The ianVisits guide to April's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Friday 1st April
Sir Mark Jones, former Director of the V&A Museum discusses attitudes to fakes and faking and how they have changed through time.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
Once a month, the private gardens of Lambeth Palace are open for a few hours in the afternoon.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
Occasional tours of the remains of Croydon Palace - which is now largely used by a girls school.
Starts at 1:30pm
With the London elections coming up, this is your chance to grill high profile candidates from all the main parties vying to get seats on the London Assembly.
Starts at 7:30pm
Holborn
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Saturday 2nd April
£10.00
A day of magical maths, uncovering some of the incredible ways numbers and patterns are woven through nature and our everyday lives.
Starts at 10:30am
Holborn
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 2nd April
Sunday 3rd April
Step back in history and visit the terminus building of London's original international airport - in Croydon.
11am to 4pm
Croydon
More London events on Sunday 3rd April
Monday 4th April
A light-hearted look at the origins of some of the expressions in everyday use, presented by Meryl Catty.
7:45pm to 9pm
Barking
More London events on Monday 4th April
Tuesday 5th April
This talk, by Dr Sarah Dustagheer, considers the play’s production at the Blackfriars playhouse, a small candlelit indoor hall that Shakespeare’s company used from 1609.
2pm to 3:30pm
City of London
Join historian David Lawrie to hear about the leading families who cultivated the gardens and their impact on feeding London, right up until the 1970s,
6pm to 8pm
City of London
An evening in the Sir John Soane's Museum with the rooms lit by candles.
6pm to 9pm
More London events on Tuesday 5th April
Wednesday 6th April
Join one of our Archivists for an introduction to the extraordinary social history collections of The Postal Museum.
Starts at 3pm
The lecture will present a review of what has happened in the courts since 2015, with an opportunity for debate.
Starts at 6pm
Holborn
How can we maintain a sustainable and resilient city in terms of competitiveness, employment, transport, housing and quality of life?
Starts at 6pm
A screening of two episodes of Sarah Jane adventures as part of our series of Monstrous or Misunderstood: Female Classical Monsters in SF TV.
6pm to 8pm
A rare chance to hear an account of his 15 years flying the world’s only supersonic passenger aircraft by a former British Airways pilot.
Starts at 7:30pm
Chiswick
More London events on Wednesday 6th April
Thursday 7th April
£14.50
Four days of events about coffee with lots of different things happening throughout the weekend.
All Day
Whitechapel
£40.00
This day dedicated to the ancient lore and myth of London, in a packed day, held in conjunction with the publication of Secret Lore of London.
All Day
Stuart Harvey continues with his selection of illustrated talks this time looking at some of the vestments, plate, memorials and briefly touching on the work of Edwin Lutyens.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Sally Osberg and Roger Martin offer a new framework for social innovation, demonstrating how and why meaningful change actually happens in the world.
Starts at 6pm
Join Iain sinclair, writer, psychogeographer and modern Odysseus, as he discusses his latest book, London Orbital.
Starts at 7pm
Islington
More London events on Thursday 7th April
Friday 8th April
£14.50
Four days of events about coffee with lots of different things happening throughout the weekend.
All Day
Whitechapel
Live performance of the ancient tale of twisting digressions, dreamscapes and stories folded within stories and of language itself.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
£12.00
Relive your childhood at the Bricks in the Sky late event for over 18's only.
6pm to 9pm
Olympic Park
A talk about the events that have shaken the City, and how London remains a city in turmoil.
6pm to 8pm
The award-winning improvised theatrical comedy sensation, spun in the style of Jane Austen.
7:45pm to 8pm
Greenwich
More London events on Friday 8th April
Saturday 9th April
£14.50
Four days of events about coffee with lots of different things happening throughout the weekend.
All Day
Whitechapel
£8.00
Join the London Fortean Society for three talks on terra incognita: the world of tunnels, caves, caverns and underground labyrinths.
Starts at 2:30pm
Holborn
Screening of the cult movie set in a future where books have been banned.
9pm to 10pm
More London events on Saturday 9th April
Sunday 10th April
£14.50
Four days of events about coffee with lots of different things happening throughout the weekend.
All Day
Whitechapel
A chance to see the restored Victorian steam pumping engines in action in the Bazalgette designed building.
