Walker was our highlight of last year's Turner Prize due to her powerful works about issues of class, race, power and belonging. Growing up in Birmingham as a Black woman has shaped her art and every time, it leaves a lasting impression — how Black faces are marginalised in Western art history, the horrific treatment of the Windrush generation, her son being stopped and searched by the police. This is Walker's first major survey exhibition and it's about time.

Barbara Walker: Being Here at The Whitworth, Manchester. 4 October -26 January, free.

A previous installation by Saroj Patel. Copyright the artist.

Using colourful textiles Saroj Patel weaves together a story of migration, belonging and community — taking us on a journey from a small village in India to a new life in the UK. Swathes of colour, light and sound consume the galleries, with new artworks inspired by her mixed cultural heritage that are both eye-catching and important in reflecting the story of her life and art.

Journey of the Blue Sun: Saroj Patel at Old Fire Station, Oxford. 28 September - 16 November, free.

Your weekly roundup of Londonist news and features.

Into The Secret Chambers Of London Bridge

Very few people have ever walked through these little-known passages inside London Bridge.

New Fourth Plinth Artwork Pays Tribute To Trans Communities

Mil Veces un Instante is powerful and unsettling.

Sadiq Khan Plans To Pedestrianise Oxford Street

Is it finally going to happen?

Solve A Murder On The Thames: Festive Cruises From Halloween Through To New Year's Eve

Things just got all Agatha Christie... (sponsor)

What's Happening With Heathrow Airport's Third Runway Plans?

Controversial expansion plans still progressing.

Unseen Brass Eye Tapes To Be Screened In London Cinemas

Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes.

Two More Paddington Bear Sculptures Coming To London

And this time, he's munching a marmalade sandwich.

The Croydon Road Made Of German Helmets

This one's difficult to get your head around.

Image: Museum Rotterdam via creative commons

London's Village Signs

Much to be learned from these community welcomes.

Be Transported To Beery Bavaria At London Oktoberfest

Lederhosen and dirndl at the ready! (sponsor)

Surbiton Ski Sunday: Wacky Event Brings Chamonix To South-West London

Snow joke.

Major Mudlarking Exhibition Coming To London In 2025

Feat. medieval specs and a knitted Tudor hat.

Image: London Museum

In Videos: The Greatest Comedy Sketches Set In London

Tiny trains, bling kings and a Right Royal Barrel of Cockney Monkeys.

In Pictures: London's Glorious Art Deco And Modernist Former Factories

Factories: they don't make 'em like they used to.

Image: © Simon Pollock

The Biggest London Shows To Book For This Winter

Cold weather = hot tickets.

The Sunday Papers Come To Life At This Wonderfully Laid-Back Event

Sofas, crosswords, bloody marys... it's all here. (sponsor)

In Pictures: Frieze Sculpture 2024 In Regent's Park

Another cornucopia of artistic oddities.

Watercolours Of A Lost London

William Alister Macdonald captured a moment in time.

Image: Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London

The Remarkable (And Grim) History Of Southwark Bridge

It took 50 lives to build it... and then it exploded.

And looking ahead to next week...

Things To Do This Week In London: 23-29 September 2024

Silk Roads exhibitions, the Greatest Showman, and lots of sheep.

Image: @ThisMediaLarke

From horses to Zoom meetings, the London commute is an ever-changing ritual. Here are a few methods of commuting that briefly existed, but which never really went anywhere...

Railway velocipede (1843)

Thousands of Londoners still get into work via velocipede today, whether a Santander cycle, scooter or any other kind of human-powered wheeled contraption. One way we can be pretty sure they AREN'T commuting in is by railway velocipede, i.e. a self-propelled vehicle that travels along the train tracks itself. It was a thing though, as the Gardeners' Chronicle reported in October 1843:

Last week. Mr. Braithwaite and another gentleman arrived at Brentwood from the Shoreditch station of the Eastern Counties Railway, each upon a four-wheel locomotive propelled by themselves, at the rate of at least twelve miles an hour. The name given to these novel carriages is 'Railway Velocipedes'.

Good for the environment no doubt, although think how sweaty you'd get, pedalling for your life with a speeding Overground train up your backside.

Atmospheric Railway (1844)

A fragment of atmospheric railway, at Croydon Museum. Image: Matt Brown/Londonist

For a brief moment, the Atmospheric Railway looked like it just might be the future of train travel. Pioneered by the Samuda brothers Joseph and Samuel, and running on a line between Forest Hill and West Croydon, the atmospheric trains were powered by a vacuum in a tube, which the train was connected to, and thereby propelled forwards. The trains were quick (70mph+), quiet and fuelless (well the trains themselves were, anyway — the system also called for whacking great coal-powered pumping stations peppered along the line). Even Isambard Kingdom Brunel took note, trialling his own atmospheric line in Devon.

Alas, there were major issues. The trains had a tendency to conk out and require a push from the passengers, only to then shoot off without said passengers. The atmospheric experiment was nixed in 1847, but in the meantime, thousands of Londoners had used it (or at least tried to use it) to get into work. See our longer feature about London's pneumatic railways.

Mechanical horse (late 19th century)

Not Annie Woods' mechanical horse, but perhaps it looked a little like this. Image: Frankie Lovato via creative commons

I'd have liked to have met the Victorian inventor Annie Wood, who numbered among her brainchilds 'Woodite', a buoyant, non-flammable, elastic product; and the mechanically-propelled lifeboat. Another of Wood's avant garde vehicular inventions was the mechanical horse, described as "a petroleum motor, in the shape of a horse — a horse cut off at the knees, it is true, but having so much the appearance of an ordinary, everyday horse that its appearance on the street, drawing a carriage or cart, is not expected to be in the slightest degree terrifying to the most mettlesome animal".

It instantly beings to mind the carriage with a horse's head from the movie Poor Things. What an image it is of Annie pootling around Mitcham Common on this thing. And what a pity commuter belt Victorians didn't take to the mechanical horse en masse.

Flying-fish car (1924)

Image courtesy of the British Library Board

On Thursday 4 September 1924, Temple lawyers and barristers heard a strange sound from outside, and — peering out of their windows — clapped eyes on an even stranger sight. It was, as the London Daily Chronicle described it, "a motor-car resembling a fish on wheels" — the design of the German engineer Dr Rumpler Taube, which'd been brought over to London by another engineer, Mr J.B. Taunton. The car, Taunton told the press, was shaped like 'a drop of water falling through the air' to maximise wind resistance, although he wasn't sure if it actually worked. There were plans to market the car in Berlin, although as far as I know it never came to London in any great quantity. That said, was the 'flying-fish car' in fact a predecessor to the German 'bubble car', which ended up being manufactured in Croydon in the 1960s, and used by plenty of Londoners in their daily commute? The shape is certainly similar.

