Things to do
A LOVE LETTER: Enter a vintage caravan and enjoy a cup of tea as you celebrate love after the age of 50. Art project A Love Letter features miniature diorama boxes and sound installations to share the voices of North Kensington’s community and their thoughts about love. Thorpe Close (North Kensington), free, just turn up, 12-14 March
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: The spring edition of The Affordable Art Fair begins today, with thousands of artworks on display by more than 100 galleries from all over the world. All are for sale, and priced between £50 and £6,000. The latter may stretch your definition of 'affordable', but if you're looking to start your art collection, it's probably worth having a browse and seeing if you can pick up a bargain. Battersea Park, £11-£16.50, book ahead, 12-15 March
CORPSE ROADS: Ever heard of corpse roads? They were the paths taken by coffin bearers across the countryside, before enclosure put a stop to that in the 1700s and 1800s. Find out how digital landscaping could help rediscover some of the routes, and use factors such as elevation and distance to tell the stories behind them. Barnard's Inn Hall (Holborn), free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
JAMESTOWN BRIDES: The Jamestown Brides were 56 English women who crossed the Atlantic in 1621 in response to the Virginia Company of London's call for maids 'young and uncorrupted'. Author Jennifer Porter talks about why they agreed to make the crossing, and what happened to them once they arrived. Guildhall Library, £8.14, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
FAST FASHION: Hear from journalist Lauren Bravo about her book How To Break Up With Fast Fashion. She chats to vintage style blogger Pip Jolley about their own journeys towards giving up fast fashion, and how you can give your shopping habits and wardrobe a sustainable overhaul. Fashion & Textile Museum (Bermondsey), £15/£12, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
GOOGLE MAPS: The map of the future may not in fact be a map. So argues Ed Parsons, the Geospatial Technologist of Google who is responsible for Google’s mission to organise the world’s information using geography. He argues that we're not using the incredibly detailed map we all carry on our phones to its full advantage, and looks at what other information it may hold in the future. British Library, £16/£8, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
DEAD FAMOUS: Historian, broadcaster and author Greg Jenner discusses his new book Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity. He covers 125 actors, singers, dancers, sportspeople, demigods, ruffians, and more, from the Bronze Age to the advent of Hollywood, in search of celebrity's historical roots and what it means to be a celebrity. Southwark Cathedral, £8/£6, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
CONCRETE AND COCKTAILS: Take an unusual tour of the National Theatre. Begin with a drink at the Terrace Restaurant, then take a 75-minute tour of the building, focusing on its distinctive architecture. Find out why it was one of the youngest buildings to be listed, and learn about its history and design. National Theatre, £20, book ahead, 7pm
DISGUISED FLESH: Attend a talk about the intriguing life and work of Chinese magician Chung Ling Soo, who wasn't all he seemed. His on-stage death in 1918, the result of a trick going wrong, revealed that he wasn't Chinese at all, but rather an American named William Ellsworth Robinson who reinvented himself as a Chinese conjurer. Find out how he pulled it off, and what his case study tells us about the strength of cultural presuppositions. Old Operating Theatre (London Bridge), £12, book ahead, 7pm
BLACK FLAMINGO: Keats House poet in residence Dean Atta talks about and signs copies of his new verse novel, The Black Flamingo. It's the story of a boy coming to terms with his identity as a mixed race gay teen, and later, a drag artist. Keats House (Hampstead), £4.50, book ahead, 7.30pm-9pm
LONDON'S LOST RIVERS: South East London Folklore Society hosts author Tom Bolton to talk about London's lost rivers. He's written two books about the capital's lost waterways, so he should be quite fluid — find out how and why certain rivers come to be buried or mislaid. The Old King's Head (Borough), £5/£3, book ahead, 8pm
London weather with Inclement Attlee
Our idiosyncratic weather forecaster returns, keeping you up to date on London's skies.
The sun seems to be back, but so is the wind. A fearsome blast of air will hit the capital around lunchtime. If you're planning on wearing a brimmed hat, pasting up a billboard, or engaging in an outdoor tightrope walk, then take note. The sun will disappear around 6pm in a phenomenon that weather forecasters term 'sunset'.
Contact Mr Attlee with any weather-related thoughts or pictures by emailing hello@londonist.com; subject line "For Mr Attlee".
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Who would win in a fight between the London underground and Boston's MBTA? A Bostonian living in London sees how the two transit systems measure up in the latest of our comparison articles.
Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
This Sunday, West Hampstead Welcomes hosts a special screening of For Sama, the story of a Syrian mother’s experience of war, followed by a Q&A with the director. The event raises money to help settle refugees in the UK. Find out more and book tickets.
What we're reading
- Free theatre tickets for young people... courtesy of a fried chicken chain.
- London's trees are saving the city billions.
- NHM's mammals get a spring clean.
- Chinatown is hit hard amid coronavirus fears.