10:30am to 2pm
More London events on Sunday 10th April
Monday 11th April
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 11th April
Tuesday 12th April
Dr. Peter Ross (Guildhall Library Principal Librarian) will look at the various books printed at the time of Shakespeare’s First Folio
1pm to 1:30pm
City of London
In this talk, Matthew will reflect on 'the Future City' and consider utopian fiction's representation of urban space,
1pm to 1:30pm
£6.00
With cabinets full of (not so alive) life models from across the animal kingdom in some remarkable poses we invite you to join us for a lively evening of drawing.
6:30pm to 9pm
Are humans getting smarter? Are some groups smarter than others? Are some groups getting smarter faster than others?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Machine learning is a hidden power behind many services we use each day, and is set to transform many others, but what exactly is it?
6:30pm to 9pm
Author Andrew Martin will speak about growing up in York; the son of a railwayman, he used his ‘Privilege Ticket’ to go on childhood jaunts to London.
Starts at 7pm
A panel discusses the challenges and approaches of rebuilding critical infrastructure in areas prone to flooding.
7pm to 8:40pm
More London events on Tuesday 12th April
Wednesday 13th April
Discover the wealth of public art in the City of London in this illustrated talk by Alexandra Epps, City of London Guide and Tate Guide.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Barbican
This talk will look at the infamous First World War siege of Kut-al-Amara, in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq)
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
More London events on Wednesday 13th April
Thursday 14th April
The lecture will explore the various ways in which desire, cruelty, power and religion are configured in the cinema of the period.
Starts at 7pm
More London events on Thursday 14th April
Friday 15th April
£5.00
Tour the remains of the western gate of London’s Roman military fort, located beneath the streets next to the museum.
2pm to 2:30pm
Professor Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957) is one of the most influential figures of 20th century archaeology. But his political life remains enigmatic.
2pm to 3:30pm
Richmond
More London events on Friday 15th April
Saturday 16th April
All-day conference on the inter-war flying era.
All Day
Croydon
Free
You are exhorted to visit your local independent purveyor of music and make purchases of physical storage media.
All Day
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
tba
Richmond
£2.00
Learn about the secretive Water Vole with an illustrated talk followed by a visit to Silvermeade to look for field signs.
10am to 12pm
Broxbourne
10am to 4pm
Chadwell Heath
More London events on Saturday 16th April
Sunday 17th April
Free
Annual ceremonial rowing event between Hampton Court and the Tower of London
12:30pm to 4:30pm
In a rare visit to the UK, Emmy award winning director, Stephen Trombley, will talk about the philosophy of everyday life.
Starts at 2pm
Holborn
The Regent’s Canal is one of London’s best-kept secrets. Get your walking boots on and join IWA on a journey to Hitchcock's Hackney.
Starts at 2:30pm
Kings Cross
More London events on Sunday 17th April
Monday 18th April
A talk about the man's drawings as part of the ongoing display at the Science Museum
Starts at 1pm
More London events on Monday 18th April
Tuesday 19th April
In a talk to accompany his exhibition of photographs, Simon Gregor will share some of his experiences of photographing London at night.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
This event brings together the key campaigners on both sides of the debate and asks how we might solve the housing crisis.
Starts at 6:30pm
A talk on South London’s rival to Regent’s Zoo, by the Cuming Museum curator Judy Aitken.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Join the discussion with author and journalist Rowan Moore, former senior policy advisor Rohan Silva, Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali, and author and journalist Simon Jenkins.
Starts at 7:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 19th April
Wednesday 20th April
The career of Wren, often thought as the greatest English architect, tells us a lot about what leads to architectural success and tells us a lot about London.
Starts at 6pm
Barbican
Award winning photographer Stuart Franklin will discuss his work capturing the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square - including the now iconic image Tank Man.
6pm to 8pm
Richmond
More London events on Wednesday 20th April
Thursday 21st April
To mark the Queen’s Birthday, there will be gun salutes.
Starts at 12pm
Dr Christopher Duffy will discuss the importance of manuscript collections in understanding the events of the battle,
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
5:30pm to 7pm
Join Art Macabre on an artistic journey back to ancient Egypt to explore the beauty, power and potency of one of the world’s first power couples.
6pm to 8:30pm
A lecture by Dr Doreen Mueller, which will explore how swords and guns were envisioned in the popular imagination in early modern Japan.