Light aircraft and helicopters (1920s)

London 2026 (as pictured in 1926 by Montague B Black).

In 1922, aircraft pioneer Frederick Handley Page — along with the not-at-all-hilariously-named Lord Allen Algernon Bathurst Apsley — suggested building an aerodome in Hyde Park, so that businessmen who lived in the countryside could zip into London in their light aircraft, touch down in the Royal Park then walk or car it into the office. There never was an aerodrome in Hyde Park, of course, although some well-to-do people did used to fly into Croydon.

Three years later, the Halifax Evening Courier was more on the money, when it wrote: "it is absolutely certain that... businessmen who wish to get to their office as quickly as possible will use helicopters which will permit them to land right in the middle of a street opposite their offices." Wealthy businessfolk do indeed helicopter into London Heliport in Vauxhall, though the chances of this becoming a commute option for the common man/woman = slim to nil.

Double-decker train (1949)

One of the double-decker train carraiges at the Ashford Steam Centre, in October 1972. Image: Hugh Llewlyn in Creative Commons

Ever wondered why Brits don't have double-decker trains like many of their European counterparts? Actually, at the tail end of the 1940s they did, thanks to the SR Class 4DD. Running a route between London Charing Cross and Dartford, these two carriages (yes, they only made two) successfully increased passenger capacity, but were uncomfortable, while the service itself was slowed down because of the time it took for people to get on and off. So when did they ditch these awkward carriages, then — 1950? 1952? Er, it was in fact 1971.

The vista tube carriage (1950)

If you've ridden on an Amtrak service in the States you might've been lucky enough to have sat in the observation car — a wonderful way of taking in the sights. In 1950, London Transport experimented with the idea of a similar curved glass design for tube carriages on the Bakerloo line. The 'Vista' or 'Sunshine' car looked sleek, let in more sunlight and meant standing passengers didn't need to crane their necks in order to read the station sign. The experimental carriage then transferred to the Northern line in 1951, where it stayed in service for almost two decades. Alas, it was never rolled out across the network; a major drawback, as IanVisits writes, was that the glass let in too much sunlight during the summer, effectively turning the carriage into a greenhouse.

Naked routemaster (1961)

Some X-rated Routemaster action for you. Image: calflier001 via creative commons

Not as saucy as it sounds, the 'Naked Routemaster' — aka the 'Silver Lady — was actually a money-saving exercise from London Transport, which saw a single 276 bus, running between Brixton and Tottenham, stripped of its paint, to save cash not just on the paint, but on the added weight and its fuel implications. The way things are going at the moment, perhaps Keir Starmer will bring the Naked Routemaster back into service. There's more on it here — again from IanVisits.

Roller skates (1962)

This entry's more of an excuse to show the folks at British Pathe having a bit of fun, although funnily enough, some Londoners really do get into work on their skates these days.

Amphibious Lambretta (1962)

Lambretta were not being entirely serious, perhaps, when they suggested that Londoners might start bypassing London's busy roads by taking to the Thames... on a scooter. Nevertheless, they did indeed roll out an amphibious Lambretta, and it did indeed take to the water. But as a previous article I wrote explains, the amphibious Lambretta didn't have a happy ending.

Bike bus (1963)

The Dartford Tunnel Cycle Service only lasted a couple of years, but you can still get a lift across the Dartford Crossing to this day. Image: public domain

When the Dartford Tunnel opened in November 1963, it was (quite rightly) deemed too dangerous for cyclists to use. The solution? The Dartford Tunnel Cycle Service — a specially-adapted bus on which cyclists could stash their wheels, and get a ride under the Thames. Alas, there were safety concerns about the bus too, and it folded in 1965. Interestingly, it may be that the 'bike bus' makes a return with the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in 2025.

Tiny electric bikes (1966)

Electric bikes are all over the place these days, but an early attempt to popularise them came in 1966. Called Winn City Bikes, the miniature scooters had a top speed of 30mph, and a 20-mile range driven by a 12 volt battery. They were the brainchild of Mr Russell Winn, who played a part in designing ERNIE — the famous random number generator used by Premium Bonds. They never caught on. The bikes were too low to reliably show up in wing mirrors. Frankly, they also look silly.

Sinclair C5 (1985)

Alexandra Palace was the setting for the Sinclair C5's launch in January 1985, in which six of the electrically-assisted pedal capsules shot out of boxes, and were driven around by attractive women dressed in grey sci-fi boiler suits. The C5, claimed its creator Clive Sinclair, was the future of travel, and to prove the point, an infomercial showed another attractive woman gliding past the gates of Buckingham Palace in one of the contraptions.

Alas (I seem to be using that word a lot), the opening ceremony was probably the most fun anyone ever had in a Sinclair C5. They were dubbed a "plastic hip bath on wheels", and were ultimately spurned by the public, who didn't much fancy looking like a wally/being crushed beneath the wheels of a 10-ton truck. The only place you'll see a C5 now is the Science Museum.

Zorb (2018)

Someone Zorbing on the Thames, during the 2009 Thames Festival. Image: Steve Parkinson via creative commons

Remember when Zorbing was going to solve all our problems? Indeed, back in 2018, it looked like these huge plastic globes might be the answer to our commuting woes, when corporate hospitality company Team Tactics invited Londoners to Zorb their way into work. Well, we say into work, as Metro reported at the time, "you can stop zorbing anywhere along the route and don’t need to do the whole run." Anyone who did do the whole run, probably threw up all over their desk, and went straight home again. By taxi.

This article focuses on modes of transport which DID exist, although there's a good Guardian piece on outlandish schemes like the Circle Line Travelator, which never saw the light of day. And let's not forget the Oxford Street monorail which never happened, too.

Featured image: British Pathe

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Sunday Papers Live.

You might end up feeling more at home at Sunday Papers Live than you actually do at home...

Nothing quite beats sinking into the sofa at home or down the pub on a Sunday, and burying your head in a broadsheet.

But what if you could indulge in the 4D version of this? A languorous afternoon/evening in which the expert insight and debate, recipes, crossword puzzles — even the music section — spring off the page? That's exactly what Sunday Papers Live is!

You can even bring your pet!

The sell-out event returns to London on Sunday 6 October, filling the grand hall/atmospheric vaults/gorgeous galleries of ONE Marylebone with comfy couches, plush pillows, blankets and low lighting. The oh-so-Sunday setting also comes with a well-stocked bar, sizzling all-day Sunday roasts — and, of course, a packed schedule of inspiring and interesting conversations, hosted by experts, writers, journalists and comedians, all of which you can enjoy effortlessly from the comfort of a nice sofa.

The Sunday Papers Live team are so adamant that you feel at home that they welcome you to bring slippers — and pets. Professional masseuses provide soothing massages; cosy armchairs invite peaceful naps. This day is designed for relaxing in style.

Get as involved (or be as lazy) as you like.

