The ianVisits guide to May's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Sunday 1st May
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
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Croydon
Check out an array of boats, trade show stalls and boaters gathered from far and wide on the May bank holiday weekend.
All Day
Maida Vale
Annual parade by a man in tall green foliage around Deptford and Greenwich.
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Organised events around the world to get people up early to hear the bird's dawn chorus.
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Step back in history and visit the terminus building of London's original international airport - in Croydon.
11am to 4pm
Croydon
Traditional May Day Tour of Islington by an all-female troup of Morris Dancers.
Starts at 12pm
A chance to get onto the foreshore at Millennium Bridge and find archaeological ‘Treasures of the Thames’.
1pm to 3pm
City of London
£8.25
Dr Rebecca Davies examines the more active role of eighteenth-century women in their children’s upbringing and education,
2pm to 4pm
More London events on Sunday 1st May
Monday 2nd May
Check out an array of boats, trade show stalls and boaters gathered from far and wide on the May bank holiday weekend.
All Day
Maida Vale
See a restored Victorian steam pumping engine in action.
12pm to 5pm
A special screening of Richard Fleischer’s diminutive classic in collaboration with Sci-Fi-London
7:30pm to 11am
Hackney
More London events on Monday 2nd May
Tuesday 3rd May
Two of the most perceptive observers on the city’s development, John Lanchester and Rowan Moore, discuss the issues at stake.
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An evening in the Sir John Soane's Museum with the rooms lit by candles.
6pm to 9pm
Tom Gash exposes myths about crime and its causes, arguing that crime is both less rational and much easier to reduce than many believe.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
We talk a lot about the role class plays in British society, but how exactly do we move from one 'class' to another - and, if we can do so, what effect does it have on us?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 3rd May
Wednesday 4th May
Go behind the scenes at the new Patey Hat factory to see how bespoke hats are made,
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Peckham
Discover: the church that inspired a wedding cake; a parrot whose death was reported around the world; a cat who collaborated with a lexicographer.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
£3.00
A dramatic reconstruction of a 1900 lecture to nursing students.
Starts at 6:30pm
The lecture will challenge the view that James I had little association with Westminster Abbey beyond commissioning the monuments to his predecssor.
6:30pm to 8pm
Discover how recent advances reveal the rules by which plants self-construct.
6:30pm to 9pm
With organised labour under attack and a new economy making working life tougher, are there opportunities for unions to reclaim ground?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Free
This event will look specifically at complex spaces, how we remember and navigate them, and how and why they have cultural significance.
6:30pm to 8pm
Sketch painted ladies and inked gents of London, as tattooed models reveal all.
7pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 4th May
Thursday 5th May
£24.00
A tour of the Globe Theatre with a focus on the craftsmanship behind this famous reconstruction.
Starts at 10:45am
Southwark
Master Letter Carvers talk about their craft with Dr Jonathan Foyle and lead a walking tour of London’s outstanding lettering landmarks.
Starts at 11:30am
This illustrated talk by local historian Lynn Haseldine Jones will cover the history of this remarkable Georgian House,
2pm to 3pm
Leytonstone
In this talk Professor Emma Smith discusses the immediate response to Shakespeare’s death and what that can tell us about his reputation at the end of his career.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
A lecture on heath care inequality between the rich and developing worlds.
6pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Free
British architect David Chipperfield will discuss the current state of planning in London and the importance of finding a balance between development and conservation.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Should we put a monetary value on nature to save it? That is the core question at the Earthwatch Spring debate.
Starts at 7pm
South Kensington
£8.00
This illustrated art lecture looks at the mythic beast across the European landscape through typologies, superstitions and hoaxes.
7:30pm to 8pm
A firework display from two barges near a cruise ship moored at Greenwich
Starts at 10pm
Greenwich
More London events on Thursday 5th May
Friday 6th May
Once a month, the private gardens of Lambeth Palace are open for a few hours in the afternoon.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
£8.00
Join Economist correspondent Richard Cockett for a talk on drugs in Myanmar.
Starts at 12:30pm
Witness, for one day only, the detailed design and hand-craftsmanship that goes into creating a bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car.
8pm to 9pm
Picadilly
More London events on Friday 6th May
Saturday 7th May
£15.00
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of London's blue plaques, four small group guided walking tours around London.
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What was the queer scene like in London in the 1920s and 30s?
All Day
Throughout the demonstrations each stage of the unique making process will be illustrated
All Day
Southwark
Get hands-on and interactive with scientists and researchers ranging from robots and railways through to microchips and medicine.
12pm to 6pm
Teams will dance at various locations in Westminster during the day, and will meet up for massed displays of dancing in Trafalgar Square.
12pm to 5pm
Monthly open day at one of London's more curious and delightful museums, devoted to the history of the sewing machine.
2pm to 5pm
Tooting
Come and try the organ, find out how it works, even if you have never played before and would like to have a guided go.
