The ianVisits guide to June's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Friday 1st June
The large private garden of the Archbishop of Canterbury is open once a month in the summer.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
Discover the 200-year story of Putney's historic burial ground (1763-1963).
Starts at 2:30pm
Putney
£18.00
Escape to nature and join The Royal Parks for a summer evening spectacular in the heart of Hyde Park.
Starts at 6:30pm
Paddington
Christopher Frayling takes a look at the history of this character as seen through visual culture.
7pm to 8:45pm
South Kensington
More London events on Friday 1st June
Saturday 2nd June
The history of Wandsworth Prison displayed in over 400 objects.
10am to 5pm
Wandsworth
A wondrous old barn now filled with random heritage clutter -- go for the atmosphere than the objects themselves.
10:30am to 4pm
Upminster
Over 130 exhibitors and 20 guest speakers on radical politics in one hall.
12pm to 6pm
New Cross
A chance for everyone to come and see what the beekeepers do, find out about beekeeping, buy local honey and enjoy teas.
1pm to 5pm
Twickenham
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
Astrophysicist Dr Roberto Trotta will talk about the science behind some of your favourite sci-fi movies.
Starts at 5:50pm
South Kensington
More London events on Saturday 2nd June
Sunday 3rd June
The London to Brighton classic and kit & sports car run returns to Greenwich Park for the 2018 start location.
8:15am to 11:15am
Greenwich
The London to Brighton classic and kit & sports car run returns to Greenwich Park for the 2018 start location.
Starts at 8:15am
Greenwich
The history of Wandsworth Prison displayed in over 400 objects.
10am to 5pm
Wandsworth
Chinese food and cultural festival on land, and dragon boat racing in the water
10am to 6pm
Victoria Dock
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
£4.00
A narrow private lane that is lined with gardens and open one day per year to the public.
1pm to 6pm
Peckham
Occasional open days at Capability Brown's Gatton Park landscaped 600 acres.
1pm to 5pm
Reigate
Occasional open day at a Zen Garden within a Buddhist Temple
2pm to 5pm
Acton
Tim Marshall brings his own trademark engaging and relatable style to examine the divisions caused by wealth, race, religion and politics.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 3rd June
Monday 4th June
Join Haunt London for an night of witchy, magical and bone-marrow curdling stories from the forgotten past and lost paths of London with tales of the Ratcliffe Highway Murders, Crouch End Spriggan and magic and mystery in London and beyond from author Cathi Unsworth.
7pm to 9pm
Bethnal Green
£16.50
Robin Ince and Josie Long bring a special live version of the popular Book Shambles podcast to the Royal Albert Hall
Starts at 8pm
South Kensington
More London events on Monday 4th June
Tuesday 5th June
In 1968 Rennie's London Bridge was sold at auction and moved to Arizona. This talk explores this remarkable story.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
A panel debate will discuss why so many people are feeling disenchanted with the present, and apprehensive about the future - and whether this is encouraging people to look to the past as a time of safety and security.
6pm to 8pm
St James
Stanfords welcomes Rachel Kolsky as she talks about her new book Women’s London: A Tour Guide to Great Lives.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
More London events on Tuesday 5th June
Wednesday 6th June
Learn more about the Guilds of the City of London and the Lord Mayors.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
This illustrated presentation by Dr Duncan Sutherland will mark the sixtieth anniversary of women’s admission to the House of Lords by examining coats of arms granted to notable women peers and MPs.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Clare Gilmartin, CEO of Trainline talks about the rise of the mobile consumer for train tickets.
6:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
Love it or loathe it, London is made of concrete and this evening of opinions, music and screenings has been curated to celebrate a much-maligned building material.
6:30pm to 9pm
Victoria Dock
Jonathan Drori talks about his new book Around the World in 80 Trees.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
Patrick Baty, historian of architectural paint and colour explores the history of ready-mixed paint colours and of analysis of paint used in historic houses like Benjamin Franklin House.
6:30pm to 8pm
Trafalgar Square
An illustrated story of science stereotypes from Socrates to Sci-fi – an exploration of the portrayal of scientists in fiction.
