The ianVisits guide to July's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Friday 1st July
Join Dr Glyn Prysor and Professor Mark Connelly as they discuss how perceptions of the Battle of the Somme and its memorialisation have developed over time.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Join the Wallace Collection for the return of LGBTQI+ Late event, with Queer-themed performances, music and art.
6:30pm to 11pm
Marylebone High St
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Saturday 2nd July
A note that a steam train will pass through southwest London this morning, returning again in the evening.
All Day
Monthly behind the scenes tours of the local theatre.
10am to 12pm
Hampton
£15.00
Occasional open weekend at the London Transport Museum's large Acton depot filled with everything that wont fit into its main museum.
10am to 4pm
Acton
An eclectic display of domestic items from the last century as well as agricultural machinery inside an old barn.
10:30am to 4pm
Upminster
Ahead of the grand reopening of Leighton House this Autumn, join behind-the-scenes tours for the chance to have exclusive access to some of the redeveloped areas of the museum
3pm to 4pm
West Kensington
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Sunday 3rd July
£15.00
Occasional open weekend at the London Transport Museum's large Acton depot filled with everything that wont fit into its main museum.
10am to 4pm
Acton
Better than half price entry to the Painted Hall on the first Sunday of the month.
10am to 5pm
Greenwich
Monthly open day at the museum to London's first international airport - in Croydon.
10am to 4pm
Croydon
£2.00
The London Gaming Market is a place to buy retro video-games, board games and merchandise all in one place
12pm to 4pm
Euston
Five different gardens situated on the Aldersbrook Estate between Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats.
12pm to 5pm
Manor Park
Behind the early Victorian facades of Arlington Square and Arlington Avenue are eight contrasting town gardens.
2pm to 5:30pm
Islington
A row of historical railway cottages, tucked away from the bustle of Wood Green nr Alexandra Palace, takes the visitor back in time.
2pm to 5:30pm
Wood Green
More London events on Sunday 3rd July
Monday 4th July
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 4th July
Tuesday 5th July
Join David Jamieson as he explores his work in quantum technology and looks at how we plan to build the first quantum machines.
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
This presentation identifies and metaphorically exhumes the guilty occupants of London’s first garden cemetery to face the cold light of day.
2pm to 3pm
A talk about statues as public art.
6:30pm to 8pm
More London events on Tuesday 5th July
Wednesday 6th July
Online events / webinars
Join historians Yasmin Khan and Alex von Tunzelmann as they discuss the history of India and the British Empire.
7:30pm to 3pm
More London events on Wednesday 6th July
Thursday 7th July
£13.50
An all-day beer festival raising money for the Lord Mayor's Appeal.
12:30pm to 9pm
City of London
A monthly late opening of the restored Roman temple found near Bank in the City of London in the 1950s, and recently restored to its original subterranean location.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
An after-hours opening of the Royal College of Physicians museum.
5:30pm to 8pm
Camden
On the first Thursday of the month, Holborn's Novelty Automation has a bar in the store for their late-night opening.
6pm to 9pm
Holborn
£23.00
A publication day celebration of love, loss and cabaret with Jill Nalder, actress and author whose real-life story and lifelong friendship with Russell T. Davies inspired the Channel 4 hit It's A Sin.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Euston
Online events / webinars
Prof. Beth Okamura will talk about the challenges in understanding parasite diversity, life history, distribution, and evolution.
6pm to 7:15pm
More London events on Thursday 7th July
Friday 8th July
Join Professor Erica Charters as she discusses the significance of disease and medicine during Britain’s first global war.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
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Saturday 9th July
Occasional open day at a 14th century building in Ilford.
10am to 2pm
Ilford
£19.95
Experience Brooklands brought to life by costume characters and a display of vehicle demonstrations, Aircraft Park tours, vintage car rides and more.
10am to 8pm
Weybridge
The annual Whitecross Street Party, with a creative mix of street arts, performances and community interaction, takes over the area for one day.
12pm to 6pm
Moorgate
The Trellick Tower opened in 1972, and there's a celebration today to mark its 50th anniversary.
12pm to 8pm
North Kensington
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 9th July
Sunday 10th July
Traditional village fete - held in the heart of central London.
12pm to 6pm
Soho
The annual Whitecross Street Party, with a creative mix of street arts, performances and community interaction, takes over the area for one day.
12pm to 6pm
Moorgate
Cartoonists, self-publishers, small press, zine makers and book artists come together to show, share and sell their creations.
12pm to 6pm
South Norwood
Restored and remastered in 4K, experience Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) on the big screen!
Starts at 1:45pm
Barbican
More London events on Sunday 10th July
Monday 11th July
This year’s lecture will look at the bridges preceding Clifton, putting it in context with contemporary developments.
6pm to 8pm
Pimlico
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Tuesday 12th July
Guided tours by physicians explaining the uses of the plants, their histories and stories about them.
10:30am to 4:30pm
Camden
Artist and Cartograper Adam Dant talks about his head spinning mission of creating an illustrated Atlas of our common Political terrain.
