The ianVisits guide to May's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Monday 13th May
Building Crafts College hosts tours of its workshops alongside an exhibition of current and previous students’ work.
Starts at 10:30am
Stratford
Monday 13 May 19:00 – 20:45, British Library Pigott Theatre Join some of food’s best-loved voices as they explore the food writing that whets their appetites. With Miquita Oliver, Aji Akokomi, Madhur Jaffrey, Jeremy Lee, Sally Abe, Rosie Sykes and Ravinder Bhogal
Starts at 7pm
Camden
Reshape our understanding of science's past and untangle intercontinental science networks with Cambridge University Junior Fellow, Gianamar Giovannetti-Singh.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
Join Catland co-owner Melissa Madara for a storytelling session & analysis of some of the most infamous plants in the witch's apothecary
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Monday 13th May
Tuesday 14th May
Embroiderers to the British royal family, Savile Row and luxury fashion houses, Hand & Lock opens its doors to the public to offer an insight into Britain’s oldest embroidery house.
10am to 11:30am
Fitzrovia
Building Crafts College hosts tours of its workshops alongside an exhibition of current and previous students’ work.
Starts at 10:30am
Stratford
Free
This three day event will be a celebration of all things pewter, with live demonstrations, workshops and exhibits
11am to 3:30pm
City of London
In this lecture I will show you some mathematical illusions: “proofs” that 1=0, that fractions don’t exist, and more.
1pm to 2pm
Holborn
This lecture considers how weather events cause harm to health, and our countermeasures.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
£18.00
Steven Brindle considers the development of the Greek style in England, from its tentative and experimental mid-Georgian beginnings, to its sudden triumph in the Regency age
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Tottenham Court Road
Discover how batteries will power our planet into the future.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Celebrated cartoonist Martin Rowson talks about his extraordinary edition of Marx's Communist Manifesto.
Starts at 7:30pm
Highgate
More London events on Tuesday 14th May
Wednesday 15th May
Merchant & Found, one of the UK’s leading online vintage furniture and lighting stores, hosts a 6,000-square-foot vintage supermarket at the Vinyl Factory Soho.
10am to 7pm
Soho North
Embroiderers to the British royal family, Savile Row and luxury fashion houses, Hand & Lock opens its doors to the public to offer an insight into Britain’s oldest embroidery house.
10am to 11:30am
Fitzrovia
Building Crafts College hosts tours of its workshops alongside an exhibition of current and previous students’ work.
Starts at 10:30am
Stratford
Free
This three day event will be a celebration of all things pewter, with live demonstrations, workshops and exhibits
11am to 3:30pm
City of London
St Bride Foundation will be opening the doors to the historic print workshop for people to experience the amazing craft and history of letterpress printing.
5pm to 9pm
City of London
Online events / webinars
Join online as we delve into the fascinating world of forensics & learn how investigations have changed since the 1924 murder of Emily Kaye.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Join bestselling historian James Holland to explore the brutal story of the most pivotal campaign of the Second World War.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 15th May
Thursday 16th May
Merchant & Found, one of the UK’s leading online vintage furniture and lighting stores, hosts a 6,000-square-foot vintage supermarket at the Vinyl Factory Soho.
10am to 7pm
Soho North
Free
This three day event will be a celebration of all things pewter, with live demonstrations, workshops and exhibits
11am to 1:30pm
City of London
Take a Virtual Tour of St Paul’s with City of London Guide & Lecturer and St Paul's Cathedral Guide Jill Finch.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Visit grooming experts MÜHLE on Thursday 16 May for an evening of brush-making and shaving demonstrations, trivia and bubbles.
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Soho North
After hours opening of the Old Operating Theatre museum.
6pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
Join Wendy Moore as she reveals the remarkable story of the unconventional love and loyalty of Vera ‘Jack’ Holme and Evelina Haverfield, suffragettes, life partners and trailblazing feminists who carved radical new paths for women during the First World War.
6pm to 7:30pm
Holborn
Join Alison Weir and Sarah Gristwood in conversation as they explore the dynamic relationship between the courts of Tudor England and Renaissance France.