On the line-up for this very special Sunday:

🎤 Fascinating expert talks on the likes of marine biology, football's financial landscape, UK immigration policy, financial psychotherapy, and the intersection of politics and gaming
🎸 Appearances from top poets, authors, comedians and musicians
✏️ Interactive crosswords, debating and quizzes
🍅 Bloody marys (the ultimate Sunday sup) courtesy of Bourne & Hollingsworth — plus lashings of artisan beer and wine
🚶 Guided Sunday walks around Regent's Park, board games and 'crafternoon' sessions
💆‍♀️ Professional masseuses on hand to help you feel extra relaxed
🛋️ Comfy armchairs in which to take a well-earned nap
📰 So much more, including — yes indeed — newspapers to read!
👀 Check out the full line-up here

Roasts, talks, papers, crosswords, walks — this is perhaps the ultimate Sunday.

The ringing endorsements speak for themselves. Channel 4's Jon Snow calls Sunday Papers Live "No holds barred, lively, engaging, provoking", while Mos Def proclaims the event "Different to anything I've seen in London. Smart, cool, laid back. Just beautiful."

All of this sound like the ultimate Sunday to you? Make sure you get your tickets to Sunday Papers Live today. Previous events have sold out.

Sunday Papers Live, ONE Marylebone, 6 October 2024, 1pm-9pm

This is a sponsored article on behalf of City Cruises.

Treat yourself to a memorable cruise between now and the New Year.

Summer might be on its way out, but the Thames cruise season runs year-round — thanks to City Cruises. This October, November and December enjoy a thrilling line-up of special Halloween murder mystery dinners, and Christmas and New Year's Eve specials. Jump aboard for an unforgettable season of floating experiences!

London Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise

Fancy yourself as a bit of a Hercule Poirot/Miss Marple? Sign up to a murder mystery cruise.

Things get very 'Agatha Christie' on City Cruises' immersive Halloween specials. Actors lead you through a thrilling mystery caper, in which you get to play the detective, solve clues and (hopefully) win the day. Choose from three sleuthing experiences:

🍸 Death and the Maiden Voyage: Travel back to the glitzy era of the 1920s, where filming for a Hollywood movie goes awry after the cabaret singer is murdered. You must quiz the playboys, socialites and directors to work out the guilty party.
💎 James Bond 007 No Time To Dine: Step into the shoes/tux of the world's suavest secret agent. A valuable diamond goes missing en route to the British Museum, and your mission is to locate it.
🔪 Murder at The Manor: The sleepy village of Wimlington-on-Sea is turned upside down after Lord Oswald Thornley-Cruttock swindles the villagers out of their life savings, and a ghostly presence arrives on the scene — but is everything as it seems?

All these murder mystery dinner cruises come with a sumptuous three-course meal (yes, even No Time To Dine). And, when you're not busy wondering whodunnit, you can admire London's twinkling skyline by night. It's a guaranteed scream.

Christmas Cruises in London

Looking for a festive party with a difference? You've just found it!

While the bustle of central London at Christmas is all well and good, there is a more serene way to admire the capital at its festive finest. Step aboard an enchantingly decorated vessel and view London's festive illuminations from the water. The range of packages caters for all, whether you're hosting a unique work do, family party, or  having that long-awaited catch-up with pals.

The festive dinners and lunches brim with wine, traditional food and live music. Or, for something truly memorable, go for City Cruises' Christmas Day Sightseeing Cruise, or Christmas Day Lunch Cruise. How many people get to say they spent the big day itself on the Thames?!

New Year's Eve cruises in London

Spend an unforgettable New Year's Eve on the Thames.

We've all felt the pressure to make New Year's Eve special. So this year, why not let City Cruises take care of everything? Its range of New Year's Eve cruises — feat. champagne, live entertainment and various dinner options — will make you feel like a VIP, while you cruise along the Thames and drink in the vistas. Best of all, you'll enjoy one of the best views of London's NYE fireworks that there is!

Make memories on the Thames this year: check out City Cruises' incredible range of seasonal experiences.

Image by Chris Beckett via Creative Commons

We're sorry to be the ones to say it but: Christmas is just around the corner...

Sure, it feels vaguely ridiculous to be planning your cosy winter theatre trips or big festive family musical tickets, with summery weather still defiantly hanging in there at time of writing.

But these shows would be hot tickets at any time of year; throw holiday season into the mix and they're going to book up fast... plus we find the best way to prep for the incoming cold days and long nights is to give yourself some good reasons not to just hibernate till spring.

The Forsyte Saga Parts I and II, Park Theatre

Before Bridgerton came along and mainstreamed the idea that wealthy 19th century Londoners had heard of sex and occasionally even partook, there was the Forsyte Saga: a five-book series about lust, adultery, betrayal, controlling partners, emotional abuse, messy hook-ups and a sprawling family that can't say no to drama. Written in the early 1900s, and set in a period spanning the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, it's back in the spotlight — with filming underway for a big-budget US TV adaptation, and, more immediately, a two-part play coming to the Park Theatre in October.

The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene and The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur play across alternate nights — or you could go for the Forsyte marathon and catch them consecutively on matinee days.

The Forsyte Saga Part I: Irene and The Forsyte Saga Part II: Fleur, Park Theatre. Runs from 11 October-7 December. Tickets from £19  

The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre

The bestselling book and film — which offer an insight into the cutthroat world of a New York fashion magazine — are going to get the West End treatment. Even if, like us, you've never been that into the film, this would be worth grabbing tickets for; the inherent campiness of the archdiva-driven plot probably maps well into musicals — and the original score by Elton John's going to be a big draw.

The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre. Opens October 2024. Tickets from £31

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre

It's Hawkins, Indiana... but not as you know it.

In 1959, decades before we meet the town and its inhabitants — human and otherwise — in the Stranger Things TV series, Hawkins seems like just your average small town in the American Midwest. But things aren't going to be average for long. That might be down to new kid in town, Henry Creel, who arrives trailing a shadowy past and hoping for a fresh start.

Recommended for ages 12+, with under-5s not allowed, this isn't a show for the fainthearted — but it's the perfect way to get your Stranger Things fix while you're waiting for the fifth and final season to land on Netflix.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre. Runs till 6 April 2025. Tickets from £25

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Sadler's Wells

Any Matthew Bourne ballet's likely to book up fast, and this one more than most: the return of his production of Swan Lake for its 30th anniversary tour. This is the show that kicked a lot of Swan Lake — and classical ballet — tropes to the curb in favour of an all-male corps de ballet, and lacing both a dialled-up level of menace and a tender, homoerotic charge through the choreography and storytelling.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Sadler's Wells. Runs from 3 December 2024-26 January 2025. Tickets from £15

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Barbican

A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Barbican. Image by Pamela Raith

Just in time for *checks notes* Christmas, the RSC's sell-out staging of Shakespeare's most summery comedy is transferring to the Barbican. But set aside the sundrenched setting and it's actually the perfect show for this time of year — vivid, high-energy, hilarious: replace whatever panto plans you were vaguely considering with this instead.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Barbican.

