🦊 London’s Heating Up..

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. How many times have you been asked about your summer plans this week? Classic June small talk. And let’s be honest, the ones who ask first usually have something exotic up their sleeve.

Tower Bridge opened up to see Columbus’s replica sailed off a few days ago. And Polo in the Park turned out to be a cracking day out. Even bumped into a few Scoop readers.

Big week for East London comedy. Year 5 at a primary in Leyton just bagged the title of Britain’s Funniest Class. Their winning joke? "What do you call the fanciest punctuation? An a-posh-trophe." Go on, try it out on your kids, it’ll get at least a smirk.

Also, the World Naked Bike Ride is back on Saturday. Not really my thing, but worth knowing if you’d rather not be surprised by a sea of al fresco bums.

By the way, London’s first heat-health alert of the year is in place. The Met Office is also muttering about possible thunderstorms and flooding, so it’s water bottles and suncream by day, umbrellas and mild panic by night. Stay cool out there gang.

And to all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day for Sunday. May your lie-ins be long and your socks be novelty.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

🚄 Choo-choo to the Continent. As mentioned a few weeks ago... Eurostar’s going full steam ahead with plans for direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva. £1.7bn worth of sleek new trains, no faffing in Paris, and possibly the most civilised way to get to the Alps, from the early 2030s. London Scoop skiing trip anyone? Full story

🤖 Your Uber will -soon- have no driver. Self-driving Ubers are coming to London next year, two years earlier than expected. Brought to you by AI start-up Wayve and the UK government, who clearly trust robots more than humans behind the wheel. “The GPS has taken over” will soon be a reality. Full story

⚽ Ball Games Back On. Those pesky “No Ball Games” signs could soon be a thing of the past. Play experts want them scrapped to help kids spend less time glued to screens and more time actually playing. Because nothing builds character like a muddy knee and an argument over whose ball it is. Full story

. CASUAL EINSTEIN .
2 for 1: Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: A species of jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, can theoretically live forever by reverting its cells to a juvenile state after reaching maturity, like hitting a biological reset button. A sort of magical superhero of the sea. 🌊

London Fact: Before fridges were a thing, Victorians shipped blocks of Norwegian ice into London and stored them in a huge underground ice well beneath what’s now the London Canal Museum in King’s Cross. Most of it went to markets and hospitals… but posh types got their chilled drinks and ice cream too. You can still visit the ice well today. That’s cool. (see what I did there)🧊

. SCOOP BOARD .
The Wall is Yours

Want to spread the good word about your business, a project you’re working on, a hire, or simply say hi to thousands of Londoners?

Milk & More - Milk, juice, eggs, bread, breakfast essentials, and store cupboard staples - our Milkmen bring them all, from family favourites to weekend treats and those oh-no-we-ran-out essentials.

SnapSocial - The mirrored cabin that makes your event pop. From birthdays to company bashes, anniversaries to any excuse-for-a-party. SnapSocial brings the ultimate photo-ready backdrop. Delivered, set up, and impossible to forget.

 .TRIVIA .
Think you know your London?

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🎶 The Play Pavilion @ Hyde Park
Date & Loc: Jun 12 onwards, Hyde Park
An immersive LEGO®-powered world where kids (and grown-ups) can build, explore and let imaginations run wild. Part art, part playground.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎶 Art Park Launch Party  @ London Festival of Architecture
Date & Loc: Jun 12, Harrow
A creative new space opens with workshops, live music, exhibitions and a peek behind the scenes of Harrow’s evolving Art Park. Come for the talks, stay for the vibes.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Wordplay: Singing Together @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Jun 13, Southbank
Discover music, stories and play designed to encourage creativity, communication and connection for under-fives and their grown-ups.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧚 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland @ Royal Opera & Ballet
Date & Loc: Jun 13-28, Covent Garden
Journey through Wonderland with Alice and encounter a host of curious characters in Christopher Wheeldon’s unique theatrical interpretation.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £34 | Info

🤖 Family Film Club: The Wild Robot @ Barbican
Date & Loc: Jun 14, Barbican
This Oscar-nominated animated gem, based on Peter Brown’s beloved book, is a big-screen treat for the whole family.
Age: 6+ | Price: £5 | Info

🏠 Umbrella House Workshop @ Zaha Hadid Foundation
Date & Loc: Jun 14, Clerkenwell
Family Day: Build a model of Kazuo Shinohara’s iconic Umbrella House and dive into a day of origami, collage and creative takes on what “home” really means.
Age: 5-12 | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🎨 Green collages @ Horniman Museum
Date & Loc: Jun 14, Lewisham
Celebrate London’s green spaces by cutting, sticking and creating your own giant leafy masterpiece.
Age: 3+ | Price: no cost | Info