Starts at 7pm
Southwark
More London events on Wednesday 6th June
Thursday 7th June
Discover truly remarkable – but surprisingly little known – collections, featuring everything from artworks to scarce anatomical preparations and ext
5pm to 8pm
Camden
Hear behind-the-scenes secrets such as how costumes are made and effects are achieved, and get a closer look at the sets.
Starts at 5pm
Barbican
An evening exploring the architecture of the airport.
6pm to 8:30pm
City of London
Angela Smith, author of Suffrage Discourse in Britain During the First World War, will look at the ways in which the many different factions of the movement adopted a range of strategies, using the war to advance the cause.
6pm to 7:30pm
Richmond
A festival style event to discuss and explore ways of making London a cleaner, greener, and more liveable city.
6:45pm to 10pm
Covent Garden
£26.00
An evening of hands-on science and a panel discussion, chaired by Dallas Campbell, discussing the science behind science fiction
7pm to 10pm
Hanover Square
Join Jennifer Ullman to hear about the rich history of this much loved London landmark and learn how our times are leaving their mark.
Starts at 7:30pm
Battersea
More London events on Thursday 7th June
Friday 8th June
Covering the Wandsworth Huguenots, the factory workers, William Morris, and Liberty’s.
Starts at 6:30pm
Wandsworth
A talk by Dr Zoe Jaqueson how Carroll’s interest in animal rights emerges in his books.
7pm to 8pm
Clerkenwell
£15.00
Simon Doonan examines the beautiful game through the lens of fashion, celebrating the magic and madness of its culture with a laser wit
7pm to 8:45pm
South Kensington
More London events on Friday 8th June
Saturday 9th June
Free
London's lost buildings – from coaching inns and horse markets to riverside mansions and gin palaces – are the focus of a this exhibition.
9:30am to 4:45pm
Clerkenwell
A day for labyrinth enthusiasts. Two labyrinths available to walk, and speakers
10am to 4pm
Leytonstone
The festival will host a range of archaeology-related activities, including behind the scenes tours, art activities and artefact handling for all ages.
12pm to 5pm
Euston
Tours of the the only surviving windmill in inner London
1pm to 2pm
Brixton
As is traditional, a large formation of military aircraft will fly over central London for The Queen's Birthday Flypast.
1pm to 9pm
More London events on Saturday 9th June
Sunday 10th June
The BBC's Antiques Roadshow will be filming at Eltham Palace today.
9:30am to 4pm
Eltham
A guided walk looking at the trees of Dulwich Park in partnership with the Dulwich Society and Southwark Council
4pm to 6pm
Dulwich
A guided walk looking at the trees of Dulwich Park in partnership with the Dulwich Society and Southwark Council
4pm to 6pm
Dulwich
A talk on the history and wildlife of the Honor Oak area and the surrounding Great North Wood.
7:30pm to 9pm
Forest Hill
More London events on Sunday 10th June
Monday 11th June
Join the Royal College of Physicians in their medicinal garden for a series of three afternoons exploring medical plants and herbal remedies. Special lectures, expert garden tour and refreshments included.
1:30pm to 6pm
Camden
In this talk, Dr. Geoffrey P. Megargee (USHMM) will describe and explain the Wehrmacht's role in Nazi Germany's crimes.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
Gain a fascinating insight into the lives of the patients and nurses, when Fulham Palace was transformed into a World War I hospital in 1918. Join our Curator, Miranda Poliakoff, who will bring their time at the Palace to life in this illustrated talk.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Fulham
In Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith, a distinguished philosopher of science and a skilled scuba diver, tells a bold new story of how nature became aware of itself – a story that largely occurs in the ocean, where animals first appeared.
7:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
More London events on Monday 11th June
Tuesday 12th June
Linda Miller OBE, formerly of Crossrail gives the 12th Brunel International opening lecture.
6pm to 7:45pm
Pimlico
Discover stories and parts of London that you may not have known. All of this done whilst visiting some of London’s oldest pubs.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
What else can we foresee and what can we learn from the first seven decades of our cyber enabled world that will help us to design the best future for ourselves and our children?
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
In his inaugural lecture as a Visiting Professor in Practice at LSE’s School of Public Policy, Sir Nick will assess and analyse the political landscape of the UK and other western democracies.