Booking now for further ahead

The forest is calling

The award-winning stage adaptation of My Neighbour Totoro is coming back to London after two sell-out runs at the Barbican — this time to the West End. It opens at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in March 2025, tickets from £31.

Clueless but make it a musical

Opening in February 2025, Clueless: A New Musical is the all-singing, all-dancing adaptation of Amy Heckerling's classic 90s film, with Heckerling herself penning the story. Throw on your best Alaïa and get down to Trafalgar Theatre: tickets have just gone on sale.

Sam Selvon's iconic urban novel, adapted for stage

The Lonely Londoners has already had a sell-out run in the West End. Now the story — about the hopes, dreams and realities of the Windrush generation, through the perspective of Henry 'Sir Galahad' Oliver, just arrived in London from Trinidad — is opening in January 2025 at Kiln Theatre, tickets from £19.

Brass Eye gave us the infamous 'Paedogeddon!' special.

One of the most controversial UK TV events of the 1990s, Brass Eye is still talked about over quarter of a century later.

The current affairs parody, which skewed the media's righteous spin on everything from drug culture to paedophiles in unorthodox (and usually hilarious) manner, paved the way for other outlandish comedies — think Look Around You, The Thick Of it and Veep — while remaining a complete one-off.

Only six episodes — plus the infamous 'Paedogeddon!' special — ever aired, but reels and reels of Brass Eye was left on the cutting room floor — so much of it, in fact, that its director, Michael Cummings, recently reasoned there was enough material to create a film in itself. That film became Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes, which Cummings first screened to audiences in 2022. This winter, Oxide Ghosts will is coming a slew of UK cinemas for special shows, including many in London, with guest hosts such as Ronni Ancona and Stewart Lee.

What can fans expect from this new-but-not-new Brass Eye material? "There’s so many that spark memories for me," Michael Cummings tells Londonist, "Having said that, the sight of Chris Morris wearing a space hopper and a man-sized nappy, asking drug dealers for Yellow Bentines, Clarkey Cat and Triple Sod, is a universally joyous moment."

Chris Morris, of course was the redoubtable figurehead of the show; he wrote on Brass Eye (along with names like Arthur Mathews and Charlie Brooker) while playing a stern news anchor version of himself, with shades of Jeremy Paxman, but bitchier. ("Your comments are in and they've been described as 'tedious, boring and stultifyingly ill-informed.' So thanks for that.")

"Brass Eye absolutely feels edgier now," says Cummings, who has also directed Toast of London and King Rocker, "Times have changed since the mid 90s and whilst there's all kinds of content available online today, broadcast television has become much more restrictive in the intervening years. Getting on TV was a big deal then. That's part of the reason celebrities and politicians would say and do almost anything, just to get their faces on The Box. Nowadays, there is social media specifically designed for the purpose of self-promotion and broadcast television has become incredibly risk averse."

What makes these Oxide Ghosts screenings all the more special is that none of the unseen footage is available online. The only way you'll be able to watch is to show up to the cinema. This communal setting has already led to some interesting encounters. Says Cummings, "After one of the screenings in Liverpool, a couple came up to talk to me. I've often had people tell me they met and bonded over a shared love of Brass Eye and a few that said they married that person. This couple had taken it to the next level. They showed me the traditional wedding photograph of them, holding the knife together, about to make the first cut into a three tier wedding cake made from different sized, bright yellow Cake pills. Wonderful."

Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes, various London cinemas, 28 October-27 November 2024

Factories: they don't make 'em like they used to. Simon Pollock, aka @londonsuburbia, leads us to some of his favourite former factories — starting with a clutch from Brentford's Great West Way, aka the 'Golden Mile'.

Coty Cosmetics Factory, Brentford

Image © Simon Pollock

The old Coty Cosmetics Factory was completed in 1932 and designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners (a name you haven't seen for the last time in this article). The working environment all along the Golden Mile was fun back in the 1930s, with most employers laying on lavish Christmas parties as well as family picnics and works outings to the coast in the summer. Between all the jollies, the staff often took part in inter-factory competitions in all manner of sporting events. Cricket and football matches were fairly common, but so was boxing, would you believe? The old Coty Factory is the only one along the Golden Mile that's currently lit up at night, and it looks absolutely marvellous.

Gillette Factory, Brentford

Image © Simon Pollock

On 6 January 1937, this factory was opened by the Lord Mayor of London, who had the very important job of depressing a button to start the machines. He was followed by the chairman of the company, who also did a good job of depressing things by giving a long, statistics-laden speech on how Gillette helped men with the arduous task of shaving every day. The factory was one of the last to be completed on the Great West Road before the onset of war, and by this time the area itself was well and truly established.

Currys Distribution Centre, Brentford

Image © Simon Pollock

Currently owned by JCDecaux, this building started out in life as a distribution centre and head office for Currys. Currys is now a household name in electronics, but back then it sold a mix of bicycles, toys and radios. Currys' newspaper adverts from 1936 are more than a little confusing as they simultaneously try to sell teddy bears, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, work overalls, radios, car indicators, wellington boots... and accordions.

Pyrene Factory, Brentford

Image © Simon Pollock

Pyrene was a fire extinguisher company which had a sense of showmanship. Behind the factory, it had a large demonstration ground where it could simulate oil depot fires to showcase its products in action. When the site opened, the company even managed to get the opening shown in cinemas: for a delightful trip back in time, it's worth searching online for Pyrene Factory opened in Brentford.

Firestone Factory, Brentford

Image © Simon Pollock

An old wall and a few pairs of old gates is all that's left of the iconic factory designed by the prolific Wallis, Gilbert and Partners. It operated for 50 years, and after being sold, was shockingly razed to the ground just before a preservation order could be rubber-stamped. In response, lobby groups and public pressure got 150 interwar buildings listed for protection, including the iconic Battersea Power Station.

Hoover Building, Perivale

Image © Simon Pollock

This superstar of a factory was designed in 1933 by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners (remember those guys?). The colours and shapes that you see in the accents are said to be inspired by Inca and Mayan designs rather than the Egyptian ones which became hugely popular in the 1920s after Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922.

Building Number 7, Perivale

Image © Simon Pollock

The former staff canteen for the Hoover Factory sits right next to the main attraction, and it's easy to miss if you’re gawping at its big, fancy, show-off neighbour as you zoom along the A40. I reckon it could even hold its own in South Beach, Miami, but as it is, it’s not even the fanciest building in Perivale.