🩰 Ballet: Puss in Boots @ Questors Theatre
Date & Loc: Jun 14, Ealing
A magical cat, a musical boy, and a charming ballet twist on the classic tale, brought to life by Let’s All Dance.
Age: 2-14 yo | Price: £10 | Info

🎨 Make it: Painting @ V&A Museum
Date & Loc: Jun 14, South Kensington
Get curious and creative with Make it! These monthly workshops are for families to explore what it means to be a designer!
Age: 5+ | Price: £20 | Info

🎻 BMW Open Air Concert @ Trafalgar Square
Date & Loc: Jun 15, Trafalgar Square
The London Symphony Orchestra returns for a soaring open-air concert, this year led by Sir Antonio Pappano. Expect big Italian drama, in the best musical sense.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Trooping the Colour @ Horse Guards Parade
Date & Loc: Jun 15, Westminster
Marching bands, shiny boots, and serious royal fanfare. The King’s official birthday bash takes over central London with over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and a sea of brass. Expect pageantry, pomp, and possibly a glimpse of the Royal Family on the balcony.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Family studio: cardboard figures @ Burlington Gardens
Date & Loc: Jun 15, Mayfair
Join artist Amy Leung to craft bold cardboard figures that tell your story, inspired by Lubaina Himid RA. Big shapes, big ideas.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🚲 Family Bike Ride @ Fishponds Park
Date & Loc: Jun 15, Kingston
Fun-packed confidence-boosting summer ride! Designed with all ages and cycling abilities in mind.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

📦 The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth @ Arts Depot
Date & Loc: Jun 15, North Finchley
Two bonkers professors cook up brand-new myths with cardboard, chaos and your imagination. You help shape the story: Vikings, pharaohs or sea gods, it’s up to you.
Age: 6+ | Price: £12.50 | Info

🍴 Taste of London @ Regent’s Park
Date & Loc: Jun 18-22, Regent’s Park
Line-up of 120+ delicious dishes, next level chef demos and unmissable things to do – from BBQ stoking to cocktail shaking, and dancing ’til dark in front of live DJs.
Age: Everyone | Price: £24 | Info

🌊 Windrush Day @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Jun 21, Greenwich
A day of creative workshops, informative talks and discussion to explore the significance of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and the legacies of the Windrush generation.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧪 Discovery Day @ Francis Crick Institute
Date & Loc: Jun 21, King’s Cross
Hands-on experiments, live science magic, and the chance to quiz real scientists. A jam-packed day of discovery for curious kids and their grown-ups.
Age: 6-11yo | Price: no cost | Info

✏️ Children’s Literature Festival @ Barnes
Date & Loc: Jun 21-22, Barnes
London’s biggest kids’ book party returns with author talks, live shows, storytelling, and hands-on fun for young readers of all ages.
Age: Everyone | Price: £10 | Info

🎭 West End Live @ Trafalgar Square
Date & Loc: Jun 21-22, Trafalgar Square
Theatre takes over the Square for a full weekend of free live performances celebrating 20 years of West End LIVE, with big stars, blockbuster musicals and sneak peeks at new hits.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🏙️ Build London in 3D @ Embassy of the Czech Republic
Date & Loc: Jun 22, Kensington Palace Gardens
Got a mini-architect at home? Pick a London landmark, craft your own 3D paper model, and help build a giant cityscape. Led by illustrator-architect Lukáš Novotný.
Age: 7+ | Price: £10 | Info

🎶 Summer Festival @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Jul 5, Bethnal Green
Creative celebrations for families to move, play and make together. Two sessions (0-2 2-5 yo)
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎶 Story Explorers Festival @ British Library
Date & Loc: Jul 5-6, King’s Cross
A magical day of storytelling, theatre, music, planting and messy fun. From rainforest soundtracks to moon myths and zine-making, it’s a full adventure for curious minds.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🦖 Jurassic World: The Experience @ Battersea
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Battersea
Step through the iconic gates and explore 10 immersive zones from the blockbuster dino franchise.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £25 | Info

🎭 The Paper Dolls @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Islington
When a little girl cuts out a string of paper dolls she takes them by the hand and together they go on a fantastical adventure whirling through their home and garden.
Age: 3-8yo | Price: from £13 | Info

🎭 Krafty the Urban Fox @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Islington
Follow a curious fox on a magical night-time city adventure.
Age: 2-5yo | Price: from £13 | Info

📚 Story Explorers: Imaginary Worlds @ British Library
Date & Loc: Ongoing, King’s Cross
Sold out for May, but June has slots. Expect books, sounds, odd creatures, and a furry octopus.
Age: 2-9yo | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🚗 Ready Steady Go! @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Ongoing, London Bridge
Build your own cardboard car, zoom through roadworks, stop at a bubbly car wash, and learn road safety while having a blast.
Age: 3-8yo | Price: £12.50 | Info

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