Things To Do Today In London: Friday 7 July 2017

Things to do today is sponsored by the Old Royal Naval College.

Foodies Festival

What we're reading

• Has Pride has become too commercialised, bureaucratic and rule-bound?


• Do you live in an area with super fast or painfully slow broadband?


• Pictures from South London's forgotten tube tunnel experiment.


• Crowdsourcing and philanthropy might be the solution to preserving London's parks.


• Hackney council announce they've turned down an offer to sell Dalston's beloved Gillett Square.

Things to do

ARTFUL NONSENSE: Today's your last chance to see etchings by Yuri Vashenko from his exhibition, Geometry of Nonsense. Vashenko's drawings illustrate several books by Lewis Carroll, including Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Pushkin House (Holborn), free, just turn up, 11am-5pm

DEAR DIARY: It's the last day of this fascinating exhibition celebrating diaries and the ways we capture human experience. Offering a unique journey through c.1400BC to present day, learn how digital diaries are descendants of their traditional counterparts rather than their destroyers. Somerset House, free, just turn up, 11am-5.30pm

ELEPHANT SOCIAL MARKET: This brand new market celebrates the best of south London's diverse offerings in Elephant and Castle. Street food, farmers' market traders, local designers, live music, dance and art workshops all feature in the area's hidden community. The Artworks (Elephant and Castle), free, just turn up, 11am-6pm

GASTRONOMIC GLASTONBURY: For those that can handle the heat, there's a chilli eating competition at this celebrated food fest. For the rest of us, there's artisan markets, street food, a cake village, cocktail masterclasses and even free yoga in the park. Blackheath Common, £16, book ahead, 11am-7pm

UNEARTHING IDENTITIES: Kick off Pride weekend with an insider look into the stories relating to LGBTQ experiences in the army. Curator Rebecca Newell discusses the challenges of reviewing and uncovering these materials. National Army Museum, free, book ahead, 11.30am

Unearthing LGBTQ identities

UNEXPECTED INTERLUDES: The Wellcome Collection's Open Platform series invites visitors to propose any kind of small event that creates conversation and shares ideas. Why not go along and sample some of the unexpected interludes offered up by other people? Wellcome Collection, free, just turn up, 2pm-9pm

VIETNAMESE LONDONERS: A selection of second generation British Vietnamese citizens feature as the focal subjects of this exhibition exploring their experience of life in London. Oxford House Gallery (Bethnal Green), £8, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm

YOGA QUIZ: Sometimes you want to yoga without actually having to yoga... so why not try out this quiz? Expect a light hearted evening testing your knowledge of all things yoga from asana to yamas. Triyoga (Camden), £5, book ahead, 7pm-9pm

WINE AND MONET: Glass of wine in one hand, paintbrush in another. Need we say more? Don't drink too much though — after all, you'll need to keep that paintbrush steady. Brasserie Blanc (Southbank), £45, book ahead, 7.30pm-10pm

FILM FEST: A series of six fantastic open-air screenings kicks off this evening with a showing of the glitzy La La Land. Each night is themed around the film shown; there'll be some fabulous pre-screening dancing tonight courtesy of Danceworks. Grosvenor Square (Mayfair), £20, book ahead, 8pm-late

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Sponsor message

See London’s Sistine Chapel up close

If you’ve not heard of the stunning Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, you're missing a gem. It’s a pretty impressive place to visit, but now it’s got even more exciting; tying in with the current restoration project, you can take part in a once in a lifetime tour of the incredible painted ceilings.

See the Baroque artwork like never before — ascend a 60ft observation deck and get up-close to these masterpieces, which were created in the 1700s. You’ll need a head for heights for this one — book in while you still can.

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Art review: virtually climb inside a sculpture

We're fans of Anise Gallery for not just treating virtual reality as a gimmick, instead making it integral to each show. In this one you can voyage inside on the smaller sculptures on display. Plus there’s an interactive artwork that reacts with social media. A fantastic blend of art and tech. Controlled Realities at Anise Gallery, 13a Shad Thames, SE1 2PU, until 22 July, free ★★★★☆ (Thursday-Saturday) Tabish Khan

Food review: Señor Ceviche, but not as you know it

The menu at the new Señor Ceviche on Charlotte Street isn't dramatically different to the one that's made their Soho branch so popular. But that's a good thing — their range of ceviche dishes, including a bright green and zingy Tiradito Callao, punchy with coriander tiger's milk, and their even bigger range of pisco cocktails are all welcome returns. Familiar food but a different design; the new restaurant's a world away from the Soho site's bright, B-movie poster-plastered walls. This Fitzrovia site is smoother and assured, all dark wood, trailing vines and ceiling fans. We'd stick to Soho for big nights, but for heart-to-hearts or calm family dinners we'd head for this cool, sleeker sibling. Señor Ceviche, 18 Charlotte Street, W1T 2LZ ★★★★☆ Lydia Manch

Theatre review: the mentor fails to fulfil potential

Photo by Simon Annand

Bestselling German novelist Daniel Kehlmann’s second play about the personality clash between an older has-been writer mentoring a young playwright called the “voice of his generation” is a mildly witty conceit that is neither particularly funny nor especially perceptive. Despite Christopher Hampton’s fluid translation and Laurence Boswell’s assured direction, this 80-minute piece feels not only insubstantial in length but lacks depth in its portrayal of the petty rivalry of writers and its discussion of the subjectivity of artistic judgement. Homeland star F. Murray Abraham is waspishly amusing as the embittered mercenary mentor, while Daniel Weyman plays the ambitious and self-obsessed younger writer who starts to doubt if he has the talent to make it. The Mentor, Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, WC2R 0NH, £19.50‒75.00, until 2 September [Monday‒Saturday] ★★☆☆☆ Neil Dowden

Good cause for the day

LAMBETH GARDENS: This 10 acre beauty spot is one of London's oldest continuously cultivated gardens. Today is a great chance to have a peek inside, it opens for the first Friday of the month in aid of a local charity. Lambeth Palace, £5, just turn up, noon-3pm

Funzing

Fun things to do with our friends and sponsor Funzing.

LDN Talks @ Night | The Science of Psychedelics

Scientific research is resuming on how psychedelics affect the weirder aspects of human consciousness. This talk from Dr David Luke engages in current study into pyschedelics and their historical use in shamanic rituals. Be prepared, you might leave with more questions than answers. Get tickets

Talk: Neuroscience of Powerful Habits

Every January you do the same thing. You make a New Year's resolution to lose weight, be thriftier, quit smoking or possibly even to start exercising. Yet how many of us find ourselves in the exact spot we started in once the month is up? This talk by Dr Gabija Toleikyte, explains why the brain resists changing habits of a lifetime. She'll also explain how to create long lasting change, by working with your brain rather than against it. Get tickets

Talk: Insights of a War Crime Investigator

What would you say face-to-face to Saddam Hussein? How would you feel digging up the mass graves of Kosovo? Jonathan Tait-Harris will share experiences from his jobs as a policeman, soldier, war-crimes investigator and adviser to UK and Iraqi governments. £10 Get tickets