Turner Prize - A Retrospective 1984-2006
Tate Britain, 2 October – 6 January, £11 (Late at Tate - Friday - £5.50)

The Turner Prize is responsible for bringing contemporary British Art into the limelight and transforming unfamiliar artists into established names. This is a definitive Turner Prize exhibition, featuring works by all the winning artists since it began in 1984. Key works include Gilbert & George’s ‘Drunk with God’, Antony Gormley’s ‘Testing a World View’ and Damien Hirst’s ‘Mother and Child Divided’. However, probably the most notorious entry ever is missing – Tracy Emin’s ‘Bed’ as it didn’t win. Turner Prize – A Retrospective, is the highlight of this autumn’s art Scene and should not be missed.

Macbeth
Gielgud Theatre, Ends 1st December, From £36

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest and fear-filled tragedies, an anatomy of the relationship between ambition and corruption. This production brings back together esteemed director Rupert Goold with Patrick Stewart after their highly acclaimed RSC production of The Tempest. The reviews have been fantastic, even claiming that this is the ‘Greatest Performance’ of Patrick Stewart’s career.

A Sporting Weekend

This weekend is a sporting dream. Amazing!

• Australia vs England - Rugby World Cup Quarter Final – Saturday 14:00
• Amir Khan vs Scott Lawton – Commonwealth Lightweight Title – Saturday 22:00
• Chinese Grand Prix – Will Lewis Hamilton become World Champion? – Sunday 11:30

Later with Jools Holland
BBC Television Studio, October - December, Free

Later with Jools Holland is one of the BBC’s most popular television programmes and hardest to get tickets for. To get hold of tickets you need to apply by phone - 0870 9011227 – before 5pm on 4th October and decide which date (23 October, 06 November, 20 November, 27 November, 4 December) you would like to enter into the lottery for.

Film Night: The Lost World (1925)
Grant Museum of Zoology, 11 October, 6pm, Free (+ Glass of Wine)

“A must-see event for dino-fans and cinema-buffs alike. The original monster movie, this 1925 classic was the forerunner of King Kong and Jurassic Park. At the time, it was one of the most expensive films ever made and took six times longer to produce than any other. Audiences were stunned by the pioneering special-effects that brought to life Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story of dinosaurs surviving in the Amazon. Nearly all copies of this silent film were destroyed when “talkies” came along, but recently a copy was found in Prague and was used to reinstate this masterpiece to its former glory.”

if.comedy Awards
Garrick Theatre, Sundays in October, £10-20

The if.comedy award’s panel has scoured the Edinburgh Festival and chosen the cream of the crop for the Intelligent Finance Comedy Awards Season 2007. Including the 2007 Award winner, the hilarious goat-kissing Brendon Burns alongside his fellow nominees Andrew Lawrence, Andrew Maxwell, Ivan Brackenbury’s Hospital Radio Roadshow and Pappy’s Fun Club as well as the budding Best Newcomer Award winner, Tom Basden. Top class comedy!

National Brass Band Championships
Roayl Albert Hall, 20 October, 10:00am, £12-35

Get ‘In the Mood’ to watch bands from around the country compete in the Royal Albert Hall to become the National Brass Band Champions.

Weapons of Mass Communication: War Posters
Imperial War Museum, 4 October – 30 March 2008, Free

The exhibition explores the influence of advertising and publicity on government propaganda and policy from the First Wold War to the Iraq War Demonstrations.
The exhibition takes us through history from the iconic First World War recruitment poster to the Cold war anti-era: Vietnam, Nuclear Weapons and War. Along the way we are shown how the Second World War values, ideologies and visions of society including the ethnically pure new order of Germany and the visions of past, present and future British morality were conveyed through propaganda.

‘Popular Painting’ from Kinshasa
Tate Modern, 24 March 2007 – 1 March 2008

A small exhibition featuring just eight paintings by a group of five artists collectively known as the ‘School of Popular Painting’ from Kinshassa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The artists depict themes and images that derive from popular culture and everyday life, engaging with the social and political situation in their local communities such as international aid, conflict, sexuality and cultural tourism.

Origin: The London Craft Fair
Somerset House, 2-14 October, £7

Origin brings together over 300 of the most innovative and influential international designer-makers. It is a rare opportunity to meet the makers, buy their work or commission a one-off piece of contemporary craft.

