All weekend
CLOCKS GO BACK: Don't forget, the clocks go back at silly o'clock on Sunday morning, so that's an extra hour in bed (yippee).
HALLOWEEN: Yes, yes, we know. Halloween isn't until next Friday. But it's big business these days, which means ghostly goings-on begin this weekend. Take a gander at our Halloween listing for inspiration.
HALF TERM: Panicking about how to keep the kids entertained for a week? Fear not, our Half Term in London guide has it covered, come rain or shine. It's not all about Halloween either; we've got Lego dinosaurs, a bear hunt, folk dancing, family film screenings and woolly mammoths.
PUB: Just want to kick back and relax with a pint and a packet of pork scratchings? Our pubs guide has information about all the best pubs in London, organised by area for your convenience. Find a boozer nearby, try a new place, or see if your favourite made the cut.
DYLAN THOMAS: The Dylan Thomas Festival in Fitzrovia Festival comes to a close this weekend. See our preview for our pick of events or see full line-up. Prices vary, prebook, until 26 October
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: Rights, Not Charity is part of WHY? What's Happening for the Young at Southbank Centre, a project marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The exhibition follows the idea that children on death row, institutionalised child sexual abuse and denial of basic civil and political rights are not cute issues, so why should children’s rights art be cute? Free, just turn up, until 26 October
MIND BODY SOUL: Visit London's Grandest Sanctuary and escape your daily stresses at Mind Body Soul Experience at Olympia London. Peruse pampering remedies, investigate natural healing, try new exercises, listen to inspirational talks or kick back and enjoy live music. Read our preview. Tickets from £8 advance, open Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 October
HALLOWEEN FAIR: Horniman Museum's Halloween Fair takes place all weekend, with spooky trails to follow, Halloween themed food, an art and craft market and a costume parade. Mostly free, some events chargeable, just turn up, 25-26 October
KIDS THEATRE: In That Catherine Bennett Show at Southbank Centre, an artist and her nine-year-old niece want to invent a new kind of pop star. A show about family activism, children’s rights and believing in your own power to change the world… even if you’re nine. £10/£5, prebook, until 28 October
FLYING STORIES: The RAF Museum in Colindale hosts special storytelling sessions about Alan Cobham's amazing life and adventures in flight, aimed at 4-11 year olds and their families. Free, just turn up, 11.15am and 3.25pm, until 28 October
LITERARY FOOTSTEPS: The Literary Footprints Festival continues. This weekend's options include a chance to learn about Chaucer's Life and Work in the City and a literary tour of Soho. £10, prebook, throughout October
Saturday 25 October
HOLOCAUST EXHIBITION: A new exhibition opens at Peltz Gallery, Birkbeck School of Arts, today. The photos of Moving Portraits are about victims and survivors of the Holocaust, and explore why it is important to keep memories of the Holocaust alive for future generations. Until 8 November
FEMINISM IN LONDON: The largest feminist conference in the UK, Feminism in London 2014, comes to the Institute of Education near Russell Square, with 1,000 delegates, a wide variety of panels and workshops, artwork, stalls, and a free creche. £15-£30, prebook, from 9am
SCREEN PRINTING: There's an introduction to screen printing workshop at Create Space London in Stonebridge Park. Learn how to create a polka dot masterpiece using old magazines, coloured paper and paint, and digitally process photographic images to make screen prints in the pop art style of artists like Andy Warhol and Peter Kennard. £5, prebook, 10am
SOHO STREETS: Discovering London guide Peter Berthoud leads a day-long walk around Soho, in which you can walk every street (over 119 of them) in the area. Bring your walking shoes as it'll be close to 10 miles, and book early as Peter's walks are always popular and it's limited to 16 people. £35, prebook, 10am-5.30pm
WINE ADVENTURE: Vino expert Oz Clarke is holding a wine masterclass at Vinopolis near London Bridge where he discusses his picks for the season, how to drink and taste wine. There will also be an opportunity to ask him questions about the tipple. £59-£99, prebook, from 12pm
DYLAN THOMAS: This Thomas-themed walk takes in some of his watering holes. Hear about the history of London's first 'quartier Latin' where middle class scruffs fought and won the battle against bourgeois respectability. See where Dylan met Caitlin, where Orwell downed a pint and Crowley doodled. £10/£8, prebook, 2pm
LOCK KEEPER: Newton's Cottage, a new art exhibition at the Olympic Park, has several events lined up. Today, there's a chance to learn about the daily life as a keeper of the canals and waterways from former lock keeper Jeremy Batch. Free, prebook, 2pm
TASTE OF BRAZIL: Get as close to Brazil as you can without leaving London at SharedCity's daytime tour. Visit local Brazilian shops and learn about traditional ingredients, and sample Brazilian street food. £30, prebook, 2pm-7pm
KING'S CROSS EXPLORATION: Foto Ruta Clue are events which use a set of clues to encourage people to discover more about a particular area, taking photos along the way. Today, the area around King's Cross gets the treatment. £24, prebook, 2pm-6pm
ROLLER DERBY: Newham Leisure Centre hosts London Rockin' Rollers taking on Swansea City in the all-female sport, Roller Derby. Never seen it before? Teams of five skaters on roller blades all skate in the same direction with the "jammer" of each team trying to lap the other team, who are trying to hold her back. Warning: It's a contact sport so can get violent. £5-£15, prebook, 4pm
CIDER AND CHEESE: Fan of either substance? You'll want to get to the tasting session at The Old Ship in Hackney where you can sample six French ciders and lashings of calvados, paired expertly with six French cheeses. £20, prebook, 6pm
FOLK CONCERT: Award winning folk artist Lisa Knapp and her band perform at St Mark's Church in Dalston. £10/£12, prebook, 7pm
SYRIAN MUSIC: Syrian musician Maya Youssef performs at St. Ethelburga's on Bishopsgate. Her contemporary take on Syrian music includes playing the Kanun and stringed zither£12, prebook, 7.30pm
DINNER DANCE: Feel like pushing the boat out this Saturday night? Get ye to the Savoy, where Alex Mendham and his Orchestra are performing at a dinner dance, playing the music of the art-deco area with decadence. Three course dinner and cocktail reception included. £125, prebook, 8pm
Sunday 26 October
SUNDAY ROAST: Nothing says Sunday like a full roast dinner. Have a look at our choice of the best Sunday roasts in London, or check out your other food options.
