The ianVisits guide to April's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Sunday 1st April
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
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
Occasional open days at Capability Brown's Gatton Park landscaped 600 acres.
1pm to 5pm
Reigate
More London events on Sunday 1st April
Monday 2nd April
Free
The Blackheath Morris Men once more carry out the ancient tradition of heaving a lady into the air on a decorated chair.
Starts at 12am
Greenwich
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
The Markfield Beam Engine and Museum features a Grade 2 listed engine hall housing a restored, working steam-powered beam engine dating from 1888.
12pm to 4:30pm
South Tottenham
More London events on Monday 2nd April
Tuesday 3rd April
In this illustrated talk, Mark Dunton ill take you back in time to this tumultuous year.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
More London events on Tuesday 3rd April
Wednesday 4th April
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Wednesday 4th April
Thursday 5th April
Prof. Harro Mass explores the ideas behind measuring self-improvement, from Benjamin Franklin's cardinal virtues, to the 'ledgers of merit and demerit' of the Ming dynasty, and daily planners of the Victorian period.
6:30pm to 8pm
Trafalgar Square
£6.00
Intriguing and interesting stories from history delivered by a lineup of historians, comedians and experts.
7pm to 9pm
Antony Clayton’s talk will explore the myriad tunnels carved under the former Borough of Holborn.
7:30pm to 9pm
Hampstead
More London events on Thursday 5th April
Friday 6th April
This panel discussion will look at the current state of the debate around the proposed Stonehenge tunnel
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
More London events on Friday 6th April
Saturday 7th April
A note that a steam train will be running a service out of Victoria Station.
12:20pm to 4:15pm
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 7th April
Sunday 8th April
Vintage buses running around Watford for the day.
10:15am to 5:20pm
Come hear James Bloodworth speak on the ‘gig economy’ and what is means to be poor and working in twenty-first century Britain at Thinking on Sunday.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 8th April
Monday 9th April
Collaborative doctoral student Becky Lawton will discuss the physical features of this letter, and what they can reveal about the act of writing and receiving a letter in the 8th century.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Camden
£7.48
An evening talk exploring the connections between Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Benjamin Franklin, going beyond electricity and the spark of life.
6:30pm to 8pm
Trafalgar Square
Poet and author Fiona Sampson sifts through letters, diaries and records to illuminate the real woman behind her canonical work.
7:15pm to 8:30pm
Camden
An illustrated talk by Kenneth Greenway for the Barking & District Historical Society.
7:45pm to 9:30pm
Barking
More London events on Monday 9th April
Tuesday 10th April
In this talk Jasmine Losasso will describe the various ways that witches appeared in pamphlets and woodcuts in the 17th century.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
Professor Tallis seeks to rescue time from the jaws of physics, examining the claims that time is merely the fourth dimension of space-time, that there is a ‘passage’ of time or that time has a direction or arrow.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Daniel Start, author of Wild Guide Wales gives a book-related talk on the country's more natural sights.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
The London Salon explores counterculture to mark the 50th anniversary of Time Out magazine.
7pm to 10pm
Barbican
More London events on Tuesday 10th April
Wednesday 11th April
Free illustrated talk on James Parkinson, London apothecary and freemason, 1755 - 1824.
All Day
Aldwych
A talk about why we systematically get answers to questions about life around us wrong.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 11th April
Thursday 12th April
In this talk, Dr Paul Carter, editor of Pauper Prisons, Pauper Palaces, will examine the competing notions of 19th century welfare.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
Discover truly remarkable – but surprisingly little known – collections, featuring everything from artworks to scarce anatomical preparations and ext
5pm to 8pm
Camden
In his new book Simon Elliott tell this story for the first time of one of the largest military campaigns to take place in Britain.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
Cabaret performer and author of My Tutu went AWOL Iestyn Edwards talks about his experiences performing as drag ballerina Madame Galina to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
A talk by Inger Kroon, Project Director - Special Services, COWI Denmark.
6:30pm to 8pm
Euston
Explore questions of food poverty and social responsibility with Jack Monroe and Joanna Blythman
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Thursday 12th April
Friday 13th April
The normally private garden is open to the public once a month.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
Free
Handmade In Highgate features some of the UK’s designer/makers.
6pm to 9pm
Highgate
Join us for a unique opportunity to hear world-renowned experts reflect on the records of the Reformation, their relevance in the modern day and the impact of the 1517 Reformation anniversary.
6pm to 8pm
Richmond
Join Glyn Fussell, co-founder of Sink the Pink, as he leads a lively discussion celebrating the most significant club nights in queer history from Stonewall, to Boombox and into present day.
7pm to 8pm
South Kensington
More London events on Friday 13th April
Saturday 14th April
One day conference by SubBrit into matters subterranean.
9:30am to 5:15pm
South Kensington
Free
Handmade In Highgate features some of the UK’s designer/makers.