6:30pm to 8pm
Pimlico
Two talks on the history of swords in the British Army and how they are made today.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Chelsea
Every book-lover's dream: a celebration of 550 years of the printed book
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
In his first public talk, BBC correspondent Daniel De Simone will offer previously unheard insights into his two-year investigation
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Online events / webinars
Join curators Sarah Vowles and Grant Lewis as they introduce and explore the context, themes and highlight objects of the new exhibition Michelangelo: the last decades.
4:30pm to 5:30pm
More London events on Thursday 16th May
Friday 17th May
City & Guilds of London Art School hosts a two-day event showcasing some of the historic and contemporary craft skills they champion.
10am to 5pm
Kennington
Merchant & Found, one of the UK’s leading online vintage furniture and lighting stores, hosts a 6,000-square-foot vintage supermarket at the Vinyl Factory Soho.
10am to 7pm
Soho North
£7.00
The annual celebration of the Norwegian National Day, with music and food, takes place in Southwark Park.
11am to 5pm
Rotherhithe
More London events on Friday 17th May
Saturday 18th May
Free
Ancient annual fair in Cheam, started by a procession by the Mayor to the fair.
9am to 2pm
Cheam
Merchant & Found, one of the UK’s leading online vintage furniture and lighting stores, hosts a 6,000-square-foot vintage supermarket at the Vinyl Factory Soho.
10am to 7pm
Soho North
Free entry to the gallery this weekend as part of the Dulwich Festival.
10am to 5pm
Dulwich
Tour a historic Grade II listed water tower with views of the Kings Cross area and St Pancras station.
10am to 4pm
Kings Cross
The Barnes Fragrance Fair will celebrate twenty independent fragrance brands and founders, an array of scent workshops plus a handful of talks.
10am to 5pm
Barnes
The international event of the top doll house builders, miniature artisans & DIY suppliers attending.
10am to 5pm
Kensington
The programme will feature their usual mix of contemporary and historical vexillological presentations.
10am to 4:30pm
Holborn
A monthly display of classic cars in Waterloo - usually attracting around 20 vehicles.
11am to 2pm
Southwark
City & Guilds of London Art School hosts a two-day event showcasing some of the historic and contemporary craft skills they champion.
1pm to 6pm
Kennington
£17.06
Join Catherine Cawthorne as she fact-checks your favourite stories with science.
2pm to 3:15pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Saturday 18th May
Sunday 19th May
Free entry to the gallery this weekend as part of the Dulwich Festival.
10am to 5pm
Dulwich
Free
Watch a ceremonial fleet of boats row from Hampton Court Palace to the Tower of London.
Starts at 10:30am
Visit the three listed buildings and see the four Victorian beam engines, one of which has been fully restored and will be steaming throughout the day.
10:30am to 4pm
Abbey Wood
As a visitor you can expect to see some of the rarest and most unique books available, not to mention unique memorabilia and stunning artworks in their own right.
11am to 5pm
Chelsea
Roger Vadim’s memorable (not always for the right reasons) Scifi fantasy starring Jane Fonda and many well-known faces.
Starts at 2pm
Kennington
Free
Writer and historian Michael Meyer pieces together unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts to bring Annie and Victorian London to life.
2pm to 3pm
Holborn
Journalist, broadcaster and documentary-maker Jenny Kleeman takes us on an adventure to meet some of the people who decide what we’re worth.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 19th May
Monday 20th May
Explore the “dead-centre” of Streatham with resident local historian and writer, John Brown.
1:30pm to 3pm
Streatham
Annual evening opening of the Lambeth Palace gardens to the public.
5pm to 8pm
Southwark
£16.96
Saumarez Smith, author of a new book on Vanbrugh, will give an overview of the architect’s life and particularly his posthumous reputation.
6:25pm to 8:15pm
Fleet Street
More London events on Monday 20th May
Tuesday 21st May
A review of the many theories that attempt to explain his origin and meaning. Join City Guide Robert Stephenson to find out more.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
A talk with Lady Olga Maitland, founder of Families for Defence, a counterpoint to the anti-nuclear protests of the 1980s.
5pm to 6:30pm
Holborn
Laura Laker talking about her new book Potholes and Pavements: A bumpy ride on Britain's National Cycle Network.
7pm to 8:30pm
Soho
Online events / webinars
An online discussion on the use of figures in contemporary architectural practice.
12pm to 8pm
More London events on Tuesday 21st May
Wednesday 22nd May
The Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Sheriffs will be mounting up and taking part in a ride around the City.