6:30pm to 8pm
Soho
Online events / webinars
Join NASA scientist Naomi Rowe-Gurney as she explores the Webb telescope.
Starts at 7pm
More London events on Tuesday 12th July
Wednesday 13th July
A short procession in full ceremonial garb by the Worshipful Company of Vintners from their Livery Hall to the local church.
11:45am to 12:15pm
City of London
Join Andrew Chatterton for the launch of his new book examining Britain’s readiness to defend against a German invasion during the Second World War.
Starts at 6pm
Chelsea
Celebrate London and delve deep inside the nooks and crannies of a forgotten city: a hidden landscape long buried underneath the sprawling metropolis.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Euston
Discover the fascinating numbers behind our Universe.
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
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Thursday 14th July
From pigeons to arctic terns to hummingbirds, birds evoke a whole range of emotions in us. Ornithologist Tim Birkhead tells us the stories.
6pm to 7:15pm
Picadilly
£17.03
Join us at the Royal Institution as we transform into a science circus for the evening
Starts at 6pm
Hanover Square
Olly Ayers, Associate Professor in History at New College of the Humanities, has been investigating its dynamic history and will be sharing an insight into how its past has helped to shape its present.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Wapping
Hear from all sides of an argument fundamental to the capital city’s future that remains as fierce as ever.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
City of London
A conversation with the shortlisted authors chaired by biographer, historian and chair of judges, Peter Parker.
6:45pm to 8:45pm
St James
This panel explores how chefs and growers are transforming the way we eat in the UK, and what our diets might look like in the decades to come.
7pm to 8:30pm
Richmond
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Friday 15th July
Join George Fredenham aka “Flavour Fred” a long-term Stoke Newington resident on an informative session on wild flavour and its history around Abney Park Cemetery.
10am to 12pm
Stoke Newington
Join Richard Fisher and Sir Andrew Graham as they discuss the history of the Machine Gun Corps, and reflect on its impact and legacy, 100 years on from its disbandment.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
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Saturday 16th July
Today is the last time that Greater Anglia’s old Class 317 electric commuter trains will run on the network, and they’re arranging for people to have one last ride.
All Day
Free
Annual parade of a wide range of vehicles for their annual "cart marking" by the Lord Mayor of London
10am to 1pm
City of London
A chance to climb up to the top of the St Pancras water tower for views across this part of London.
10am to 4pm
Kings Cross
Join in on the fun with boat trips, exhibitions, entertainment, stalls, workshops and much more.
11am to 5pm
Bow
Free
You can expect all the attractions of a traditional country show plus much more too.
12pm to 8pm
Herne Hill
Come and visit this green oasis in an urban setting it is a one of the many local green lungs in Forest Hill where you can find some interesting wildlife.
2pm to 5pm
Forest Hill
Poet and mudlark Tom Chivers follows hidden pathways, explores lost islands and uncovers the geological mysteries that burst up through the pavement and bubble to the surface of our streets.
6pm to 7pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 16th July
Sunday 17th July
Free
A colourful procession through the streets of Northwest London, complete with chariots for deities, traditional Indian folk dancing and devotional music.
Starts at 10:30am
Wembley
Join in on the fun with boat trips, exhibitions, entertainment, stalls, workshops and much more.
11am to 5pm
Bow
Annual open day at Brompton Cemetery with tours of the catacombs.
11am to 5pm
Earls Court
The UK’s largest one-day chess event is aimed at anyone who loves or wants to learn chess, and is completely free of charge.
11am to 6pm
Trafalgar Square
£15.00
Walk along the Deptford Creek at low tide with experts and find out about the local and natural history of this amazing urban space.
11am to 1pm
Deptford
Free
You can expect all the attractions of a traditional country show plus much more too.
12pm to 8pm
Herne Hill
A pretty London, Victorian terraced house with a dog friendly Italian patio style garden.
2pm to 6pm
South Woodford
A generous ½ acre plot converted by the owners into a colourful, plant-filled garden with many features of interest.
2pm to 5:30pm
Keston
Celeste Hicks traces the story of how the case was prepared against a third runway at Heathrow.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
Every year, thousands of people flock to the streets around the Church to watch the procession and to participate to the feast of the Church where you can buy the typical Italian products from different stands.
Starts at 3:30pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Sunday 17th July
Monday 18th July
The Thames Flood Barrier is closed once a month for test purposes, giving you a chance to see the barrier in its fully closed state.
11am to 1:30pm
Woolwich
£10.00
Learn about the technology, social history and cultural dimensions of water in this lecture accompanying the Canaletto's Venice Revisited exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.
6:30pm to 8pm
Greenwich
In this presentation, Murray Tremellen will explain how Wyatt transformed the Speaker’s House to suit the social and political objectives of its occupants.
Starts at 6:30pm
Tottenham Court Road
Online events / webinars
Join the History of Parliament Trust and the Parliamentary Archives in an online event marking the passing of the 1872 Ballot Act, 150 years ago.