6pm to 7:30pm
Holborn
An evening lecture featuring two buildings whose design and use of concrete is strongly influenced by the context of their location.
Starts at 6:30pm
Euston
£10.55
Discover what life is like on the cutting edge of international politics with author and former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Lord Ashdown
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Soho
Renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto discusses his work with the Guardian’s architecture and design critic Oliver Wainwright.
6:30pm to 8pm
Kensington
Join this walking tour exploring the Docklands' data centres led by Tom Ravenscroft, architectural historian and deputy editor of Dezeen.
7pm to 8:30pm
Poplar
Imperial’s Professor Michele Dougherty talks you through her work on the 20-year-long Cassini probe mission and her work on the forthcoming JUICE probe.
Starts at 7:30pm
South Kensington
More London events on Tuesday 12th June
Wednesday 13th June
LGBT Britain showcases a fascinating collection of films, which tackle the collective fight for equality and showcase moving personal experiences through to the 1990s.
2pm to 3:45pm
Richmond
A talk about how Crossrail applied H&S to the project, exceeding industry average and exceeding the Olympic Delivery Authority performance.
Starts at 6pm
Vauxhall Bridge
Jasper Winn takes us along a thousand miles of 'wet roads and water streets' and talks about the heritage, history and communities of people who make Britain’s canals so great.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
More London events on Wednesday 13th June
Thursday 14th June
Moor Park Mansion is a Grade I listed Palladian mansion set within over 300 hundred acres in Hertfordshire.
Starts at 10am
Rickmansworth
On display will be a range of WSP’s engineering solutions to London’s complex built environment.
6pm to 9pm
Holborn
Three panellists will uncover the history and future of three iconic areas that prove the City has a lot more to offer; The Eastern Cluster, Culture Mile, Cheapside.
6pm to 7:30pm
City of London
A talk that delves into the future of the workplace, with an emphasis on the implications for industries dominated by women.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
Join Tom Furber for this journey into the archives as he searches for evidence of LGBTQ+'s Lives in the past.
Starts at 7pm
Southwark
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 highly respected Victorian physician who introduced hypnotism to London in 1837.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 14th June
Friday 15th June
A local community festival to mark the revamping of the road layout into a pedestrian space.
4pm to 9pm
Tower Hill
Asunder tells the story of what happened to an English town during World War One with almost all of its men fighting abroad and its women and children left behind.
6:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
Science, music, comedy and wonder collide in Space Shambles, presented in association with The Cosmic Shambles Network.
Starts at 7:30pm
South Kensington
More London events on Friday 15th June
Saturday 16th June
Eight private gardens in Spitalfields will open their doors for the public to go inside.
11am to 4pm
Explore the Brompton Cemetery through family crafts, mini-tours, bug sweeps, herbal hand creams and more.
Starts at 11am
West Brompton
Free
Traditional local community fete and also a parade from the town centre.
12pm to 6pm
Hanwell
A local community festival to mark the revamping of the road layout into a pedestrian space.
12pm to 9pm
Tower Hill
Traditional village fete with a medieval twist.
12pm to 6pm
Streatham
Annual fete held in Highgate with all the usual stalls and events.
12:30pm to 5:30pm
Highgate
Join local bee recorder Mark Patterson and learn about the summer seasonal bees which make the cemetery park their home, how to identify bees in the field for beginners.
1pm to 4pm
Bow
Join Project Manager Nigel Thorne to learn more about our £4.5million restoration of Brompton Cemetery, focusing on the restoration of this grade 1 listed landscape.
2:30pm to 4pm
West Brompton
Watch a sci-fi movie in a planetarium.
6:30pm to 8pm
Greenwich
More London events on Saturday 16th June
Sunday 17th June
This will be a family fun day for all ages and will include hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations, games and exhibitions.
10am to 5pm
Euston
Local community fete in the heart of London.
Starts at 12pm
Marylebone High St
A local community festival to mark the revamping of the road layout into a pedestrian space.