9am to 11:30am
A display of luxury and heritage cars along Savile Row for two days.
10am to 8pm
Hanover Square
Inside the Greek Ambassador’s official London residence is a room preserved for nearly 60 years in memory of the man who once worked there and is now open to the public.
5pm to 7pm
Mayfair
In this after hours tour, discover the portrait collection of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
5:30pm to 7pm
Camden
This lecture will explore the basics and history of logarithms, and then show how they are a natural way to represent many models and datasets.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 22nd May
Thursday 23rd May
A display of luxury and heritage cars along Savile Row for two days.
10am to 8pm
Hanover Square
£10.00
Contemporary artist Esther Teichmann will look at the ways in which photography is used to transport a viewer beyond reality and into a dream space.
1pm to 2pm
Soho
This lecture traces the history of race and disability law in the English education system.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
Sunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns to Southwark Cathedral with the spellbinding story of Mary I.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 23rd May
Friday 24th May
Join Conrad Shawcross as he explores using artistic expression to explore cosmological theories and the perception envelope.
7:20pm to 8:45pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Friday 24th May
Saturday 25th May
£11.73
The annual weekend of vintage cars on display alongside traditional village fair.
9am to 6pm
Enfield
The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships fleet will be at St Katherines Docks this weekend.
11am to 5pm
Wapping
Free
Queen’s Stone on the Southbank will transform into a hub of scientific sharing, as world-leading researchers once again take to their soapboxes to present their research at this free, live event.
1pm to 4pm
Southwark
Screening of a block of newly restored cartoons from the legendary Fleischer Studios featuring Betty Boop, Popeye, Koko the Clown and more.
Starts at 2pm
Kennington
Teddington RNLI Lifeboat Station will celebrate the charity’s 200th birthday with a station Open Day and a rare chance to see a historical lifeboat.
Starts at 3pm
Teddington
Late in the afternoon of the last day of the Chelsea Flower Show, many of the exhibitors sell off their plants to the visitors.
Starts at 4pm
Sloane Square
Step into ancient landscapes with award-winning paleobiologist Thomas Halliday as he guides us through a series of explorations.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Saturday 25th May
Sunday 26th May
£11.73
The annual weekend of vintage cars on display alongside traditional village fair.
9am to 5pm
Enfield
A WW2-era history attraction that's open to the public once a month.
10:30am to 4pm
Watford
The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships fleet will be at St Katherines Docks this weekend.
11am to 4pm
Wapping
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
More London events on Sunday 26th May
Monday 27th May
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 27th May
Tuesday 28th May
This talk and document viewing will tell the story of the growth and development of West London, using sections of John Rocque's 1746 map.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Clerkenwell
Alan Powers, co-author with the late Elain Harwood of a new book on Goldfinger, will explain some key works that are less well known.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Hampstead
A talk by Tom Baldwin and Marc Stears about their new book, England: Seven Myths That Changed a Country – and How to Set Them Straight.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
£17.27
Join physicist Kathryn Coldham for a captivating exploration of the CMS experiment at CERN.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
In this lecture, step into the captivating world of the Vikings and delve into their rich culture and enduring traditions
9:30pm to 10:30pm
More London events on Tuesday 28th May
Wednesday 29th May
Online events / webinars
Join historian and author, Damien Lewis discussing his latest book, SAS Great Escapes 3.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
This talk will demonstrate Carroll’s influence on the Surrealists, explore the remarkable mind of the author
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 29th May
Thursday 30th May
Join archaeologist and historian Robert Hartle as he tells the story of the earliest ‘resurrectionists’.
6pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
This lecture considers the role of experts in contributing to public debate in a democracy, bringing Aristotle's work on rhetoric to bear on norms for expert communication and public debate.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
From bestselling author of A History of the World According to Sheep comes a deeply fascinating exploration of a fast-vanishing way of life as Coulthard chronicles the countryside through tools, toys, domestic objects and more.
7pm to 8:30pm
Soho
More London events on Thursday 30th May
Friday 31st May
A special Soane Late which will take a closer look at the Museum's current exhibition Fanciful Figures.
Starts at 6pm
Holborn
£25.00
The Natural History Museum is hosting a special one-off evening to celebrate the opening of its new exhibition, Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre.
6:30pm to 9:30pm
South Kensington