Starts at 3pm
Dulwich
More London events on Saturday 7th May
Sunday 8th May
Quaker peace activist Timmon Wallis pits facts, figures and logic against the major arguments for the renewal of the Trident program.
Starts at 11am
Holborn
Annual church service in Covent Garden followed by Punch and Judy Shows on the anniversary of the first written record of such a show in London.
Starts at 11am
Covent Garden
Get hands-on and interactive with scientists and researchers ranging from robots and railways through to microchips and medicine.
12pm to 6pm
From LGBT representation in portraiture to war artists in Afghanistan, how does commissioned artwork reflect the world we live in?
3pm to 4pm
St James
More London events on Sunday 8th May
Monday 9th May
The planet Mercury will pass between the Earth and Sun for the first time since 2006.
12pm to 7:50pm
Explore one the most mysterious men of Elizabethan era at a late opening of the John Dee exhibition.
5:30pm to 9pm
Professor Willcocks and Professor Lacity discuss how robotic technologies can facilitate the rise, not the demise, of human productivity and innovation.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
The launch of a major new report on British journalists in the digital age, published by Reuters.
Starts at 6:30pm
£20.00
A discussion of the social and cultural significance of London’s property price boom.
Starts at 7pm
Holborn
In this highly subversive comedy, Dr Phil calls for an end to top down disorganisation of the NHS, and launches his own ‘bidet revolution’
Starts at 7:30pm
East Dulwich
More London events on Monday 9th May
Tuesday 10th May
Lord Mervyn King will talk about his book. There will be an opportunity for book-signing at the end.
12:30pm to 2:30pm
An evening of military displays in the heart of the city of London.
5pm to 9pm
Moorgate
This prize lecture is awarded for excellence in the the social, historical or philosophical exploration of science.
Starts at 6pm
£10.00
A talk on these spectacular insects which as well as being the largest, are sadly one of our rarer beetles.
6:30pm to 8pm
Historian of biology and film-buff Professor Joe Cain presents the original film adaptation of ArthurConan Doyle’s The Lost World.
6:30pm to 9pm
£10.00
Discover what the London Underground looked like before the introduction of Johnston’s typeface.
Starts at 7pm
More London events on Tuesday 10th May
Wednesday 11th May
A chance to see inside a number of aircraft before the museum moves its collection.
6pm to 9:30pm
London is the most dynamic old world city on the planet – renewal has been at the heart of its success.
Starts at 6pm
Barbican
This talk will outline the true story, which shows how Dee’s angelic magic affected not only his own life but those of the most prominent Elizabethans who shared much of his ‘occult philosophy’.
Starts at 7:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 11th May
Thursday 12th May
The atmospheric rooms of Benjamin Franklin’s only remaining residence will be the feature of this night-time architectural tour.
7pm to 9pm
More London events on Thursday 12th May
Friday 13th May
In this lecture, Lisa Pieraccini looks at the close links in Etruria between food, death and collective memory, never fully explored until now.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
The lecture will look at the part played by Richthofen himself in creating and promoting the myth of the Red Baron.
Starts at 12:30pm
The Bank of England Museum will be opening its doors to visitors for this rare opportunity for an evening visit.
5:30pm to 9pm
City of London
The atmospheric rooms of Benjamin Franklin’s only remaining residence will be the feature of this night-time architectural tour.
7pm to 9pm
A talk in the dark atmosphere of the Old Operating Theatre on the gruesome profession of the body snatching Resurrectionists,
7pm to 8pm
After-hours access to Postman’s Park and learn the secrets of the remarkable and enchanting monument that lies within.
Starts at 7:30pm
Barbican
More London events on Friday 13th May
Saturday 14th May
Free
A travelling vintage Victorian steam fair arrives in the park outside the IWM.
All Day
Farm BBQ, vegetable orchestra, Morris men, cake stands, farm produce, baby farm animals, crafts and wool spinning demonstrations
11am to 4pm
Rotherhithe
This Olympic Park walk will focus on the sustainable legacy of the park's buildings and transport links.
2pm to 9pm
Stratford
More London events on Saturday 14th May
Sunday 15th May
Free
A travelling vintage Victorian steam fair arrives in the park outside the IWM.
All Day
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
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North Kensington
A workshop to learn plant identification techniques and find out about useful edible and medicinal plants available in the British countryside.
10am to 3pm
Leyton
£3.00
Andrew Neilson will discuss what’s gone wrong with our prisons and what can be done to create a more effective and humane criminal justice system.
Starts at 11am
Holborn
Annual festival of kite flying -- come to watch, or join in.
11am to 5pm
Streatham
Free
Join planetary scientist Sara Russell to find out what this asteroid could reveal about the history of the sun and planets,
12:30pm to 1pm
South Kensington
More London events on Sunday 15th May
Monday 16th May
Join Dr Liz Tunbridge to discover how new research in neuroscience could lead to better treatments and a more realistic view of mental health.