12pm to 3pm
Tower Hill
This talk is an analysis of what the Alt-Right stands for and who its followers and leaders are and what we do could when confronted with extreme views.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 17th June
Monday 18th June
Are you brave enough to meet Matron? Experience what it was like to be a Victorian nursing student in 1900.
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Harley Street
What is the legacy of photographs as documents of war crimes? Upcoming talk by David Shneer aims to examine their legacy both as a piece of history and as images of haunting beauty.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
More London events on Monday 18th June
Tuesday 19th June
This seminar explores how investments in transport infrastructure can help deliver more housing, regeneration and economic growth.
12:30pm to 3:30pm
Belgravia
Drawing on examples from over 150 oral history testimonies, this talk illustrates how everyday life changed for Berlin’s Jews under the Nazi regime.
2pm to 3:30pm
Russell Square
This lecture takes the long view and examines the nature and impact of terrorism in Europe since the nineteenth century.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
The Crossway is an account of Stagg’s extraordinary journey. It describes the dangers he faced on the road, captures the people he met and the landscapes he experienced, offers a unique insight into contemporary faith
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
This marks the end of the crowdfunded feasibility process and will including all latest news about how much it will cost, what is happening to build the line and when.
7pm to 9pm
Peckham
More London events on Tuesday 19th June
Wednesday 20th June
A family friendly science festival from QM, for anyone interested in science and medicine from teenagers to adults (and big kids!) of any age.
10:30am to 3pm
Whitechapel
An annual ceremony to pluck a red rose and present it to the Lord Mayor of London.
Starts at 11am
City of London
Learn about the history of London architecture, the origins of brickwork in London and the history of the London stock.
12:30pm to 2pm
Southwark
Go behind the scenes of the new gallery designed by LTS Architects.
3:45pm to 5:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Wednesday 20th June
Thursday 21st June
Arwa Haider takes you on a tour of the darker side of the Great British Seaside.
11am to 12:30pm
Greenwich
Free
This talk explores some of the different ways in which London connects with the world.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
The Chairman and Trustees march around the Piazza, accompanied by the Town Crier, to pay the “peppercorn rents” of five red apples and five posies of flowers for the buildings
Starts at 4:30pm
Trafalgar Square
6pm to 7pm
Southwark
International lecture by Professor Wolfgang Baumeister exploring a method of studying the 'molecular sociology' of cells.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
St James
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke in conversation with LSE's Tony Travers and Kevin Featherstone.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
A history talk about the Old St Thomas' Hospital.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 21st June
Friday 22nd June
London’s biggest annual festival dedicated to showcasing the best in comics, illustration, sequential art, and storytelling.
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Clapton
Fifteen interactive exhibits will bring to life fascinating ideas in the humanities and social sciences
11am to 5pm
St James
Come along to a special free late-night view of the British Academy Summer Showcase.
6:30pm to 9pm
St James
More London events on Friday 22nd June
Saturday 23rd June
A weekend of events to mark the reopening of the Gunnersbury Park Museum following restoration work.
All Day
Acton
London’s biggest annual festival dedicated to showcasing the best in comics, illustration, sequential art, and storytelling.
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Clapton
A chance to go inside a recently build recycling facility and see how it works.
10am to 2:45pm
Norwood Green
Enjoy a free family day out at a traditional village fete in the setting of Kew Green.
11am to 6pm
Richmond
Fifteen interactive exhibits will bring to life fascinating ideas in the humanities and social sciences
11am to 5pm
St James
Artists studios on the usually private Eel Pie Island will be open to visitors for the weekend.
11am to 6pm
Twickenham
£10.00
An 'in conversation' with punctuation and grammar writer, Lynne Truss.
11am to 12pm
Golders Green
See donkey rides, a pop-up cinema, arts workshops, face painting, raffle, craft stalls and local groups.
1pm to 6pm
Camberwell
This guided walk will tell the story of these lost and often long-forgotten graveyards, taking in a circular route around Southwark and finishing up back at Southwark Cathedral.
1pm to 3pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 23rd June
Sunday 24th June
The cemetery runs guided history and heritage walks every month throughout the summer.
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A weekend of events to mark the reopening of the Gunnersbury Park Museum following restoration work.
