Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.
Looking for more free things to do in London? Here are 102 of em! We've also compiled this epic map of free stuff in London.
Free fish and chips for veterans at Poppies
Legendary fish and chip restaurant Poppies is offering free fish and chips to veterans of all ages, and members of the Armed Forces this week, in partnership with the Official Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club.
It's available in any of Poppies three restaurants (Spitalfields, Soho, Camden), every day this week between 11am and 12pm, with the aim of bringing members of the Armed Forces together face to face, to talk and reminisce. You need to prebook via the Poppies website, and the offer is only applicable to veterans themselves, not their friends and family. You'll need to take along ID to prove you're a veteran or member of the British Armed Forces, to claim your free meal.
Free, 6-12 November.
Take a team along to this pub quiz
Every Tuesday, the Prince of Wales in Brixton hosts The Big Fat (Pub) Quiz, a quiz night full of trivia where you can win free drinks or cash prizes, including a £30 bar tab.
£2 per person, 7 November (and every Tuesday).
Get the lowdown on how to be happier
Professor of Behavioural Science Paul Dolan introduces his new podcast series, Get Happier, in a free talk at LSE. The show aims to demonstrate ways to improve your own happiness and the happiness of those around you, without too much effort.
Free, 7 November.
Hear spooky stories about the Royal Parks
The Royal Parks kicks off its series of Winter Warmer online talks with a selection of strange and spooky stories from across the eight green spaces. Hear about war, fire, plague and ghosts in St. James's Park, murder in Kensington Gardens, a mausoleum mystery in Brompton Cemetery, and extra-terrestrial encounters in Richmond Park. The Royal Parks is a charity, so although the event is free (and is a live stream, so you can watch it in your own home), donations are encouraged to support its work.
Free (donations welcome), 9 November.
Watch the Lord Mayor's Show...
The biggest annual event in the City of London, the Lord Mayor's Show, takes place on Saturday, featuring a three-mile long procession to mark the new Lord Mayor taking up the role. The whole thing is free to watch from anywhere along the route — see our guide for tips on quieter places and times to watch.
Not exactly sure what a Lord Mayor is, or what they do? Better get yourself to Guildhall Library on Thursday for this free talk about the role of the person who lives in Mansion House and is effectively in charge of the Square Mile.
Free, 11 November.
... and visit St Paul's Cathedral for free
As is tradition on the day of the Lord Mayor's Show, St Paul's Cathedral invites people inside for free, saving you the usual admission fee. It's the cathedral floor area which can be visited for free, or you can climb to the Dome Galleries for just £10. Dome visits can be booked in advance, but it's a case of just turning up for the freebie visits — it's open 8.30am-3.30pm but is likely to be very busy, and may close early if it reaches capacity.
Free, 11 November.
Celebrate Diwali at the National Maritime Museum
Diwali falls on 12 November this year, and while there are many events to celebrate in London, not all of them are budget-friendly. However, the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich hosts a free Diwali event which is open to everyone, and includes live dance performances, craft workshops and the like — culminating in a lantern parade through Greenwich Park.
Free, 11 November.
Add some colour to Hyde Park
There's a free planting day in Hyde Park, when anyone is invited to go along and get involved in planting snowdrop and cyclamen bulbs, to keep the central London green space looking colourful through winter and beyond — and, more importantly, to provide pollen and nectar for local bees.
Free, 11 November.
See portraits of the great Judi Dench
There are thousands of reasons to visit the new-look National Portrait Gallery, the permanent collection of which costs nothing to visit. Right now until the end of the year, look out for the small exhibition featuring eight portraits of Dame Judi Dench; each is painted by a past winner of the Sky Arts TV series, Portrait Artist of the Year.
Free, until 31 December.
Explore the new Wildlife and Wellbeing Trail at Barking Riverside
There's a wealth of wonderful wildlife around Barking Riverside, and Create London has just launched a Wildlife & Wellbeing Trail, taking in the likes of Oystercatcher Park and the Thames foreshore. Animals that live around here include water voles, bats and seals — maybe you'll be lucky enough to spot one or two. You can go on the trail whenever you like — download a map, and learn about the creatures you might meet along the way, here.
Free, whenever.
