Morning, London! Happy Thursday. How’s September treating you? Settled back in, or still having the same “how was your summer?” conversation at the school gate? Lovely, thanks. Feels about six months ago.

I quite liked having a routine again. Briefly. Now I’d quite like a holiday.

Anyway, we’ve got a little treat for you this week: tickets to The Littlest Yak to give away. A little thank you for opening these emails and occasionally laughing in the right places.

Plus plenty of good reasons to leave the house this weekend.

Let’s go.

🏛️ The Natural History Museum Has Finally Sorted Its Spare Room. A gallery closed to the public for 83 years has reopened as Nature and Us, a free exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world. Expect 50 fascinating objects and beautiful old wooden cabinets. Quite reassuring that even the Natural History Museum takes eight decades to decide what to do with a room. Full story

👑 Buckingham Palace Has Been Looking Under the Floorboards. Renovation work has uncovered a wonderfully random collection of forgotten treasures, including Victorian theatre listings, old boots and football pools slips from 1957. There’s also a reception schedule instructing the Queen to circulate clockwise. Even Her Majesty, apparently, needed someone to tell her to work the room. Full story

🏗️ Battersea Power Station Isn’t Finished Yet. New plans have been submitted for the remaining 16 acres of the site, with more homes, pedestrian routes and a cultural venue called the Third Generator promising art, music and food. Still subject to approval, but apparently that enormous redevelopment was only part of the job. The urban planning equivalent of popping to IKEA for one thing. Full story

We’ve managed to get our hands on a family ticket to The Littlest Yak at Harrow Arts Centre on Sunday 27th September at 12.30pm.

The show follows Gertie, the littlest yak in the herd, who is in a mighty hurry to grow up. Expect beautiful puppets, catchy songs and a lovely story about discovering that being small can sometimes be a very big advantage.

It’s recommended for ages 3+ and lasts around 45 minutes, which feels about right for everyone involved.

No catches, no sharing, no tagging three friends and a distant cousin.

Just reply to this email with what your yak would be called and you’re in. We’ll draw one winner on Monday.

One thing: please only enter if you can make it to the 12.30pm performance at Harrow Arts Centre on Sunday 27th September! :)

🎭 Trading Stories @ Leadenhall Market
Date & Loc: Sep 18–19, City EC3V
Explore pop-up performances and unusual stalls, swapping stories and memories with artists. A little more surprising than your usual trip to the market.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🤖 Digital Design Weekend @ V&A South Kensington
Date & Loc: Sep 18–20, South Kensington SW7
Play with drawing robots, explore interactive artworks and meet the artists mixing creativity with technology. Free drop-in activities throughout the weekend.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🌌 Astronomy Photographer of the Year @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: From Sep 18 (Fri), Greenwich SE10
The new exhibition brings together spectacular photographs of distant galaxies, glowing stars and our celestial neighbours.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £6 | Info

🌳 Woodland Festival @ Sydenham Hill Wood & Dulwich Wood
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Sydenham SE26
Head into the woods for wildlife walks, nature-inspired workshops, crafts, live music and art. A proper outdoorsy day out.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

⚖️ Open House @ Royal Courts of Justice
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Strand WC2A
Try on legal robes, watch mock trials and tackle a children’s treasure hunt inside one of London’s grandest buildings. Objections from siblings seem inevitable.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Bermondsey Street Festival @ Bermondsey Street
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Bermondsey SE1
A village fête in the middle of London, with music, street entertainers and a dedicated Family Fun Hub in Leathermarket Gardens.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🏗️ Straw-ctural Designers @ Canal Building
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), King’s Cross N1
Build your dream school with straws and paperclips, helped by architects and engineers. A treehouse library? Finally.
Age: 4–14 | Price: no cost | Info

🩸 Blood, Guts and Nasty Cuts @ Royal Institution
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Mayfair W1S
A suitably gruesome journey through medical history, from bloodletting and strange remedies to modern robotics. For children who always ask for the disgusting details.
Age: 7–13 | Price: from £10 | Info

🤖 Interactive Lunar Bots @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
Budding space engineers can programme Sphero robots to tackle tricky lunar terrain, testing their coding and problem-solving skills along the way.
Age: 10–18 | Price: no cost | Info

🐈 The Dreaming’s of Captain Cat @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
A washed-up book opens the door to a Welsh village inhabited entirely by cats. Set sail, count sheep and join in with the resident band in this Dylan Thomas-inspired adventure, with a chance to meet Captain Cat afterwards.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £12 | Info

👹 The Devil, The Tsar & Three Dry Biscuits @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Highgate N6
Storyteller Ben Haggarty brings a Russian fairytale to life, complete with a demon-filled palace, magical sacks and some very questionable bargains.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🎶 London Oratorio @ Royal Festival Hall
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), South Bank SE1
Hundreds of singers celebrate London’s musical communities, with Jacob Collier leading an audience singalong finale. An evening outing for older children; last few tickets.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £33 | Info

🎩 Magic & Marvels @ Greenwich Theatre
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
Magician and performer Michael Jordan combines illusions, juggling and circus skills in a one-man family show. Expect impressive tricks, plenty of surprises and the inevitable journey home spent trying to work out how he did it.
Age: All ages | Price: £14 | Info