6pm to 7pm
More London events on Monday 18th July
Tuesday 19th July
Hear stories from the survivors of the Hyde Park bombing in this special documentary to mark the 40th anniversary of the attack.
Starts at 6:30pm
Chelsea
Join Simona Francese and learn about Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS).
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
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Wednesday 20th July
Acting group Rupture in Rapture Theatre will perform live vignettes inspired by the satirical prints from the RCP’s current exhibition, exploring how doctors have been ridiculed, reprimanded and maligned for centuries.
6pm to 9pm
Camden
Online events / webinars
Discover the touching true story of Harold Gillies, the pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the faces of the First World War’s injured heroes, and in the process ushered in the modern era of plastic surgery.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 20th July
Thursday 21st July
Wilton’s Music Hall will be transformed into a vintage bazaar, brimming with vintage fashion, exquisite vintage jewellery & accessories.
4:30pm to 9:30pm
Whitechapel
Late night opening with special events for Slavery & the Bank.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
Friends do it, strangers do it and so do chimpanzees. It's not just deeply embedded in our history and culture, it may even be written in our DNA. The humble handshake, it turns out, has a rich and surprising history.
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
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Friday 22nd July
Free
Join Stephen Pope as he examines how initial tank tactics were developed and how these unproven ideas survived contact with the enemy.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
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Saturday 23rd July
Join Professor Martha Carlin for this talk on medieval poet John Gower, friend of Chaucer and Resident of Southwark Priory
11am to 12pm
Southwark
Join author and Dickens descendant Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, for the launch of her new book Dickens and Travel.
Starts at 2pm
Clerkenwell
Free
A number of art events will take place around the Aldgate area for one night only.
6pm to 11pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Saturday 23rd July
Sunday 24th July
Free running day on vintage buses and coaches from Victoria Coach Station.
9:30am to 5pm
Sloane Square
£6.00
Ice Sunday is the one day of the year when the Canal Museum can take visitors down into the Victorian ice wells beneath the ground floor.
10am to 4:30pm
Islington
Explore Tottenham's hidden heritage and see the magnificent 1888 engine in action.
11am to 5pm
South Tottenham
Alongside the Classic Gathering is the AutoJumble with around 100 stalls and car boot sellers offering all manner of goods from the traditional autojumble through to gifts.
2pm to 5pm
Weybridge
A garden filled with mature, different and unusual plants not normally encountered in England
2:30pm to 5:30pm
Chiswick
More London events on Sunday 24th July
Monday 25th July
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 25th July
Tuesday 26th July
£10.00
Join historian Iain MacGregor as he unpicks the legend of ‘The Lighthouse’, a story of heroic struggle at the heart of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Starts at 6:30pm
Chelsea
£17.03
What was Faraday's innovative process? And how can we learn to innovate from Faraday's work?
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
The talk will capture the Duke of Wellington’s life from his birth in 1769 to his state funeral in 1852.
6:30pm to :
More London events on Tuesday 26th July
Wednesday 27th July
£16.00
A screening of the film with live music accompaniment.
Starts at 7:30pm
Whitechapel
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Thursday 28th July
£13.00
An evening tour through a Hackney's most historic house, including the chance for a welcome drink (optional).
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Homerton
£10.00
Come for a canter through London's extraordinary history of the horse - in an actual Horse Hospital.
Starts at 7pm
Clerkenwell
This panel discussion explores our food systems from the perspective of farming and growing communities, with an in-depth look at where our food actually comes from.
7pm to 8:30pm
Richmond
Online events / webinars
Explore behavioural and neuroscientific research on animal sleep, with philosophical theories of dreaming.
Starts at 7pm
More London events on Thursday 28th July
Friday 29th July
Join Daniel Whittingham as he explores the nature of counterinsurgency both in principle and practice.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Online events / webinars
This talk will focus on Domesday’s life over the past nine centuries, its uses, and anecdotes from its later life in the Public Record Office - all through the lens of our collection.
2pm to 3pm
More London events on Friday 29th July
Saturday 30th July
Annual open day at the local model railway club showing off their trains.
10am to 4pm
Hounslow
This popular community harvest, and London’s only Pick Your Own Lavender event, will be eld at the three acre Carshalton Lavender field at Stanley Road Allotments.
10am to 5pm
Carshalton
A fleet of yachts mark the end of their round the world voyage with an afternoon of events in the Royal Docks.
12pm to 9pm
Victoria Dock
See a giant floating glowing planet earth hovering in the middle of a church.
4pm to 10pm
West Kensington
More London events on Saturday 30th July
Sunday 31st July
This popular community harvest, and London’s only Pick Your Own Lavender event, will be eld at the three acre Carshalton Lavender field at Stanley Road Allotments.
10am to 5pm
Carshalton
Occasional open day at a railway cutting nature reserve in Forest Hill.
1pm to 4pm
Forest Hill
Once a month, the oldest building in Hackney, St Augustine's Tower is open, so you can climb up to the top.
2pm to 4:30pm
Hackney
See a giant floating glowing planet earth hovering in the middle of a church.
3pm to 6pm
West Kensington
