The ianVisits guide to March's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Thursday 1st March
Professor Mills will highlight some of the surprisingly varied responses to this theme during the Middle Ages.
1:10pm to 1:55pm
Discover truly remarkable – but surprisingly little known – collections, featuring everything from artworks to scarce anatomical preparations and ext
5pm to 8pm
Camden
An evening talk with project architects C.F. Møller, Marianne Levinsen Landskab and the director of the Prison Reform Trust on the most talked about architectural projects of 2017 – Storstrøm Prison.
6:30pm to 8pm
Euston
Free
Hilary Benn will speak about the Brexit negotiations and the future of the UK-EU relations.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Sarah Dunant, Bettany Hughes and Suzannah Lipscomb provide a unique opportunity to discover history’s hidden stories.
7pm to 8:30pm
South Kensington
Parakeets, zebra mussels and devil shrimps are now part and parcel of London’s fauna; but what does their presence say for the future of nature?
7:30pm to 9pm
Stoke Newington
An introduction to the past, present and future of the Thames Barrier and its associated gates, tidal walls, and embankments.
Starts at 7:30pm
Islington
More London events on Thursday 1st March
Friday 2nd March
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Friday 2nd March
Saturday 3rd March
Join Sheldon and Sam of CemeteryClub for a guided tour through the gravestones and meet the likes of legendary actresses, illustrators, ballet dancers and artists whose stories have been forgotten.
1pm to 2:30pm
Kilburn
London Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Belair Park present two talks on the importance of Belair Park to nature in its surrounding landscape
1:30pm to 4:30pm
Dulwich
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
More London events on Saturday 3rd March
Sunday 4th March
A monthly opening of the Victorian museum of industrial testing equipment.
11am to 5pm
Southwark
Step back in history and visit the terminus building of London's original international airport - in Croydon.
11am to 4pm
Croydon
Dr Peter Ford MBE asks: Is there any other form of intelligent life out there?
11am to 12:30pm
Holborn
Occasional open days at Capability Brown's Gatton Park landscaped 600 acres.
1pm to 5pm
Reigate
More London events on Sunday 4th March
Monday 5th March
What’s in a shadow? Danger and death? Or the vital life-force of whatever object casts it? Are shadows seductive nothings or truth-telling images of repressed sexuality and violence?
1pm to 2pm
Barbican
More London events on Monday 5th March
Tuesday 6th March
Drop in to view a charming slice of design and social history.
11am to 3:30pm
Clerkenwell
Why do so many of us struggle with maths at school, and what can schools and parents do so that more children grow up enjoying this subject and confident in their use of numbers?
5:45pm to 7pm
Two speakers from Historic England will review 50 years of Conservation Areas in London.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
Elizabeth Poole and colleagues discuss how – and by who – anti-Muslim sentiment is being challenged online.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
St James
Will AI stabilise or destabilise the financial system? Might AI even cause a systemic financial crisis?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 6th March
Wednesday 7th March
Lunchtime lecture on how 3d printing is being used in the medical profession.
1pm to 2pm
Camden
Simon Thurley looks into the ingredients that went into making a court quarter there and the way it formed a blueprint for the new West End of London.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
More London events on Wednesday 7th March
Thursday 8th March
Dr David Clarke, Principal Lecturer in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, will talk about the remarkable stories behind some of the images from his book
6pm to 7pm
Richmond
This talk by Rebecca Walker looks at the life and times of one of the collection’s photographers - Frederick Tibbs, a City of London police officer - and of the City he patrolled from the Roaring Twenties through to World War II.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
​Come and celebrate International Women’s Day at an evening of lively discussions with a panel of inspirational leading women.
6:30pm to 9pm
Euston
A screening of a biography about the film star who was also a scientist and inventor of a radio system that underpins todays smartphones.
Starts at 6:30pm
East Finchley
More London events on Thursday 8th March
Friday 9th March
Immerse yourself in the glittering world of the 1920s and 1930s at London Transport Museum’s Friday Late.
6:45pm to 10pm
Covent Garden
More London events on Friday 9th March
Saturday 10th March
A street party to mark the refurbishment, and imminent reopening to traffic of Dartmouth Road.
Starts at 12am
Forest Hill
Join the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society for their 55th annual conference featuring presentations by a number of experts.
All Day
Barbican
A festival that aims to raise complex discussions surrounding women’s rights, gender, and what it means to be a woman in 2018.
Starts at 11am
Poplar
Join best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson as she talks about her new book, Wave Me Goodbye.
2pm to 3pm
Poplar
A talk about the strange and familiar interpretations of the natural world in artist Mark Dion’s work.
6pm to 8pm
Euston
More London events on Saturday 10th March
Sunday 11th March
A festival that aims to raise complex discussions surrounding women’s rights, gender, and what it means to be a woman in 2018.
Starts at 11am
Poplar
More London events on Sunday 11th March
Monday 12th March
A talk on the life and work of Christina Broom, regarded as the UK's first female press photographer.