Starts at 6:30pm
The British Humanist Association presents the Voltaire Lecture 2016, with Bettany Hughes, chaired by Shappi Khorsandi.
Starts at 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Thursday 21st April
Friday 22nd April
Author and historian Tom Holland presents a luridly fascinating history of the reign of the first five Roman emperors
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
More London events on Friday 22nd April
Saturday 23rd April
UCL and UCLH will be opening their doors to let you into their fascinating world of Cancer Research.
10:30am to 3pm
£10.00
Open weekend at the Transport Museum's overflow depot, with tours, mini-rides and steam rollers.
11am to 5pm
There will be a variety of free interactive stalls and activities centred around this year’s theme of Recycle, Upcycle and Exchange,
11am to 3pm
Poplar
Come and celebrate St George’s Day, with its special Shakespearean theme, plus a feast of English food, live music and free fun for everyone.
12pm to 6pm
Trafalgar Square
£45.00
Try your hand at the ancient technique of Flint Knapping and make your own lithic tool to take home.
1pm to 4pm
Starting beneath Tower Bridge a group of over one hundred sea Kayakers will paddle 26.2 miles of the river Thames.
1:30pm to 6:30pm
More London events on Saturday 23rd April
Sunday 24th April
The Reserve is open to the public just once a year, on the last Sunday in April at a time when the bluebells are at their most beautiful.
10am to 4pm
Greenford
£10.00
Open weekend at the Transport Museum's overflow depot, with tours, mini-rides and steam rollers.
11am to 5pm
Hear artist Giles Round discuss his new artwork for Blackhorse Road station at the William Morris Gallery.
Starts at 2pm
£11.50
A screening of this classic silent movie with live music accompaniment.
Starts at 4:15pm
More London events on Sunday 24th April
Monday 25th April
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 25th April
Tuesday 26th April
This talk will look at records from the War Office, the Home Office, and the Dublin Castle Papers in order to build a picture of the Rising from the British side.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
Martin Parr discusses his exhibition 'Unseen City' and his time as the City of London Corporation’s photographer-in-residence,
6pm to 8pm
Free
Permanent bases on the Moon and Mars are now within reach, and a new Space Race is brewing. We can now envisage our future off-Earth.
Starts at 6pm
Barbican
Discover how an impromptu expedition changed the future of a country.
6:30pm to 8pm
More London events on Tuesday 26th April
Wednesday 27th April
This walk investigates the effects of recent developments on the area and the benefits Crossrail will bring.
Starts at 10:30am
A note that a large cruise ship will be moored at Greenwich for a day -- something to see, or watch pass through the Thames Barrier.
Starts at 3pm
In his latest book Peter Gill reveals how the ‘war on terror’ has ravaged the independence and neutrality of humanitarian aid, with serious consequences for relief operations.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Christopher Wilson reveals how the chapel would have looked if all of its splendid contents had been installed.
Starts at 6:30pm
This month, Lates focuses on medicine as we delve in to dementia and neuroscience with UCL and Alzheimer's Research UK.
6:45pm to 10pm
Oxford House and the Londonist present Our London, a series of talks that take a look at our changing city.
Starts at 7pm
Bethnal Green
From Arab streets to Wall Street, Popovic will talk about how non-violent protests and their strategies are re-shaping political and social arenas across the world.
7:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
In the run up to the referendum of 23 June on membership of the EU, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria will address one of the most momentous decisions facing Britain in modern times.
10:30pm to 11:30am
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 27th April
Thursday 28th April
£8.00
Celebrate the history and future of the spectacle that is the transit of Mercury across the Sun.
6pm to 7pm
Starts at 7:45pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Thursday 28th April
Friday 29th April
Could London thrive outside the EU? How much has London gained from Europe - and Europe gained from London?
6pm to 7:30pm
Holborn
Dr Richard Rex uncovers the huge personal, emotional and financial influence on the building of the chapel by Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Starts at 6:30pm
More London events on Friday 29th April
Saturday 30th April
A chance to look around the station and check out the equipment used by Brigade firefighters.
tba
Tottenham
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
Michael Quinn of UCL explains the Panopticon concept and its place within Bentham’s wider project of delivering happiness through law.
Starts at 2pm
John Sinclair and Cary Loren in conversation about the Detroit Artist's Workshop and all things Detroit, art and counterculture.
Starts at 6pm
Clerkenwell