The Nestlé Factory, Hayes

Image © Simon Pollock

In 1889, the winner of a strongman competition in London was a German chap called Eugen Sandow. Sandow, who many believe to be the father of body-building, credited the source of his great strength to chocolate and created 'Sandow’s Health & Strength Cocoa'. The production was based in London, and when the business was successful enough to start expanding, he began constructing the early part of this now ex-chocolate factory in Hayes in 1914. However, he soon found his brand-new factory confiscated and turned over to the government for the production of munitions. It was acquired by the the Hayes Chocolate Factory, then bought by the Swiss giants Nestlé, in 1929. Research here resulted in the world's first instant coffee: Nescafé.

The Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes

Image © Simon Pollock

Image © Simon Pollock

The first building here went up in 1907 and belonged to the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. By 1927, new buildings were needed to keep up with demand, so Wallis, Gilbert and Partners (them again) were employed to design huge new factories and depositories, including the one you see here. The site continued expanding as the business merged with other companies, and by the 1960s, as teenagers spent their cash on records, Hayes record production was at its peak. Sadly, the introduction of the cassette tape in the 1970s led to the decline of vinyl production, and by 1996 the factories were abandoned. There’s now a mix of almost every architectural style from the last 120 years on these 150 acres of flats. You'll even find a small vinyl-pressing factory.

Globe Central, Twickenham

Image © Simon Pollock

Today, Globe Central is an apartment building, but before that it was an industrial unit, and before that it was a factory. It's always looked recognisably 1930s, but since it’s been converted to flats it's been given the full art deco treatment, with a fresh lick of pastel paint and a splash of 1950s chrome installed.

The Carreras Factory, Mornington Crescent

Image © Simon Pollock

Image © Simon Pollock

This magnificent building was originally the Carreras Tobacco Factory. It was designed in an Egyptian art deco style, which was all the rage in the 1920s after Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922. Known at the time for producing the highly popular Craven A cigarettes — the packets of which featured a black cat — the Carreras Factory itself featured many black cats. So many, in fact, that most Londoners refer to the building as the Black Cat Factory.

The Frame Food Factory, Southfields

Image © Simon Pollock

Image © Simon Pollock

The Frame Foods Factory was built in 1903 and there really isn’t anything else like it in London. It’s covered in bright green faïence tiles with ceramic motifs inset all along its length, reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style – the highly decorative arts movement of the time, popularised by people like William Morris, John Ruskin and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The De Havilland Studios, Hackney

Image © Simon Pollock

This building has nothing to do with the aircraft manufacturer de Havilland! This beautifully modernist building was a canning factory built in the 1930s, and its biggest claim to fame is that it was designed by Sir Owen Williams, who designed the original Wembley Stadium, the Dorchester Hotel and the Empire Pool.

I Love Suburbia by Simon Pollock (@londonsuburbia), published by Penguin Random House

We featured this book because we know it's the kind of thing our readers will enjoy. By buying it via links in this article, Londonist may earn a commission from Bookshop.org — which also helps support independent bookshops.

This feature first appeared in Jan 2024 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

Southwark Bridge lit up at night. Image: Matt Brown

Southwark Bridge's remarkable, under-appreciated history.

I’ve long felt sorry for Southwark Bridge. Who ever talks about it? This is central London’s least used bridge, and always has been. It’s the span with no fan; the underclass overpass. It is a bridge of meagre renown. But that’s not really fair. Southwark Bridge is a characterful crossing, imbued with unique shapes and colours. It has also a history to compete with any of its neighbours, albeit a tragic one. This is the little-known history of the little-appreciated Southwark Bridge.

“BOOM!” The south-west corner of the bridge exploded. Gravel, shattered flagstones, and flash-baked dung rained down onto the compromised deck. A chain of fireballs raced along the opposite side of the bridge, while ruined masonry plunged into the Thames. Witnesses would have likened it to a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, if only Hollywood had existed.

Absolute scenes on Southwark Bridge. Image: Illustrated Police News, courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive

Five people were injured in the Southwark Bridge explosion of 1 February 1895. The cause was traced to a gas leak. Snow and frost had sealed up the gaps between flagstones, preventing the gas from seeping out. One spark later, and half the deck was in the air. Luckily, nobody was killed on that occasion. But it wasn’t the first accident on this most troubled of bridges. Nor would it be the last…

From Wonder to Blunder

What we see today (top image) is the second Southwark Bridge. The first opened in 1819 to relieve pressure on the nearby Blackfriars and London Bridges. Unlike its sister spans which were owned by the City of London, the new crossing was privately built by the Southwark Bridge Company. Their big dream was not to aid cross-river traffic, but to make wads of cash through tolls.

The original Southwark Bridge, designed by John Rennie. Image: public domain.

It was an awesome structure, mind. Built with huge quantities of iron from the foundries of Rotherham, Southwark Bridge boasted a 73-metre span — a world record that has never been surpassed in cast-iron. Press reports of the time describe it as “a stupendous structure... charming, graceful and fairylike”. “It is a curious fact,” noted one trivialist of the time, “that the centre arch is 38 feet (11.6 m) more in the span than the Monument is in altitude from its base to its gallery”. Southwark Bridge was dubbed a modern Wonder of the World. It had to be unveiled at midnight to keep the crowds to manageable numbers.

But the “stupendous structure” was also a stupendous failure from the very beginning. At least 47 people lost their lives during its construction, an unthinkable tragedy today, and grim even by the standards of the time. In one particularly appalling incident, 13 workmen were drowned when an overloaded transport boat capsized. The “fairylike” bridge was nothing of the sort.

It was also a financial flop. Cost over-runs meant that the architect, John Rennie (see Footnote), had to sue the Southwark Bridge Company for his fee. The company had hoped to recoup its outlay by charging a penny per crossing, but this proved optimistic. The nearby Blackfriars and London Bridges could be crossed without any charge, and they also presented shallower gradients — an important consideration in the age of horse-drawn freight. This absence of traffic even made it into literature. Dickens placed a scene between Little Dorrit and Arthur Clennam on the span : “Thus they emerged upon the Iron Bridge, which was as quiet after the roaring streets as though it had been open country.”

The toll was finally removed in the 1860s after the City of London took on ownership. This brought in more traffic, although the bridge’s “hump” still put off larger vehicles. It remained central London’s quietest bridge (other than, you know, that huge gas explosion in 1895) for many decades.

A traffic survey in 1912 showed just how neglected it was:

London Bridge: 125,370 (vehicles per week)
Blackfriars Bridge: 112,305
Tower Bridge: 85,353
Southwark Bridge: 24,432

London Bridge received five times as much traffic, despite being only 450 metres downstream. Southwark Bridge had had almost 100 years to bed in by this point, but it was still under-performing.

The City of London decided to smash it all up and start again with a new bridge designed by Sir Ernest George and Basil Mott. Their plans called for five spans instead of three. This allowed for a shallower gradient, while bringing its sections into harmony with the five arches of neighbouring bridges. It would also be built from steel rather than iron, to provide strength and durability. Meanwhile, the approach roads would be remodelled to tempt more traffic.