10am to 6pm
Highgate
Join Mario, Pac-Man, Lara Croft and a whole host of other iconic characters from video games for the second annual London Games Festival Games Character Parade.
12:30pm to 8pm
City of London
Tours of the the only surviving windmill in inner London
1pm to 2pm
Brixton
Free
This workshop explores the coroner's inquests on prisoners who died in Newgate, and opens discussion of the conditions in Newgate.
2pm to 4pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Saturday 14th April
Sunday 15th April
Free
Handmade In Highgate features some of the UK’s designer/makers.
10am to 5pm
Highgate
A host of vintage buses, bus rides, and trade stalls for the vintage bus fan.
Starts at 10am
Weybridge
£5.00
The London Gaming Market is a place to buy retro video-games, board games and merchandise all in one place.
11am to 4pm
Euston
More London events on Sunday 15th April
Monday 16th April
If Brexit represents an opportunity to revitalise and redefine our ways of working, then how would we like our food system to be?
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Monday 16th April
Tuesday 17th April
An evening that will celebrate the understated achievements of underground construction.
Starts at 6:30pm
Euston
£12.00
Get under the wings of these crucial creatures and adventure into the land of the fly.
7pm to 8pm
South Kensington
Christopher Frayling traces the journey of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein from limited edition literature to the bloodstream of contemporary culture.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Tuesday 17th April
Wednesday 18th April
Professor Thurley looks at the significance and impact of these great institutions on the development of London.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Did historic items end up in the Thames because they were rubbish – or were they thrown in as part of a ritual?
7:30pm to 9pm
Islington
More London events on Wednesday 18th April
Thursday 19th April
Join Fulham Palace's newly appointed Apprentice Bricklayer and his expert colleagues on a mini tour of the key areas of brickwork undergoing restoration.
2pm to 3pm
Fulham
This show-and-tell lecture will illustrate many of the issues encountered and resolved in a digital restoration of Murnau’s NOSFERATU.
Starts at 7pm
Clerkenwell
£22.15
A film screening about one of the world's most celebrated mountaineers and adventurers, Sir Chris Bonington.
7pm to 10pm
South Kensington
The scandalous story of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, lover and alleged murderer of James I - Britain’s first Stuart King - in 1625.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 19th April
Friday 20th April
This breakfast talk explores the recent work behind two well-known London icons – the Smithson’s Economist Building and Seifert’s Centre Point.
8:30am to 9:30am
Euston
Friend and Company Architects present their award-winning Pop Up Ute project — an up-cycled addition to an industrial heritage site
1:15pm to 1:45pm
Euston
Canon Ian Sherwood talk on the history, living history and constant challenge to preserve the church where he has ministered for 29 years
5pm to 8pm
Tottenham Court Road
From railways to electric light, the Victorians are famous for changing the face of Britain. But what about in the kitchen?
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Jones will share Nike’s history of sustainable practices, from innovative design to ethical manufacturing.
7pm to 8:45pm
South Kensington
Sir David Attenborough narrates the film that was directed by George Chan and produced by the Media Trust.
Starts at 7pm
Richmond
More London events on Friday 20th April
Saturday 21st April
Though there is much to see at this time in the morning, the main purpose of the walk will be to tune into the aural ambience of this very special landscape.
4:45am to 7am
Sydenham
An opportunity to explore a treasure-trove of over 320,000 artefacts from London’s transport history.
11am to 5pm
Acton
General fete type event in Trafalgar Square
12pm to 6pm
Trafalgar Square
A note that a steam train, hauled by the 35028 Clan Line locomotive will be chugging around South London.
12pm to 5pm
More London events on Saturday 21st April
Sunday 22nd April
An opportunity to explore a treasure-trove of over 320,000 artefacts from London’s transport history.
11am to 5pm
Acton
A family-friendly day filled with food, music, storytelling and theatre, celebrating the influence Saint George has had around the world.
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
Free
Join local bee recorder Mark Patterson and learn about the spring bees which make the cemetery park their home, how to identify bees in the field for beginners.
1pm to 4pm
Bow
Join Caitlin Davies for an illustrated talk on the history of the suffragettes at Holloway prison, a tale of both victimization and bravery.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 22nd April
Monday 23rd April
Free
A philosopher, a psychiatrist, and a neuroscientist discuss what recent research into the brain might mean for our understanding of free will.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
£12.00
Anne Willan, founder of La Varenne in Paris and an expert in old cookbooks, joins contemporary food publisher Sarah Lavelle and award-winning cookbook designer Caz Hildebrand to discuss how cookbooks have evolved.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Monday 23rd April
Tuesday 24th April
The historic unveiling of one of the most significant statues of our time – suffragist, Millicent Fawcett.
Starts at 10:45am
Whitehall
A talk about the the failure of the minor parties in UK politics.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
This lecture will focus on the advances that have been made in HIV over the last few years that haven't entered the general public consciousness.