6:30pm to 8pm
More London events on Monday 16th May
Tuesday 17th May
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
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Whitechapel
Free
An evening with Barney Farmer, writer of the Viz comic strip Drunken Bakers, and 2008 Turner Prize winning artist Mark Leckey.
Starts at 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 17th May
Wednesday 18th May
Historian Andrew Lownie will talk about how Burgess was able to avoid exposure as a traitor to his country through his trademark charisma and a network of powerful political connections.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
Free
Spend the evening with the IoP as they demystify one of the newest discoveries in physics – gravitational waves.
Starts at 6:30pm
Kings Cross
More London events on Wednesday 18th May
Thursday 19th May
Join Colin Davey in this lecture in which he will lift the lid on some late Victorian scandal.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Explore the stories of Scotland through poetry and prose, and uncover the story behind previously misidentified works in the Royal Collection.
6:30pm to 9pm
More London events on Thursday 19th May
Friday 20th May
£12.00
The launch of a latest exhibition designology – uncover all the design details that make up London journeys.
Starts at 6:45pm
More London events on Friday 20th May
Saturday 21st May
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
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Paddington
There are 45 free guided walks across the Capital, organised by Walk London and TfL,
All Day
There will be music in the ruined chapel, free tours, and many other stalls.
11am to 5pm
An exhibition based on the now-closed prefab housing museum, put on for one day in a local church.
12pm to 4pm
Catford
Take a walking tour with Egyptologist Cathie Bryan as she leads you through the streets of London to find the most splendid examples of Egyptian Art Deco buildings.
1pm to 3pm
A discussion on the hidden stories of vulnerable women in the nineteenth century and today.
Starts at 2pm
More London events on Saturday 21st May
Sunday 22nd May
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
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Hornsey
There are 45 free guided walks across the Capital, organised by Walk London and TfL,
All Day
More London events on Sunday 22nd May
Monday 23rd May
The Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life interviews Viscountess Boudica, Trendsetter of Bethnal Green and one of the East End's personalities.
Starts at 7pm
Whitechapel
A talk about John Freeman, considered by some to be Labour's great lost leader.
7pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Monday 23rd May
Tuesday 24th May
Free
Europe is surrounded by war. But current approaches to conflict no longer work. Can the EU offer a 21st century alternative?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
£5.50
The cabaret-style event for all those who loves museums is back, with MC Naomi Paxton and a stellar line up.
Starts at 7pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Tuesday 24th May
Wednesday 25th May
Explore new developments and rebuilds taking place in this unique part of London.
Starts at 10:30am
Victoria
The talk discusses what alternatives methods can and cannot measure and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Starts at 5pm
From Brooklyn to Wolf Hall, historical fiction is enjoying a boom moment. But how do you go about writing an historical novel?
Starts at 6:15pm
More London events on Wednesday 25th May
Thursday 26th May
£10.00
Guest speaker talk by Eric Flounders, who regularly lectures on the company’s ships about the history of Cunard.
6pm to 7pm
West Brompton
Dr. Huw Lewis-Jones celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the First Trans-Antarctic Crossing and how it awakened the world to its scientific potential.
7pm to 9pm
South Kensington
A talk by former homeless buster turned book/film celeb, James Bowen and his streetcat Bob.
Starts at 7pm
Notting Hill
In this talk Tristram Hunt MP examines the diversity and exuberance of Engels's era.
7:30pm to 9pm
Caroline Rance explores how patent medicine vendors attracted and retained customers, and how the medical establishment attempted to put a stop to their lucrative activities.
Starts at 7:30pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Thursday 26th May
Friday 27th May
£3.00
A famous film director returns to his Sicilian village after 30 years and remembers his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso where Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
The Natural History Museum comes to life after dark. Explore our galleries, exhibitions and shops after hours, expert-led talks and events.
6pm to 10pm
Take a culinary journey through the world of creepy crawly cuisine.
7pm to 8pm
South Kensington
Free
A panel of speakers on the facts about PrEP – the anti-HIV medicine that keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected.
Starts at 7:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Friday 27th May
Saturday 28th May
Guided walk around the local garden squares including access to a normally closed garden.
Starts at 11am
Clerkenwell
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
4pm to 5pm
Kentish Town
More London events on Saturday 28th May
Sunday 29th May
Visit a series of 7 floating barge gardens connected by walkways and bridges.
2pm to 5pm
Southwark
The annual open day of the usually private gardens along riverside in Chiswick.
2pm to 6pm
Hammersmith
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
4pm to 5pm
Sidcup
More London events on Sunday 29th May
Monday 30th May
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
All Day
Stanmore
More London events on Monday 30th May
Tuesday 31st May
Free
A 3d-effect tree will be painted onto the ground outside City Hall for the day.
All Day
Southwark
Discover the tales told by London’s mulberry tree heritage after work with a free guided walk.
6pm to 7:30pm
City of London
Join foreign correspondent Ben Judah and architecture critic Rowan Moore for a discussion on the state of London in the 21st century.
7pm to 6pm
Picadilly
