The capital’s best free events from Feb 3rd-9th
Dear {{ first name | Cheapskater }},
Yes, it’s official. January is finally behind us! Gone are the post-holiday blues, the endless days and the gloomy grey skies (or so we hope!).
While we can’t control the weather, we can help you get the most out of your week, whether it’s culture you’re after, relaxation, or just something different to do, from community crochet sessions to sampling South African house beats.
Before I got this role I was an avid Cheapskate reader and Cheapskate Club member - and I can’t speak more highly of it. It gets you immediate entry into the weekly competitions (with a chance to win amazing prizes) and it’s a lovely way to support the newsletter and make sure it can continue! It’s currently half price (just £2.50 a month or £25 a year to join) so don’t miss out! 🧡 Sign up here today.
We’ve got a feeling Feb is going to be fresh and fab. Wishing you a great one!
Sophia & Georgia
P.S. Big congrats to Rachel C, Liya P, Sandra L, Jessie P and Bernadette F, for winning the tea-riffic competition and bagging a chai bundle from Tea India, as featured in last week’s newsletter. Scroll down for two (!) fab competitions…
MONDAY
WEBINAR 🌐 Online, 5.30-6.30pm
Quest to invest
Join Female Invest's free webinar on how to invest, with entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. The Dragon will share her personal journey, tips for beginners & help you make your first investment according to your values.
CREATE 🧵 Bethnal Green, 6-8pm
Crochet away
Check out the Crafting is Connecting taster session at St. Margaret's House, inviting local knitters & crocheters to bring their projects to a relaxed group & share skills! Not a formal class but a chance to finish those WIP projects.
TUESDAY
PHOTOS 📸 Covent Garden, 5.45-6.45pm
‘Photography on iPhone’
Fancy upping your photography game? Learn about lenses, lighting, & portrait techniques & practice capturing photos in innovative ways at Apple’s free workshop in Covent Garden. Check other stores for more workshops!
MEND 🧰 Kilburn, 6-8pm
Can you fix it?
Got broken or tired gadgets knocking about at home? This event is perfect for the eco-friendly among you wanting to breathe new life into your electricals & cut waste! Head to Kilburn Repair Club & get your items fixed for free.
WEDNESDAY
CREATE 💞 Waterloo, 5.30-8.30pm
You've got the love
With Valentine’s Day approaching, love stories are the order of the day! Head to the Southbank Centre’s creative session for an evening of writing, music & sharing stories about modern love, led by writer Rhianna Ilube & singer-songwriter Karima Francis.
WELLNESS 🧘 City TL, from 12.15pm
And breathe
If you often need some TLC for your body or mind after (or during) the working day, try a relaxing session at Shoe Lane Library. From yoga & sketching to writing & stretching, this will relieve work & life pressures!
Competition time! 💖 🍽️
This week, one lucky Cheapskate Club member will win a pair of tickets worth £100 for a spectacular multi-course Valentine’s Day Banquet at Carter’s hosted by our super talented chef friend, Frank.
This event is a feast for lovers, singles, or hopeless romantics, set in the gorgeous Museum of the Home.
It’s not too late to join the Cheapskate Club for a chance to win. Sign up here by Fri Feb 7th.
Winners will have food, flirtations and frivolity included! Cupid will be there so who knows what will happen ;)
PS. Members of the Cheapskate Club get automatic entry into all of our weekly competitions. If you’re not able to become a member, scroll down for our weekly free-to-enter competition.
THURSDAY
LATE ☕️ Forest Hill, 5.30-9pm
Music, tea & calligraphy
Head to the Horniman Museum’s Lunar New Year Late - a perfect way to explore the gallery after hours. Look out for the captivating sound of Daniel Tsz-shing Lei on the Dizi bamboo flute, calligraphy workshops & tea tastings!
PERFORMANCE 🖌️ Southwark, 7-8.15pm
Digital brushstrokes
Ever wondered what a digital painting might look like live? Samia Halaby, & the Kinetic Painting Group, will take you on a journey of digital kinetic painting & improvised music, followed by a chat, at the Tate Modern.
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FRIDAY
EXHIBIT 🖼️ Bermondsey, until April
Translating an archive into art
This is the first week of the brilliant Theaster Gates exhibit 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise at White Cube. The show honours the archive of Japanese journalist Ei Nagata, who witnessed the assassination of Malcolm X.