🐱 Cats @ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 19, Regent's Park NW1
One of the world's most famous musicals returns to the magical setting of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. If you've never seen Cats, this is probably the place to do it.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🌿 Arcadia Festival @ Stanley Arts
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), South Norwood SE25
A nature-inspired festival mixing art, performance and creativity. The morning ticket includes outdoor drawing and Meadow, a family show full of puppets, live music and curious creatures.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🪁 Crossing Borders @ Horniman Museum & Gardens
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Forest Hill SE23
Try Afghan kite-making, decorate cupcakes and discover Ukrainian music and Honduran dance at this community celebration led by refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐑 London Harvest Festival @ Mudchute Park & Farm
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Isle of Dogs E14
London’s city farms come together for animal competitions, horticultural displays, tug of war and hands-on heritage crafts. Try pottery or wool spinning, meet the animals and bring a picnic.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

⚓ Open House @ Trinity Buoy Wharf
Date & Loc: Sep 19–20, Leamouth E14
Explore this wonderfully unusual riverside arts quarter, peek inside artists’ studios and meet humanoid robots. The robot demonstrations and AI learning experiences are aimed at children aged 7–13, with plenty for the rest of the family to explore too.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🏮 Water Lantern Festival @ Clapham Common
Date & Loc: Sep 19–20, Clapham SW4
Decorate a lantern, enjoy live music and watch the pond light up at dusk. Children eight and under enter free, without a lantern.
Age: All ages | Price: £25.90 | Info

🏛️ Open House Weekend @ Bank of England Museum
Date & Loc: Sep 19–20, City EC2R
A rare weekend opening for this usually weekday-only museum. Explore the Bank’s history and discover new displays about ingenious building materials and unconventional art.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐰 Rabbit & Rey and The Lost Things @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), North Finchley N12
Rey keeps losing things. Luckily, a much-loved rabbit is ready to help investigate. Puppetry and imaginative storytelling turn missing belongings into a funny, tender adventure about wonderfully muddled brains.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🌾 Hay! @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Highgate N6
A scarecrow comes to life and discovers a world of birds, weather and mud in this playful show using just one word: “Hay!”
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🌿 Story Jungle @ British Library
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), St Pancras NW1
Step into an illustrated jungle filled with stories, sounds and textures, then add your own animals and leaves. A free drop-in for little imaginations.
Age: 4+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Dancing with Colours @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Wimbledon SW19
Dance, draw and help transform the space with pastels and paint in this participatory performance from artist JoAnne Haines. Watching is welcome too, but old clothes are a very good idea.
Age: 4–8 | Price: £13 | Info

🔎 Children’s Creative Discovery Trail @ 11 Cadogan Gardens
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Chelsea SW3
Collect a map and follow creative clues around Chelsea, spotting patterns and neighbourhood landmarks along the way. Return for hot chocolate and ceramic tile decorating.
Age: 4–10 | Price: £1 charity donation | Info

🐕 Open Day & Dog Show @ Chiswick House & Gardens
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Chiswick W4
Celebrate the new Learning Hub with creative activities, open artists’ studios and free entry to the house. The annual Dog Show happens alongside it, making this an especially good outing for children who stop to greet every passing dog.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🚲 London Cycling Festival @ Victoria Park & Across London
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Victoria Park E3 & various locations
A citywide celebration of getting around on two wheels, with organised rides and activity hubs. Victoria Park has a closed cycling loop for all ages, plus music, food and bike-themed entertainment.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🤍 Pearly Kings & Queens Harvest Festival @ Guildhall Yard
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), City EC2V
A wonderfully old-school London celebration, with the Pearlies in their button-covered finery, traditional dancing, music and a procession to St Mary-le-Bow.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

✏️ Nick Sharratt: Once Upon a Drawalong @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Wimbledon SW19
The illustrator behind You Choose and Shark in the Park shares favourite books, drawing tips and games in this interactive Big Dreams Festival event.
Age: 3–7 | Price: from £13 | Info

🕵️ The Comedy About Spies @ Adelphi Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 26, Strand WC2
Mischief’s 1960s spy caper returns to the West End, packed with rogue agents, double agents and the sort of escalating chaos you’d expect from The Play That Goes Wrong team.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🇯🇵 AnimeCon UK @ Olympia London
Date & Loc: Oct 3-4, Kensington W14
Two packed days of anime, manga, cosplay, J-Pop, K-Pop, special guests and an Artist Alley full of fan-made creations. One for the Pokémon-and-beyond crowd.
Age: All ages | Price: from £25 | Info

🍎 Apple Day @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: Oct 4 (Sun), Fulham SW6
Celebrate the orchard harvest with garden games, themed activities, market stalls and plenty of apple-inspired food.
Age: All ages | Price: from £3 | Info

🔎 The Mystery Of... @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Oct 11 (Sun), North Finchley N12
Calling all junior detectives. Team up to examine evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects in this interactive murder mystery show.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🎻 Aurora Orchestra: Meet the Instruments @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Oct 17 (Sat), King’s Cross N1
A lively interactive concert where kids can sing, dance, play games and discover the sounds of different orchestral instruments.
Age: 3-7 | Price: from £15 | Info

💭 House of Dreamers @ Immerse LDN
Date & Loc: until Oct 31, Royal Docks E16
Wander through 16 surreal dreamscapes filled with giant pink ball pits, cloud swings, digital forests and interactive creatures. Subtle it is not.
Age: All ages | Price: from £16.90 | Info

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

Got any comments or suggestions? Feel free to reply; I’d love to hear from you.

Also, if you enjoyed this, pls share it with friends!