A comparison of the old and new bridges can be found inside the pedestrian underpass at the northern end of the bridge. Image: Matt Brown

Construction began in 1913, but was soon slowed down by the first world war. With labour and material shortages to overcome, it would take almost a decade to complete. When the demolition crews got to work on the original piers, they found a message on the foundation stone commemorating the Napoleonic Wars: “The work was commenced at the glorious termination of the longest and most expensive war in which the nation has ever been engaged,” it read. By chance, this new span was erected during an even bigger, even more expensive military crisis.

The bridge was finally completed in 1921. Its construction costs, swollen by shortages during the war, were met “without burden upon public funds,” as a sign on the bridge reminds us to this day. The cost was met by the Bridge House Estates — a medieval charity whose accumulated wealth still funds repairs to City bridges today (under the name of the City Bridge Foundation).

The new Southwark Bridge solved many of the problems with its predecessor, but it, too, has seen enormous tragedy. In the early hours of 20 August 1989, very close to the bridge, the pleasure boat Marchioness was struck by a larger vessel. It sank with the loss of 51 lives. This was, and remains, the worst maritime disaster in central London’s recorded history. By chance, the tragedy unfolded a little after 1.30am, the same time as the fatal capsizing that had killed 13 bridge workers 170 years before.

The great steel serpent

Image: Matt Brown

The replacement bridge is itself now over a century old, and Grade II-listed. It sees far more traffic than its predecessor. Yet it remains a curiously muted crossing. This is partly due to the south London road network, which filters traffic more naturally towards London and Blackfriars bridges. (There’s also a ‘no right turn’ onto Southwark Bridge from Thames Street.) The crossing has, however, become very attractive to cyclists. Almost half the carriageway is now given to segregated cycle superhighway 7.

It’s a bridge with eccentricities, for sure. Take the colour scheme. The chief hue lies somewhere between green and turquoise, paired with a dirty amber. It’s as though one of London’s famous ‘pea-souper’ smogs had condensed around the cold metal. The saurian shades give the bridge serpentine appearance, like one of the City’s heraldic dragons has stretched out over the brine.

The bridge’s adornments are also unusual. I can never resist peeking out of those granite-rimmed portholes or smiling in admiration at the trident-shaped lamps (not the original ones, I’m told, but still rather lovely). The riverside underpasses at either end are also worth a look. The walls of the northern tunnel show bridge schematics and scenes from its history (though not the gas explosion). The southern tunnel has images of a Thames frost fair.

And then there’s the border question. We think of the City of London as being entirely north of the river but, in fact, a pair of pontine pili span the Thames into Southwark. These are Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge.

City of London border shown in bright red. See how it pushes down into Southwark at Blackfriars and London Bridges, but stops half way on Southwark.

Southwark Bridge does not do this. Only the northern half falls with City boundaries, while the southern stretch lies within Southwark. I’ve never understood why this is the case, and would welcome an answer in the comments if anybody knows. This mid-river boundary goes largely unnoticed, but does have occasional implications. For a brief time in 2014, the bridge moieties had separate speed limits (20mph and 30mph), reflecting the preferences of the City and Southwark, respectively.

Southwark Bridge, then, has many peculiarities, alongside a truly remarkable and tragic history. It deserves a bit more love from us all.

I want to leave you with one final, little known episode from the bridge’s beginnings. Had you been standing on the almost complete Southwark Bridge in July 1818, then you might have witnessed one of the most remarkable sights in the river’s history. A gentleman known as Usher the Clown set off from the bridge in “a machine like a washing tub”. The boat lacked oars or sail. Instead, it was pulled along by a team of four harnessed geese. The clown rode his anserine water-chariot all the way to Vauxhall.

It was a bizarre way to celebrate the city’s new crossing. But then again, Southwark Bridge has always been worth more than a gander.

FOOTNOTE: Just before he died in 1821, Rennie would also design the replacement of the medieval London Bridge. His son, also John Rennie, oversaw its construction. It is the Rennie version of London Bridge that was famously sold to a wealthy American in the 1968, and shipped off to Arizona (though it’s not true that he thought he was buying Tower Bridge). The talented Mr Rennie was also the architect of both Old Waterloo Bridge and Old Vauxhall Bridge. Oh, and most of the London docks.

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Theresa Chromati's 'steadfast...'.

The first of the crisp leaves falling to the ground in Regent's Park signal that it is once again time for a congregation of skew-whiff and oddly alluring shapes to shuffle out onto the lawns, and be scrutinised. This is Frieze Sculpture.

The Duet by Theaster Gates.

For its 12th edition, the outdoor festival calls on 22 leading international artists to sprinkle their mostly avant garde creations on the grass, and see what the joggers/dog walkers/scurrying kids make of them.

Ent-(non-earthly delights) by Libby Heaney.

In recent years, the outdoor exhibition has presented us with Tudor-beamed spheres and perturbingly realistic middle-aged somnambulists in their Y-fronts. While 2024's offering doesn't offer anything quite so headline-troubling, there is more than enough to make you squint, cock your neck to one side, giggle, scratch your head and/or stroke your chin like a bona fide art critic.

İnci Eviner's Material of Mind Theatre.

One piece that will surely pull park dwellers into its orbit is Theresa Chromati's 'steadfast...' a nightmarishly comical scrotum flower with chicken feet. Just imagine that thing doing a few circuits of the park in its jogging pants. İnci Eviner's Material of Mind Theatre — a feast of 25 stoneware sculptures resembling costumes — is a jumbled feast for the eyes, while Libby Heaney's Ent-(non-earthly delights) Hieronymus Bosch-inspired lumpy torso of a thing makes about as much sense as its title, but will nonetheless capture your undivided attention — both beautiful and grotesque as it is.

Nika Neelova's Crude Hints.

The most 'London' of the artworks here (and hence one we're naturally drawn to) is Crude Hints, Nika Neelova's mosaic on the grass, which takes its cue from the Roman mosaic uncovered near London Bridge in 2022. It's a simple idea, beautifully executed.

Albano Hernández's The Shadow. Maybe.

While powerful statements are made in accessible ways — see Frances Goodman's colourful pill pillars, signifying 'the power of pills as vessels of enhancement or relief' — you can't help feeling some artists are being mischievous. There is a general air of confusion around Albano Hernández The Shadow, which claims to replicate the shadow of a sweetgum tree in the park, but leaves you wondering what is the painted artwork and what's actual shadow. Then again, any art that literally has people scouring their surroundings, and striking up conversations with strangers, must be doing something right.

Pillar IV and Pillar V by Frances Goodman.

I Don't Have Another Land by Nathan Coley.