PARTY 💃 King’s Cross, 11pm
Amapiano fusion night out
Get that body movin’ at what sounds like an epic night blending Amapiano (a subgenre based on house music from South Africa), Afro house, hip hop & more. Hybrid is a club night at Egg LDN with free entry before midnight. Get your ticket here.
WEEKEND
CREATE 🎨 Waterloo, Sat 1-3.30pm
Origami & a boogie
Get creative at the magical, family-friendly origami workshop for 5-11-year-olds: Club Origami. Hosted by the Southbank Centre, rip, fold, scrumple & see the wonders you can make from just a single square of paper during an afternoon of performance & making.
MARKET 🛍️ Monument, Sat 12-5pm
Shop! In the name of love
The much-loved SoLo Craft Fair is back! This time for a special Valentine’s pop-up at Leadenhall, with stunning handcrafted gifts, artwork & homeware. Browse the stalls or try some free mini tarot reading to see if love is in the air!
FAMILY 🎨 Bank, Sat 11-4pm
Victorian-style family fun
This V-day, think outside the box & celebrate the Victorian way by making collage cards, origami or a cyanotype! Hosted by Guildhall Art Gallery, Second Saturday is a great day out for you & your 3 to 11-year-olds.
MUSIC 🎼 Russel Square, Sun 1-4pm
Songwriting Sunday
Have you always dreamt of writing a song? This cool songwriting workshop at The Foundling Museum could turn your dream into a reality! It’s open to anyone aged 18-30 & no prior experience is needed. RSVP here.
JAZZ 🎷 Shoreditch, Sun 7pm
Jazz & pizazz
End your weekend the right way with a Sunday Session Jazz night at The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch. Expect live jazz performances in a cosy, candle-lit setting. Nab your free ticket to guarantee a relaxed Sunday.
And for dessert...
⁉️ This week we’ve teamed up with Big Penny Social to bring you the chance to win a free table (for up to 8 people) at their lively Sounds Familiar Music Quiz on Sat Feb 15th. This quiz has litro played Glasto more times than David Bowie! Think a mix of your favourite playlist & the best knees-up! Simply refer a friend to Cheapskate using this link (it contains your personalised referral code): {{rp_refer_url}}. Once they sign up, you’ll be entered, & we’ll then pick the winner at random by Wed Feb 5th .
🧡 Want to keep Cheapskate in your inbox each week? Please support us by joining the Cheapskate Club (as a thank you, you’ll get automatic entry into all of our competitions - plus entry into regular supporter-only competitions). Not able to financially support us? Try clicking on our links (like this one!) - which won’t cost you a thing.
❄️ February in London calls for cosy socks to beat the chill. Peper Harow’s classic green pair are perfect for keeping your feet warm as we get through this last bit of winter - Georgia
🥣 Classic chunky vegetable or a hearty leek & potato? Borough Market’s Young Marketeers Winter Soup Sale, featuring homemade soups from London school pupils, returns this Tues (12-2 pm), with proceeds going to food charity Plan Zheroes.
🏉 It’s Super Bowl LIX weekend & there are lots of fun, cheap places to watch the game into the early hours. We’ve narrowed these down for you: check out Bad Sports in Farringdon with tickets starting at £5.50 or Sound Café in The Cumberland Hotel where you can get a “Supper Bowl” dinner package (a food item & a draught lager) for just £25 per person.
💰 Want to try your hand at investing in stocks & shares? Freetrade is a user-friendly investment platform which offers free share & ETF trading. It’s a great place to start when you’re new to this world, like I was when I signed up! If you’re keen to give it a go (especially if you’ve been to Monday’s webinar on how to invest), here’s my referral code for a free share worth £10-£100 - Sophia
🎶 Noise is a music night by What Does Not, bringing together live performances, art & open jams to celebrate creativity & community. Head to The Blues Kitchen, Brixton, this Thurs Feb 6th, for a night of genre-blending sounds from some of the city's best independent artists. Grab your £8.50 tickets here.
🍺 Looking for a quirky gift idea for Valentine’s Day? CityStack’s £25 stack of beer mats gets you £100 of food & drink at any 10 of 50+ fantastic pubs in the collection. Use the code CHEAP25 for free standard shipping.
What did you think of this edition?
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