FORESHORE WALK: Footprints Guide Tina Baxter has teamed up with archaeologist, Mike Webber (who is working on Southbank Mosaics' timeline mosaics project), to offer you a chance to hear about the quayside history and its relationship to the Thames foreshore on a three-hour walk. £10/£7.50, prebook, 9am (the early-ish start is due to winter tides)
BRIXTON FLAVOURS: This one-day food festival gives the public a chance to experience the culinary diversity of Brixton. Ticket holders are given 15 tokens which can be spent in any of the 20+ participating food venues. £15, prebook, 11am-7.30pm
WALK WITH OLD MAPS: Get a new understanding of the city through a walk using old maps to explore the streets around Trafalgar Square. Along the way, encounter Eleanor of Castile, Samuel Pepys and the revenge of Charles II. Walk ends at the spot where distances to London are measured from. £10, prebook, 11am
BALFRON TOWER: At time of writing there were still a few tickets left for tours of the Balfron Tower, specifically Flat 130 where the architect, Ernö Goldfinger, lived himself for two months to prove the desirability of high-rise living. Tickets will go fast. £10/£12, prebook, 11am/1pm/2pm
FLAGS AND FUGITIVES: Brian McClory of City Ranger Walks leads a 90-minute themed walk from Hyde Park to Victoria Station. See the scene of Oscar Wilde's arrest, various locations connected with Lord Lucan and more. £10/£7.50, prebook, 11am
LIVE ART: Illustrator Martin Brown will be bringing his art to life in a show full of jokes, stories and live drawing at the Imperial War Museum. Brush up on your art skills and hear some of the First World War stories of life in the Trenches which inspired Martin’s drawings. £7, prebook, 12pm-3pm
APPLE DAY: Borough Market's annual Apple Day family festival takes place in the Green Market. To mark Borough Market’s millennium year 1,000 varieties of apples will be displayed, including the oldest-known variety — Court Pendu Plat. Try your hand at traditional games and entertainment including an apple peeling competition, apple bobbing and Morris dancing. Free, just turn up, 12pm-4pm
HALLOWEEN PARTY: All four Igloo Kids stores across London have a free (early) Halloween party for children of all ages, with local entertainers on hand to provide family activities. See our Halloween 2014 article for inspiration on other spooky fun for adults and kids. Free, just turn up, 1.30pm
CABARET: Laduerdale House on Highgate Hill continues its series of Sunday cabaret sessions with a performance by Emma Hatton, who has appeared in Wicked, We Will Rock You and Dreamboats and Petticoats in the West End. £13/£11, prebook, 4.30pm
SPAGHETTI STORY: Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel is the location for the first CinemaItaliaUK screening - every month a contemporary Italian film with English subtitles will be screened. Tonight's choice, Spaghetti Story, is about a group of friends who all seem to have their lives planned out, and is followed by a Q&A session with director Ciro De Caro. £12/£10, prebook, 6.30pm
VELVET TONGUE: The erotic literature salon returns to The Book Club in Shoreditch, with contributions from Jacky Donovan, Daniel Richards, Nairobi Thompson and Jay Walker, as well as open mic slots. £5/£3, 7pm
DEATH MATCH: Chris O’Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy are guest readers at this month’sLiterary Death Match at Concrete in Shoreditch. Four authors read their own work for seven minutes or less. They’re judged by three well-known judges who respond to the work before choosing two finalists. £7/£9, prebook, 8pm
Have You Tried …
…Wingit? Now available on Android as well as iPhone, Wingit is a smart little app that solves the problem of “I want to do something now, but what is going on nearby?” Using your location, Wingit scans social media to find cool stuff near where you are and brings it straight to your phone. From performances to pop-ups, screenings to street art, download the free app today on the App Store or Google Play to see what’s going on just round the corner.
This weekend’s Things To Do In London is sponsored by Wingit.
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