All Day
Fulham
A historical perspective on London’s orchards, followed by an overview of the situation today.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
Historian Dr John Callow explores the roots of Herne’s tale and how his legend has inspired generations of writers and artists to create a powerful figure for both the modern Pagan pantheon and the wider environmental movement.
7pm to 9pm
Holborn
More London events on Monday 12th March
Tuesday 13th March
Join London Wildlife Trust's Conservation Officer Daniel Greenwood for an illustrative talk about the birds that live in Dulwich.
2pm to 3:30pm
East Dulwich
Free
​This talk explores the ways in which Londoners took shelter from air raids during WWII.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
Lord Sainsbury will be talking about his lifetime of philanthropy.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Fashion Space Gallery consider fashion in an age of surveillance in an informal evening at The London Salon.
7pm to 10pm
Barbican
More London events on Tuesday 13th March
Wednesday 14th March
Lord Hindlip recounts a career through the major works of art that have passed through his hands over the last fifty years.
1pm to 1:45pm
South Kensington
There will be interactive science stands about domestic and big cats, and you can use specialist equipment to see how clinicians diagnose illnesses in pets.
5:30pm to 10pm
Camden
This lecture considers the challenges that the NHS and its suppliers face in employing personalised medicine.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Free
An evening of pop-up science and explore the kaleidoscopic mix of patterns studied at the Francis Crick Institute.
6pm to 9:30pm
Camden
This talk will cover funereal fashion at its finest, focusing on the Victorian cult of mourning, including Maisons de Deuil (mourning warehouses), mourning etiquette and jewellery, and a brief history of black in fashion.
6:30pm to 9pm
Barbican
Come and hear from two former and serving HM Ambassadors about their experiences being posted abroad.
6:30pm to 8pm
Whitehall
The 2017 general election saw young people engage with politics in a radically new way. Liam Young looks at how Labour under Jeremy Corbyn galvanised this support.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 14th March
Thursday 15th March
Diane Atkinson will reflect on the daring, often violent struggle women undertook to break into an exclusively male political system.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
An evening of exploration into Croydon’s cultural vision and how it will help to change perceptions of the town.
6pm to 8pm
Croydon
The presentation will give an overview of the Elizabeth line project, and outline the key stakeholders involved, the funding streams and notable constructions activities.
6:20pm to 7:30pm
South Kensington
In this talk photographer Marc Wilson will discuss his ongoing project, 'A Wounded Landscape' which deals with the shadow of the Holocaust. The landscape of much of Europe is marked by nearly forty thousand sites where the Nazis and their collaborators committed atrocities. These sites are deeply connected to stories of individuals: both those murdered and those who survived. Based on a small number of stories, �A Wounded Landscape� uses photographs, oral histories and text to produce a response and document of these places.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
This lecture by Stacey Abbott considers how this text marks a key transformative moment within the evolution of the horror genre on film.
Starts at 7pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Thursday 15th March
Friday 16th March
Designed for those who want to find out more about the medieval history of the site and recent Crossrail excavations.
Starts at 10:30am
Clerkenwell
Spring fair with Nordic foods and crafts goods, plus Street Fair on the Saturday.
12pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
A screening of two Christopher Lee horror movies by the Gothique Film Society.
6:30pm to 10pm
Holborn
More London events on Friday 16th March
Saturday 17th March
Spring fair with Nordic foods and crafts goods, plus Street Fair on the Saturday.
10am to 6pm
Rotherhithe
A pop-up exhibition of some of the artefacts discovered during the excavation of the Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch.
10am to 6pm
Hackney
An occasional opening of a decorated underground chamber built in the 18th century.
10am to 12:30pm
Twickenham
See the Triple in steam for the first time this year plus a display of items – some weird and some wonderful
10:30am to 4pm
Feltham
Free
Explore the labyrinthine spaces of the Barbican Highwalks with this interactive performance piece
Starts at 5pm
Barbican
More London events on Saturday 17th March
Sunday 18th March
An opportunity to get up close and personal with archaeology at Fulham Palace,
All Day
Fulham
£10.00
A furniture and collectables fair for people bewitched by the alure of lava lamps, Eames chairs and polyester.
10am to 4pm
Dulwich
See the Triple in steam for the first time this year plus a display of items – some weird and some wonderful
10:30am to 4pm
Feltham
Spring fair with Nordic foods and crafts goods, plus Street Fair on the Saturday.
11am to 6pm
Rotherhithe
Free
Explore the labyrinthine spaces of the Barbican Highwalks with this interactive performance piece
Starts at 5pm
Barbican
More London events on Sunday 18th March
Monday 19th March
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 19th March
Tuesday 20th March
£5.98
Learn how to grow lots of food in a small space without a garden
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Herne Hill
This is your chance to hear directly from this successful serial entrepreneur and business leader, who is also CEO and co-founder of Twitter.
6:45pm to 8pm
Camden
Talk by Joy Puritz for the Chadwell Heath Historical Society.