Starts at 6:30pm
Camden
Join the Royal College of Physicians for a special event exploring the role of contemporary portraiture and the college's remarkable art collection, with artists Paul Benney and Jessica van der Weert.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Join Samin Nosrat in conversation with chef Jeremy Lee and Evening Standard restaurant critic Fay Maschler as they explore a different way of thinking about food and its component parts.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Tuesday 24th April
Wednesday 25th April
This lecture will consider the evidence for different forms of air pollution causing diseases, and outline some of the potential solutions.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Join the BBC's MARTIN ROSENBAUM and journalist NEIL FAULKNER as they plot the surprising London locations and events where the Russian Bolsheviks in exile planned to bring down the capitalists.
Starts at 6:30pm
Soho
Free
This month's Science Museum Lates explores the rise of the superbug.
6:45pm to 10pm
South Kensington
Discover the latest work by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, whose Seven Brief Lessons on Physics became one of the fastest-selling science books ever
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Wednesday 25th April
Thursday 26th April
Moor Park Mansion is a Grade I listed Palladian mansion set within over 300 hundred acres in Hertfordshire.
Starts at 10am
Rickmansworth
In this talk, Claire Eustance, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Greenwich, will share the stories of some of the men who went to great lengths to support the campaign.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
This is your chance to see our restoration project up close. We’re offering a handful of unique guided tours that provide a glimpse of the hidden interiors of Fulham Palace that are not normally open to visitors.
3pm to 4pm
Fulham
£8.13
Join historian Rebecca Rideal as she unravels one of the most important events in British history – the regicide of Charles I.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
A note that there will be some sort of military aircraft flypast over Hendon.
6:30pm to 6:50pm
Colindale
A talk by Iain Sinclair in a modernist building.
Starts at 7pm
Hampstead
Discover two sides of Chinese food and cooking practices in this double-bill.
7:15pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Thursday 26th April
Friday 27th April
£35.00
Celebrate London’s legendary relationship with Gin, from Hogarthian excess to high society cocktails, with a special Gin Late.
Starts at 12am
Holborn
Contemporary craft and design fair, where the makers themselves meet the public.
11am to 7pm
Poplar
This screening showcases archival film footage of a range of artists working in the Southbank Centre from the 1960s onwards
Starts at 5pm
Southwark
An exploration of Japanese adaptations of the Alice books from the beautifully illustrated work of artist Kusama Yahoo to comics, film, animation and clothes.
7pm to 8:30pm
Clerkenwell
A bold, raw portrait of youth adrift in 1970s Czechoslovakia. Based on the legendary 1980s cult novel by Jan Pelc with music by DG307 & The Plastic People of the Universe.
7pm to 10pm
As the iconic buildings turn 50, speakers tell us about their favourite 1960s building and why this period of architecture divides public opinion.
Starts at 8:15pm
Southwark
More London events on Friday 27th April
Saturday 28th April
Tour of Hornsey Town Hall - an iconic modernist public building
11am to 12pm
Hornsey
Come examine posters, programmes, photographs and weird and wonderful material showcasing the life and artistic history of the Southbank Centre
Starts at 12pm
Southwark
Contemporary craft and design fair, where the makers themselves meet the public.
12pm to 6pm
Poplar
In this drop-in session, learn about how music, dance, literature and visual art have been preserved.
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
Come and explore this beautiful nature reserve which is usually closed to the public.
1pm to 4pm
Brockley
A weekend of science, technology, live music, fascinating talks, creative workshops and street food.
3pm to 4pm
South Kensington
This screening showcases archival film footage of a range of artists working in the Southbank Centre from the 1960s onwards
Starts at 5pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 28th April
Sunday 29th April
A rare Open Day at Kilmorey Mausoleum, one of Richmond's most historic yet lesser known buildings.
9am to 3pm
Twickenham
£11.25
See over 80 working Stirling and hot air engines plus have the chance to meet the experts to discover more about these fascinating machines.
10am to 4pm
Brentford
Come examine posters, programmes, photographs and weird and wonderful material showcasing the life and artistic history of the Southbank Centre
Starts at 12pm
Southwark
Contemporary craft and design fair, where the makers themselves meet the public.
12pm to 6pm
Poplar
In this drop-in session, learn about how music, dance, literature and visual art have been preserved.
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
A weekend of science, technology, live music, fascinating talks, creative workshops and street food.
3pm to 4pm
South Kensington
This screening showcases archival film footage of a range of artists working in the Southbank Centre from the 1960s onwards
Starts at 5pm
Southwark
More London events on Sunday 29th April
Monday 30th April
Curator Julia Farley explores what life was like for the farmers and warriors who lived in these islands over 2,000 years ago.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
There visitors will be able to peruse many of the rare books held within the Marcus Beck and the library rare books stacks.
10am to 4pm
Harley Street
The reception of moving pictures in 1894–96 has been much mythologised. Were spectators really frightened of an approaching train?
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