Juliana Cerqueira Leite's Sand

The Dancer by Leonora Carrington.

Frieze Sculpture, English Gardens, Regent's Park, until 27 October, free

All images: Londonist

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Teresa Margolles' artwork is both powerful and unsettling.

Ephemeral the works placed on it might be, but the Fourth Plinth is now a solid fixture of Trafalgar Square: this is its 25th year.

Today (18 September) the 15th artwork to grace the plinth was unveiled. Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) was revealed to the applause and whoops of Londoners, a number from the trans and non-binary community. The striking piece, created by Teresa Margolles, is a cuboid constructed from the face casts of 726 trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people from the UK and Mexico, where Margolles hails from.

Mil Veces un Instante is the 15th artwork to appear on the Fourth Plinth.

As with many Fourth Plinth installations, this artwork is also an invitation for discourse in what is the city's most famous public square. The arrangement of the casts references the form of a Tzompantli — a 'skull rack' from Mesoamerican civilisations used to display the remains of war captives or sacrifice victims. It makes for an unsettling artwork, one which calls into question Mexico's record on trans rights. Said Margolles — who once worked in a Mexico City morgue — "This year marks the ninth anniversary of the unpunished murder of Larka, a transgender woman who was a folk musician, a sex worker, an artistic collaborator, and a friend of mine... We pay this tribute to her and to all other people who were killed for reasons of hate."

You can see the artwork until 2026.

At the unveiling, one of the people whose face features in the sculpture said that not all of those represented by Mil Veces un Instante are still with us now. It's a design feature of the artwork that over time, the plasterwork of the faces will be eroded away by the London weather.

Mil Veces un Instante will remain in Trafalgar Square until 2026, when it's replaced by Tschabalala Self's Lady in Blue.

Will Heathrow's third runway ever happen? And what will be lost if it does?

Plans to expand Heathrow Airport have been taxi-ing around for years without ever taking off. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe and the fourth busiest in the world by passenger numbers (2023 figures). Yet it only has two runways. Airport bosses have long wanted to add a third, and business groups have been broadly supportive. Pitched against them are numerous campaign groups who oppose the expansion on environmental grounds, and for the damage it would do to neighbouring villages.

Here, we take a brief look at the current status of the plans, as well as the pros and cons of Heathrow expansion.

Where would the runway go?

It would be slotted in north and somewhat west of the current airport footprint, covering much of the villages of Harmondsworth, Sipson and Longford. We've annotated the official graphic to help set the scene.

As well as a third runway, the expansion would also include a new terminal and (presumably) a rail link. A new tunnel would carry the M25 orbital motorway beneath the runway.

Heathrow's official expansion pages can be found here.

Why is it needed?

In two words: economic growth. In slightly more words, a bigger airport means more flights, means more connectivity, means more trade and more jobs, means economic growth. A third runway would also improve the airport's resilience to disruption. Without the third runway, argue business leaders, London could fall behind other large cities in Europe.

What's the latest on the plans? Will this actually go ahead?

The airport has bounced back strongly from Covid. The summer of 2024 saw record numbers of passengers using the airport (thanks Taylor Swift), and it is once again operating very close to capacity. Meanwhile, the political stars may be aligning. Labour were always stronger advocates of the third runway. With the party back in power, and an urgent need to grow the economy, talk of expansion is once again bubbling up. Rachel Reeves herself is on record as saying she has nothing against airport expansion, although various environmental criteria would need to be met.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is not so keen. Tackling air pollution through policies like ULEZ is at the centre of his mayoralty, and he has been firmly against the expansion of Heathrow. The latest London Plan (2021) reaffirms his opposition, unless some pretty difficult barriers can be overcome: "The Mayor will oppose the expansion of Heathrow Airport unless it can be shown that no additional noise or air quality harm would result, and that the benefits of future regulatory and technology improvements would be fairly shared with affected communities."

The airport, meanwhile, says it is prioritising improvements to existing infrastructure to boost numbers, while deciding how best to revive the expansion. In 2023, outgoing CEO John Holland-Kaye told the press, "We are still committed to expansion. We've already started some of the preliminary work on expansion, now that we have started to have the bandwidth to do that. We'll be saying more about our plans with that later this year."

In short, it feels like we're approaching the end of a lull phase, and that the case for expansion will resume in the near future.

What are the downsides?

A covid-era protest banner in Harmondsworth. Image: Matt Brown

Heathrow will not find it easy to push through its plans. Numerous campaign groups and high-profile figures are opposed to any kind of expansion. The reasons are many.

• Hundreds of extra flights a day come with pretty obvious downsides. Noise pollution and fill-the-air-with-greenhouse-gas pollution would significantly increase.
• The construction phase will itself be environmentally damaging in terms of both emissions and loss of local wild habitat.
• The village of Longford would be totally destroyed. It contains seven listed buildings.
• About half of the village of Harmondsworth would be destroyed. Its magnificent Great Barn (described by Betjeman as the "Cathedral of Middlesex") and ancient church would be saved, but would be close up to the perimeter fence.
• Much of the village of Sipson would be destroyed by expansion, and the rest would be at the end of the runway.
• The village of Colnbrook to the west of the scheme would not be demolished, but it would find itself at the other end of the runway, with all the noise, pollution and safety fears that entails. This village contains around 30 listed buildings.

A map from Historic England's database of listed/protected buildings. Every blue pin is an architecturally important structure. Most of these would be wiped out (central pins) or right next to the new perimeter.

• Harmondsworth Moor would be lost. As well as a valuable open space and nature refuge, the moor also contains dozens of fragments from the Old Waterloo Bridge, making it a unique historical curiosity.
• British Airways, obviously a key stakeholder in all this, would themselves be inconvenienced. Their huge Waterside office facility would have to be demolished. Two large immigration removal centres next door would also have to go.

Waterside: BA's headquarters are smack, bang in the middle of the proposed runway. Image: Matt Brown

Heathrow Airport's plans are keen to point out that "Significant community compensation schemes and impact mitigation measures" will be rolled out. But clearly, we're talking about smashing a medieval barn's-worth of eggs to make this particular omelette.

What are the alternatives?

Various alternatives to expansion have been mooted.

• Just don't do it, say opponents. Take the economic hit (the numbers are disputed anyway), because the price to the environment and the disruption to lives, is not worth paying. We should be encouraging everyone to fly less, not more.
• Expand Heathrow's existing two runways to the west, then lop them in half to create four runways. This still has big down-sides, and does nothing to address environmental concerns, but it would at least save Longford, Harmondsworth and Sipson.
• Expand other airports, such as Gatwick, which would not require demolition of listed buildings and hundreds of homes, nor a costly tunnel for the M25. Plans are afoot to do this.
• Find other ways to expand capacity, such as bigger planes, increased efficiency or more night flights (itself controversial).
• Build a new airport in the Thames Estuary. A roundly mocked idea touted by Boris Johnson a decade ago.
• The giant aircraft carrier approach. Put all the infrastructure except for runways underground, freeing up room for two new runways parallel to the existing ones. Nobody has seriously suggested this... it is a madcap gedankenexperiment I put together back in 2013.