7:30pm to 9:15pm
Chadwell Heath
More London events on Tuesday 20th March
Wednesday 21st March
Drop in for a night of Imperial inventions from the last 150 years. From the small idea that saved 100 million lives, to tech start-ups and London’s future innovators
5pm to 8pm
South Kensington
At this comedy one-off collaboration the audience can spectate at a live recording of the death podcast which has previously featured widely renowned comedians such as Robert Webb, Sarah Pascoe and David Baddiel.
6:30pm to 9pm
Barbican
Christine Wall, University of Westminster, explores the origins and historical importance of a group of women who moved in and squatted these houses.
Starts at 7pm
City of London
£12.00
Part of a series of talks exploring technology and our urban futures in partnership with DLA Piper and the Guardian.
Starts at 7:30pm
Barbican
More London events on Wednesday 21st March
Thursday 22nd March
Take an irreverent and amusing look at the not-so-famous people who have been unfairly consigned to the dustbin of history.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
The need to attract the population at large involved developments in printing, advertising and distribution, aspects traced in this talk by Judith Grant.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Hear from Dr Elma Brenner about medieval people’s ambivalent relationship with water and see a selection of early manuscripts, early printed books and prints.
6pm to 7pm
Camden
Zoe Waxman will seek to explain why it is that women are still being silenced, and why motherhood, in particular, deserves serious attention.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
A panel discussion on the use of comics as a journalistic tool.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
The Engineering Club has assembled a diverse range of presntations to explore the modern development of the bicycle.
6:30pm to 8pm
Euston
100 years after the act of Parliament which enabled women to stand for election to the House of Commons, this panel discussion explores female representation in Parliament now.
Starts at 7pm
City of London
Isobel Charman will guide us through the early history of the Zoological Gardens in the Regents Park, from their establishment by the ZSL in 1826 to the mid-19th century.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
£10.00
The City Centre is hosting its inaugural City of London Showoff in collaboration with comedian Steve Cross.
7:30pm to 9:30pm
City of London
More London events on Thursday 22nd March
Friday 23rd March
Sam Moorhead, British Museum, will outline Constantine’s rise to power and his adoption of the Christian faith, culminating in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
More London events on Friday 23rd March
Saturday 24th March
Hear behind-the-scenes stories and gain exclusive access to areas usually reserved for performers and Southbank Centre staff.
2pm to 3pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 24th March
Sunday 25th March
Tour of Hornsey Town Hall - an iconic modernist public building
11am to 12pm
Hornsey
More London events on Sunday 25th March
Monday 26th March
£15.00
Curator Ian Jenkins will talk on the forthcoming exhibition Rodin and the art of ancient Greece.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
In this talk, author and playwright Anne Nelson will discuss her new book, Codename Suzette.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
Join world-renowned Leonardo da Vinci expert and art historian Martin Kemp for a discussion of his 50-year relationship with the famous artist’s work.
7pm to 8:45pm
South Kensington
More London events on Monday 26th March
Tuesday 27th March
Is the universe meaningless? or is there some way of developing a ‘big picture’ of reality that helps us decide our place and purpose in the universe.
1pm to 2pm
Barbican
Sir Muir Gray looks at the future of medicine in the context of an ageing population, and examines the shift from a focus on life expectancy to healthy life expectancy. Part of the Royal College of Physicians 500th anniversary season.
6pm to 7:30pm
Camden
In this lecture, Jonathan Bate will summon up the ghosts of Old Hamlet, the victims of Richard III and Julius Caesar, revealing their origins in the bloody plays of Seneca.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
More London events on Tuesday 27th March
Wednesday 28th March
A live show about death with Liz Rothschild.
6:30pm to 9pm
Barbican
An evening of enchantment with Ross MacFarlane and Jonathan Allen as they don top hat and tails to pull back the curtain on London's history of magic shows.
Starts at 6:30pm
Soho
More London events on Wednesday 28th March
Thursday 29th March
A new series of free morning talks on Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower will be held monthly.
Starts at 10:30am
Whitehall
Best-selling author Wendy Moore will talk about her latest book, The Mesmerist: the society doctor who held Victorian London spellbound, which tells the story of John Elliotson, the esteemed Victorian physician who introduced hypnotism to London in 1837.
Starts at 6:30pm
Trafalgar Square
What is the beauty in the game? Should gaming now be considered the most widespread art form?
7pm to 9pm
Southwark
A selection of vintage vehicles on display in the evening inside Greenwich market.
7:03pm to 10:03pm
Greenwich
More London events on Thursday 29th March
Friday 30th March
Free
Annual tradition by the Royal Navy to present a hot cross bun to the recently refurbished pub.
Starts at 12am
Bow
All of the steam engines will be in steam, from the Cornish giants to rotative water pumping engines and Victorian steam fire engine.
10am to 4pm
Brentford
More London events on Friday 30th March
Saturday 31st March
All of the steam engines will be in steam, from the Cornish giants to rotative water pumping engines and Victorian steam fire engine.
10am to 4pm
Brentford
Hear behind-the-scenes stories and gain exclusive access to areas usually reserved for performers and Southbank Centre staff.
6pm to 7pm
Southwark
