Check out this week's alternative guide to what's on in London. | Welcome to my weekly email of lectures, talks, heritage events, organised walks and other random miscellany which Ian hopes would be of interest. | = Event is free of charge | | = Pre-Booking required. |
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| Saturday 4th January | |
| The Christmas holiday in the UK now lasts only two days and three nights, but in Tudor England and Wales everyone stopped work for 12 whole days and had fun along with the religious celebrations | | | Will Noble, author of ‘Croydonopolis’ and editor of Londonist, discusses how Croydon’s reputation as a ‘concrete hell’ belies a truly remarkable town. | | | Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society |
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| | Sunday 5th January | |
| Twelfth Night is an annual collective celebration of the New Year held in the Bankside area, mixing ancient Midwinter seasonal customs and contemporary festivity | | | Expect singing from Halstow Community Choir , dancing from Greenwich Morris Men and a invitation to make some noise with drums and carnivalesque procession led by Brazilian / Samba style Taru Arts. | | | East Greenwich Pleasaunce |
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| | Monday 6th January | |
| A multimedia presentation and drinks reception to mark the launch of Peter van Ham’s book TABO–GODS OF LIGHT: The Indo-Tibetan Masterpiece–Revisited (HIRMER, 2024) | | | Courtauld Institute of Art |
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| | Tuesday 7th January | |
| Wednesday 8th January | |
| Andrew Ziminski explores the often-overlooked features and furnishings that await discovery in our Parish Churches | | | Over the past 30 years in the UK thousands of ordinary people have been accused of crimes based on “recovered memories” resulting in thousands of false accusations | | | Thursday 9th January | |
| Recently, the UK has gotten into a muddle over Scottish independence and Brexit | | | This is a Stanfords, London event Join poet, author and Big Issue seller André Rostant and author and comedian Dom Joly for an evening of conversation talking about André’s new book The Muffin | | | This illustrated talk by Max Gill’s great-niece presents a colourful overview of this versatile artist's personal life and artistic achievements. | | | The Arts Society Chiswick |
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| | Friday 10th January | |
| Join Dr Naomi Paxton as she examines how the First World War impacted the women’s suffrage movement in Britain | | | Saturday 11th January | |
| To welcome the Year of the Snake in 2025, The Japan Society presents a kakizome workshop led by esteemed calligrapher Yoko Takenami | | | Join them for one of their hands-on, interactive drop-in drawing sessions, led by our Artists in Residence from the Royal Drawing School | |
| Exhibitions closing shortly | | Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 – Photofusion’s origin story tells the story of the early years of the Photo Co-op, the founding organisation (Ends on Sat, 4th Jan) |
| Taiwanese artist Huang Po-Chih uses the personal narratives of workers to investigate globalised trade, with a focus on the textile industry in East Asia (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| A world of inventive, immersive and multisensory installations and sculptures that weave connections between disparate histories, cultures and traditions (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| In her first solo exhibition at a major UK institution, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum fills The Curve with theatrical installations, building an imagined world in which to display her paintings (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| A landmark group exhibition of art made in response to India’s changing cultural-political landscape during pivotal years (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Unravel the epic story of birds, discover the secrets to their success and learn some of their surprising and often shocking tactics for survival (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Sidney Sime was a painter, illustrator and caricaturist (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Explore poetry off the page in Astra Papachristodoulou’s debut solo exhibition, where poems exist as sculpture, objects and textiles (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Showcasing over 300 rare prints from 140 photographers, this exhibition is a major presentation of twentieth and twenty-first century photography on loan from the private collection of Sir Elton John (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Serial Killer: The Exhibition in London explores the Serial Killer phenomenon from a historical, educational, and scientific perspective (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan) |
| Dedicated entirely to original works on paper, For Arts Sake x Pitzhanger will showcase over 150 pieces in Pitzhanger Gallery, by both established and emerging artists (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan) |
| 'Jason and the Adventure of 254' is a major solo exhibition by artist Jason Wilsher-Mills (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan) |
| Discover the homes and traditions of winters past, present and future (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan) |
| Offering art lovers a fresh perspective on London, its architecture, and geography, Guildhall Art Gallery celebrates the work of artist and specialist wood engraver, Anne Desmet RA (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan) |
| This is the first exhibition to celebrate the animals that found their way into the books and homes of Charles Dickens (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan) |
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