Going underground. Londonist's slightly mad idea of putting all terminals and services underground, freeing surface space for two (or more) runways.

How did we get here? 10 key dates

2003: Publication of a White Paper recommending a third runway for Heathrow.
Nov 2007: Public consultation over plans for a third runway.
Jan 2009: Labour government announces support for expansion, with a tentative opening date of 2015.
May 2010: Expansion plans cancelled by the new Coalition government.
July 2015: The Airports Commission publishes a report calling for a new runway north-west of Heathrow.
Oct 2016: The Conservative government say that Heathrow will now be allowed to expand.
Jun 2018: The House of Commons votes overwhelmingly in favour of the third runway, with cross-party support.
Feb 2020: The Court of Appeal finds the plans to be illegal on environmental grounds. However, this is later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Jun 2019: The airport sets out its latest expansion plans for public consultation. Expansion would happen incrementally, cost £14 billion and take until 2050 to complete.
Mar 2020-2021: The Covid pandemic stalls the plans following the huge drop in passenger numbers. The recovery since has been swift and the stalled plans are now back on the table.

Last of the Summer Wine, but make it glamourous.

Skiing is all well and good for moneyed holidaymakers and James Bond. But what about skiing for the masses? A wacky October event in Surbiton invites you to take to the ice; or at least strap it to your feet.

It's true there used to be a ski slope in Beckton (on a toxic spoil-heap no less), and a ski jump on Hampstead Heath, but those are long gone. So what now for the hoi polloi who wish to glissade across the ice without having to jet off to Chamonix?

Going, going...

"Teams of scientists in the research department of the Free University of Seething were engaged in their daily pursuit of attempting to create a fairer and more equitable world when they decided to tackle the socially divisive issue of skiing," Robin Hutchinson MBE, founder and director of The Community Brain, which is behind Surbiton Ski Sunday, tells me.

"Traditionally a sport for the wealthy due to the high costs of travel, accommodation, après ski and equipment, a startling and liberating revelation was 'eureka'd'. If you can put wood on your feet to ski on snow or ice, surely if you put the ice on your feet you could ski on anything."

Snow joke: contestants strap blocks of ice to their feet.

The result is a wonderfully wacky annual event in which between 30 and 50 ordinary, hard-working folk strap blocks of ice to their feet, grasp two wooden poles, and — on a wing and a prayer — try to make it from one end of a downhill length of slippery lino to the other.

Just like any Winter Olympics, there is also a luge — or a luge of sorts. Let's just say that if you thought the sight of three characters sliding through the middle of a town in a bath tub was reserved for classic episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, think again.

"It is the ridiculous sight of people on blocks of ice trying to stay upright that makes the sport."

It's an altogether eccentric affair, which is sometimes reflected in the competitors' costumes too. "The giant Guinea Pig has to be the finest," Robin tells me. And as if that's not unorthodox enough, there can be some screwball heckles too. "I think that a crowd shouting 'Don't eat those grapes, they haven't been washed!' to the utter bemusement of passers-by always raises a smile, alongside the annual tradition of waving at passing buses to encourage passengers to wave back," says Robin, adding "but it is the ridiculous sight of people on blocks of ice trying to stay upright that makes the sport."

...gone.

There may not be flowing champagne and bubbling cauldrons of fondue at the end of Surbiton Ski Sunday, but there is soup. And visitors are encouraged to bring their own vegetable to put in it. Robin tells me "The King's Soup event originates from a tale of a selfish king who wants everything and just takes things from his subjects but whose heart is changed by tasting a simple peasant soup that has been made with love." There's a soup that warms both cockles and heart.

Surbiton Ski Sunday, Central Parade, St Mark's Hill, Surbiton, Sunday 13 October 2024, free. The event is open to everyone, and you can sign up to ski on the day. Some safety equipment is provided, but if you have your own, please bring it with you — along with a costume of your choice.

All images: The Community Brain

Sadiq Khan has again set out his intentions to pedestrianise Oxford Street. Image: Oast House Archive via creative commons

Anything is possible in London. Anything, it seems, apart from the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.

For years, the concept of banning traffic from central London's pollution-choked shopping avenue has been dangled in front of Londoners' noses only to be snatched away again. But could Oxford Street finally be about to rid itself of motor traffic?

This mock up is taken from plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street in 2017. Could it finally happen? Image: Mayor of London

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, certainly hopes so. He has doubled down on his intentions to turn the thoroughfare — which welcomes over half a million visitors every day and generates approximately 5% of the capital’s economic output —  into a 'traffic-free pedestrianised avenue', creating a 'beautiful public space'.

Khan says he will now create a 'Mayoral Development Corporation', which will have 'planning powers to provide the framework for delivery of a world-leading scheme that works for residents, visitors and businesses'. What precisely this scheme is, is unclear — there are no details on scope of the traffic ban, or when we might expect it to happen. Khan first mooted such a scheme in his 2016 mayoral manifesto. He wasn't the first.

Plans for this piazza on Oxford Street were nixed in 2022. Image: Westminster City Council

Long time Londoners have every reason to view the latest announcement through skeptical eyes. In 2006, the first Mayor of London, Ken Livingston unveiled plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street (and run a tram through it), only for these plans to be spiked by London's next Mayor, Boris Johnson. Johnson himself looked into partially pedestrianising Oxford Street towards the end of his tenure as Mayor of London in 2016, but this also came to nought. In 2022, while Sadiq Khan himself was Mayor, plans for the stretch of Oxford Street between Great Portland Street and John Prince's Street to be turned into a 'piazza' were nixed.

Other car-quashing schemes touted for Oxford Street but never realised include a monorail, and designated fast and slow lanes for pedestrians.

So what's new this time? It helps that London's Labour Mayor now has a Labour government to back his vision. The City of Westminster, which oversees Oxford Street, is also now under a Labour majority. Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister has voiced her support, saying: "This plan to revitalise Oxford Street will drive growth by creating new jobs, generating economic activity, and giving a much-needed boost to London’s night-time economy." Whether this means something similar to the piazza idea, or altogether more sweeping pedestrianisation, we're not sure.

Whatever the plans. the challenges have not gone away, and Sadiq Khan will have to contend with everything from where to divert streams of traffic (including several bus routes), through to the potential reemergence of the likes of the Campaign Against Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street (CAPO).

Pedestrianisation in central London can be hugely successful though; Carnaby Street banned traffic in 1973, prompting a hike of 30% in footfall. The recent pedestrianisation of part of Strand has also revitalised that once traffic-choked corner — at least from the pedestrian's point of view.