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The capital’s best free events from Nov 11-17th

Dear {{ first name | Cheapskater }},

We hope you were able to do something fun and/or relaxing this weekend - and are heading into the week in good spirits!

This week, we’ve partnered up with our pals at the Southbank Centre and their amazing (and FREE!) public events series, Open Doors. Taking place in the Clore Ballroom, this inclusive programme features all sorts of creative activities, workshops, social gatherings and family entertainment. Find out more here.

Congrats to our readers David, Maryam, Indre, Mave, Lorren, Esther, Pauline, Holly and Kat who each won a health MOT kit worth more than £65, as featured in last week’s newsletter. Scroll down for another fab & free-to-enter competition (hello theatre tickets!).

We hope you have a toasty week,
Kate and Georgia x

PS. The wonderful WrapUp London initiative - through which you can donate your unwanted coats to people in the city who are most affected by the cold - is running from now until 24 November. If you’ve got a warm coat which you don’t need this winter, consider dropping it off at one of the collection points here.

MONDAY

EXHIBIT 🖼️ Holborn, until Dec 20

Hypnosis in a new light

Today’s the launch of LSE’s Faces of Hypnosis exhibit, which will present photographs, videos & artefacts that reflect the variety & complexity of what it is like to be a hypnotist, while challenging assumptions about the job.

EXHIBIT 📸 Bond Street, until Jan 2

Fantastic photojournalism

We love the sound of this new Leica Gallery London exhibit that features 25 astonishing images taken by the award-winning photojournalist Tom Stoddart, who photographed world leaders, royals & celebs alike.

MUSIC 🎶 Barbican, until Nov 24

The Jazz Social

The first ever pop-up venue of the annual EFG London Jazz Festival opens today. The Jazz Social is running until Nov 24 & can be found just around the corner from the Barbican.

Drop in for free lunchtime gigs, happy hour DJ sets, artist signings, live radio broadcasts & more!

You can also browse the in-store record shop & grab exclusive festival merch - all while sipping on exclusive beers & signature cocktails.

TUESDAY

XMAS 🎄 London Bridge, until Jan 5

Winter by the River

Tues is the launch of Winter by the River, a winter festival on the banks of the River Thames that will feature “a labyrinth of bustling market stalls”, plus workshops, a festive trivia night & a new pop-up curling experience.

SHOWCASE 🧡 Euston, 7-9pm

Hope & resilience

Our Second Home, the youth movement for refugees & asylum seekers, is hosting an event where you can learn more about the non-profit’s amazing work (& enjoy free Dusty Knuckle sandwiches!). Register here.

WEDNESDAY

LATE 🤖 Vauxhall, 6-10pm

Innovation after-hours

Conduct a choir of singing plants, get up close & personal with a robotic spider or even lick a cloud(!) at the Royal Academy of Engineering’s drop-in, 18+ Innovation Late event. Expect talks, exhibits & more.

TALK 🗣️ virtual, 7-8pm

Happiness: a new approach

How can we get happiness right in a world that has got it wrong? This pay-what-you-can talk about finding authentic happiness “will leave you with simple but powerful new ideas to help you feel happier”.

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THURSDAY

INSTALLATION 🌹 Bond St, until Dec 18

Remember lost loved ones

The Ever After Garden, a tranquil installation featuring 30,000+ illuminated white roses - designed to help people remember treasured friends & family they have lost - opens on Thurs at Grosvenor Square.

PHOTOS 📸 various places, until Sun

London Photo Show returns

It’s the launch of the eighth annual London Photo Show, a free exhibit held at the Hoxton Arches that will feature the work of 30 independent photographers & an array of different styles & narratives.

Competition time! 🎭

We’re giving away a pair of tickets to Mystical Ecstasy, a show at The Playground Theatre (near Notting Hill) that’s running from Nov 16-17.

Mystical Ecstasy immerses audiences in the works of 17th-century Ibero-American writers & highlights the courage of Golden Age female authors in pursuing writing and searching for their voice.

To enter the draw, simply refer a friend to Cheapskate by sending them this link (it contains your personalised referral code): {{rp_refer_url}}.

Once they’ve signed up, you’ll be entered, & then we’ll pick the winners’ names at random. Good luck! 🤞

FRIDAY

CAREER 🙋‍♀️ White Hart Ln,10am-2pm

Looking for a new career?

The one-day London Careers Fair gives job-seekers from all backgrounds, experience & education levels the chance to speak to people from 150+ local/national companies, all in one place. Book a free spot.

ART 🖼️ Wimbledon, Thurs-Sun

Affordable art

Discover original, affordable art from 150+ local artists (including paintings, sculptures & photography) at the Wimbledon Art Fair. If you pre-book your ticket you have the chance to win £200 to spend at the show.

WEEKEND

EXHIBIT 🎨 Bethnal G, Fri-Sun

Claustrophobic cinema

It’s the launch of Detour, a new show at St Margaret’s House which will pay homage to the claustrophobic tension, inky monochrome & intense atmosphere of classic noir cinema. There’s a free private view on Fri eve.

MARKET 🛍️ Bank, Sat 12-5pm

Shop small this Xmas

Get ahead with your festive shopping & support some brilliant small businesses at the SoLo Craft Fair Christmas Market, hosted by Leadenhall Market (the historic shopping destination) this Sat.

COMMUNITY 🪄 virtual, Sun 4-7pm

Why we need magic

​Join Creative Quests, the “global community for people fuelled by curiosity”, for a series of talks, conversations & workshops this Sun which will all explore why the modern world needs magic.

XMAS 🎄 Sloane Sq, Sun 11am-4pm

‘Belgravia aglow’

Too early for Christmas lights? Belgravia doesn’t think so. Head there for a special switch-on celebration across Elizabeth Street featuring on-street performances, seasonal offers & a special pop-up Xmas market.

And for dessert...

☕️ Want to keep Cheapskate in your inbox each week? Please buy us a digital cuppa tea here. Or, you can support us by clicking on our links (like this one!) - which won’t cost you a thing.

🌱 Considering a career change, tackling life goals or feeling stuck? Contact Hugh for a coaching session tailored to you! Cheapskate readers get 20% off a block of three or six sessions - just mention ‘Cheapskate’ in your message.

💝 Beginning to think about gifts for your friends & family for Christmas? These or these would make random but fun pressies/stocking fillers.

🌐 Are you moving house & hoping to install Virgin Media internet? As a friend of Cheapskate, you can take £50 off your broadband here.

🥋I’m fully embracing cosy season & love the look of this unisex cotton towelling robe. - Georgia

💆‍♀️ I had a heavenly experience over the weekend - a massage at my home! I used Urban, an app which you can use to book massages, beauty, osteopathy & physio treatments where the practitioner comes to you. Use my discount code to get 20% off your first booking. - Kate

🍻 Looking for fun date or work social ideas? CityStack is offering our readers a fantastic deal! This week, if you order the Cheapskate bundle for £20 (instead of £200) you’ll get £1,000 worth of food & drink to spend at pubs by the end of December 2024 (while stocks last).

🎄 If you find yourself around the King’s Cross area, we recommend checking out the new, 11m-tall St Pancras Christmas tree, which is celebrating the release of Wicked (out on Nov 22) by being an “ode to the Emerald City”. It’s pretty cool!

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