China Late: Moon Festival
British Museum, 4 October, 18:30-21:00, Free

The British Museum’s Great Court opens its doors in celebration the Chinese Moon Festival. There museum will be packed with entertainment: zither performances by Donna Ong, a connoisseur tea appreciation, a “guess the moon-cake flavour” game, burlesque fan dancing. If you visit the Chinese collection you can handle Chinese textiles, learn Mandarin, play Mah-jong, make folk art papercuts and try calligraphy. Fantastic!

Shaolin Monks – Kung Fu Masters Live
Peacock Theatre, 10 October - 3 November, £13-36

The Shaolin Legend comes to London! Twenty Shaolin Monks and five young trainees have travelled from the Shaolin Temple in China, to demonstrate their martial art expertise. The show will be jam-packed with incredible feats of strength and skill as Monks are “lifted aloft on sharpened spears, splinter wooden block with their bare hands, break bricks on their heads and fly through the air in a series of incredible backflips and spins.”

Robin Ince Vs Shark Attack III
Barbican, 3 October, £11

Nicko and Joe’s Bad Film Club returns to the Barbican by popular demand. This week sees guest curator Robin Ince flex his comedic muscles ripping apart Shark Attack 3. “Light on plot, heavy on rubbery shark action, Tom Cruise-a-like John Barrowman (Torchwood) and his blond no-name science chick sidekick battle for the title of ‘worst actor ever’, whilst a 60 foot prehistoric shark maniacally chows down on some tasty human bait. Come on in, the water’s hilarious!”

Ramadan Nights
Barbican, 10-16 October

Ramadan Nights celebrates music from Muslim cultures. Throughout the week there are a series of talks, performances and workshops ranging for classical concerts to freestyle events.

Did Mallory climb Mount Everest?
Royal Geographical Society, 3 October, £15

“Last year Graham Hoyland visited Mount Everest, wearing a replica of the clothing worn by George Mallory when he disappeared in 1924. Could the clothing worn by Mallory and Irvine have prevented their reaching the summit?” Another fantastic talk at the Royal Geographical Society!

Royal Festival Hall Revival
V&A, 21 June-14 October, Free

The Royal Festival Hall reopens its doors after two years of renovation. Now incorporated into the Southbank Centre brand, the building plays a pivotal role in the London Cultural scene. The V&A exhibition reveals how the landmark building has been painstakingly refocused to meet the demands of the next fifty years as a world-class concert venue and a vibrant public arena for the arts.

Carsten Höller
Gagosian Gallery, 21 August – 21 September, Free

You probably don’t remember Carsten Höller but many of you have enjoyed his work – the Tate Modern Slides. This exhibition focuses on a new series of his photographic works and his unique works capture intrigue through visual perception and through physical interaction.

Britain at War Experience

“The Second World War was the most turbulent and eventful period in the history of the 20th century. It affected the lives of millions of people all over the world, advanced technology and changed political boundaries and ideas of human behaviour. But what was it really like? How did it really feel to be a British citizen during the Second World War? What did people eat and wear? Winston Churchill’s Britain at War Theme Museum can answer these questions and many more.”

Pizza Express – Jazz Club Soho

Pop on down, grab a pizza and experience wonderful Jazz. See Curious Paradise blend Latin Heat, straight a-head jazz and universal folk or see Jon Regen entrance you on the piano with his lyrical gifts.

Candida Höfer – Palaces, Theatres, Churches and a Casino
Ben Brown Fine Arts, 21 Cork Street

A truly stunning photographic exhibition, demonstrating the similarities between form, perspective and colour in the worlds most glamorous buildings.

Great Gorilla Run
City of London, 22 September

London Goes Ape! On Saturday, 1000 runners will don their Gorilla Suits, stock up on bananas and take on the 7km course around the City of London. Unsurprisingly, the event is being organised by The Gorilla Foundation, a registered charity whose aim is to protect the remaining 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild, so: come down, have a laugh and save this amazing species.

Sake Evening – British Museum
British Museum, 5 October, £15

The British Museum is hosting a sake evening in conjunction with its new exhibtion “Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan”. Here, you will learn about sake, listen to talks as well as experience live Japanese music. The exhibition “will demonstrate how the beauty, skill and modernity found in these contemporary pieces draws on the strength of traditional crafts skills”.