All Day
Acton
London’s biggest annual festival dedicated to showcasing the best in comics, illustration, sequential art, and storytelling.
tba
Clapton
Over 500 vintage/classic cars/motor bikes/ scooter/military vehicles/vintage bicycles on display.
11am to 4pm
Hampton
Artists studios on the usually private Eel Pie Island will be open to visitors for the weekend.
11am to 6pm
Twickenham
Expect a military flypast of some sort that will coincide with an event at the Bomber Command Memorial next to Hyde Park Corner.
11:55am to 12:15pm
Picadilly
Free
Expect to see three large wooden chariots progress from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square.
12pm to 5pm
£13.24
Celebrating 50 years of work and friendship, four retired astronomers recount their parts played in the most exciting period in astronomy’s history.
Starts at 5:30pm
South Kensington
More London events on Sunday 24th June
Monday 25th June
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 25th June
Tuesday 26th June
Hugh Broughton will lead a tour of the ground floor spaces including the Rookery entrance and Marble Hall overlooking the central courtyard.
6pm to 7pm
Russell Square
A screening of the 1975 pilot of the TV show Wonder Woman, which was released in the United Nations’ Year of the Woman and the year of the Sex Discrimination Act in the UK.
6pm to 8pm
Holborn
Join a panel of designers, artists and activists for a talk on the visual languages of protest.
6:30pm to 8pm
Kensington
Artist and cartographer Adam Dant surveys London’s past, present and future with his beautiful, witty and subversive cartographic pieces.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
£12.00
Boring Talks is an evening celebrating the mundane, the ordinary, the obvious and the overlooked; subjects often considered trivial, but that when examined more closely reveal themselves to be deeply fascinating.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Come take a drop down the rabbit hole of occult politics in the twenty-first century and find out the post-truths and alternative facts surrounding the 45th President of the United States.
7:15pm to 9pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 26th June
Wednesday 27th June
A talk by Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut in space and the first woman to visit the Mir space station.
6pm to 8:30pm
Belgravia
More London events on Wednesday 27th June
Thursday 28th June
Professor Panikos Panayi explores the history of this quintessential British dish.
11am to 12:30pm
Greenwich
This panel discussion will reflect on how The City of London’s built environment has developed over the last 30 years to adapt to ever-changing needs.
6pm to 7:30pm
City of London
This talk examines the rise and fall of German modernism in the 1920s and 1930s.
6:30pm to 8pm
Russell Square
How has food production, distribution, storage, preparation, consumption, waste, and culture changed London’s built environment? How has London changed food? What does the future hold?
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
Based on several years of research, and more than 20 dedicated field missions by the authors, the Coffee Atlas of Ethiopia accurately maps and describes farmed and wild Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) across Ethiopia.
6:30pm to 7:45pm
Covent Garden
In this talk, Dr Ian Mortimer will explore the use of historical methodology and the importance of avoiding complacency when researching and writing history.
6:30pm to 8pm
Richmond
Where Poppies Blow is the unique story of how nature gave the British soldiers of the Great War a reason to fight, and the will to go on.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 28th June
Friday 29th June
Take a tour of The Dixon, whilst still in construction, to see first hand where the old and new meets.
2pm to 3pm
Southwark
More London events on Friday 29th June
Saturday 30th June
Join the London Fortean Society in London’s dark heart for a day of modern monsters and urban myth including Spring-heeled Jack, Cthulhu, Slender Man, subterranean London folklore, the Crying Boy and more.
10am to 5pm
Holborn
Learn how to cut hay, or just enjoy the fun at this annual scything festival.
Starts at 10:30am
Leyton
Free
A day of events related to the public sculptures dotted around the City of London.
10:30am to 4pm
Annual mass barge pull along the Thames from Greenwich to Westminster.
11:30am to 2pm
There will be demonstration’s of Medieval Combat, Archery and Dancing, as well as a recreation of a Medieval camp with crafts and skills from the period being demonstrated.
12pm to 5pm
Abbey Wood
Witness a dance revolution running through the streets, parks, and waterfronts of Canary Wharf.
1pm to 5pm
Poplar
Occasional open weekend at a private garden inside Regents Park.
2:30pm to 5:30pm
Camden