Take a View – Landscape Photographer of the Year 2007
National Theatre, Until October 15th, Free

The UK’s Landscape Photographer of the Year award highlights the best of the British Isles. The imagery in this exhibition is amazing, with each piece capturing a different aspect of the dramatic, colourful and idyllic land we love. To tie in with the exhibition, Charlie Waite - doyen of British landscape art, is giving three informal talks (20 September, 21 September, 12 October - Free) amongst the works and will discuss the mental and aesthetic process behind identifying and executing a potential landscape photograph.

Canary Wharf Jazz Festival
Canary Wharf, 19-23 September, Free

“This inaugural Canary Wharf Jazz Festival is solely dedicated to the innovative musical genre of Jazz, and will be presenting ten bands over a series of seven concerts, featuring a host of talented young musicians who are at the cutting edge of UK jazz today. This new festival aims to provide a platform for the most promising up and coming jazz musicians - the rising stars who will be regulars on the jazz scene for years to come.”

Olivier Films on the Fly Tower
National Theatre, Fly-tower, 19-23 September

Laurence Olivier is considered by many to be the twentieth century’s greatest actor. Now there is chance for fans to re-live whilst the unfamiliar experience for the first time a selection of Olivier’s world-renowed films projected onto the National Theatre fly tower: Rebecca (19 Sept), The Prince and the Showgirl (20 Sept), Henry V (21 Sept), Wuthering Heights (22 Sept), and Hamlet (23 September).

London Freewheel
Embankment, 23 September, Free

Although all places for the cycling part of the event have been filled, the organisers are keen for people to come to the Freewheel Festival in St. James’ Park where you can have a gentle picnic before marvelling at the Cycling Circus, cycling acrobats and face painters. You can also try your hand at riding some rather more unusual bikes, learn about bike maintenance or have a professional sports massage.

Little Black Dress Exhibition
Harrods, Georgian Restaurant, Fourth Floor - Free

Harrods pays homage to the “LBD”. It shows off some of the most spectacular and famous LBDs since Coco Channel’s first in 1926. If you feel flush you can even buy a made to measure copy of the infamous Liz Hurley, Versace, gold safety pin one for a mere £10,690.

Landmarks of New York
RIBA, 6 September – 3 October

Learn more about some of the architectural wonders of New York. A grid-structure, much like the layout of the city, is the setting for 81 photographs of iconic edifices such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Chrysler Building and the Statue of Liberty accompanied by text-based details about them.

The Body of Colour
Tate Modern, Ends 23 September

Hélio Oiticica was one of the most innovative Brazilian artists of his generation. Focussing on Oiticica’s uncompromising use of colour, central to his practice, the exhibition includes works from several key series from 1995 onwards, some of which have not been seen by the public for more than thirty years.

Amjad Ali Khan
Southbank Centre, September 21, £9-30

“Amjad Ali Khan is the undisputed master of the sarod, an ancient Indian classical instrument similar to the lute and second only to the sitar in it’s importance in Indian classical music. The sixth-generation sarod player in his family, he has had a successful career spanning over 40 years and continues to be one of India’s leading classical musicians. In this performance he sets out to examine the themes of love and peace, in a celebration of the relationship between India and England. He is accompanied by Rashid Mustafa on tabla.”

The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army
British Museum, 13 September – 6 April, £12

In 221 BCE, Qin Shi Huang unified China and became the First Emperor of the oldest surviving political entity in the world. The Terracotta Army was buried with the First Emperor in 210 BCE, with the purpose of helping him to rule over another empire in the afterlife. In March 1974, whilst digging a well, farmers cam across what was to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. On display in the exhibition are a number of the world famous Terracotta Warriors from Xi’an.

London Open House Weekend
September 15-16, Free

Open House London is London’s largest architecture festival with over 600 buildings new and old all over London opening their doors at no charge to the public, all within 48 hours! This weekend you have the chance to peek into London’s finest structures and take in the breathtaking views. To find out what doors are open this weekend pick up the programme online for £3.

Thames Festival
Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, September 15-16, 12:00-22:00

“The Mayor’s Thames Festival celebrates London’s river with amazing open air arts, pyrotechnics, illuminations, river events, street theatre, massed choirs and music. This year marks the festival’s 10th Anniversary and they are celebrating in style – from the Al Fresco Ballrooms in unique riverside settings, to themed feasts on Southwark Bridge, to the festival’s climactic event, a spectacular Night Carnival and fireworks display.”

Bill Bailey
Riverside Studios, September 14 – October 6, £20

Bill Bailey returns to the stand-up world with a new show which is bigger, shinier, yet darker and more personal than before, with a gong and everything.

NSPCC City Conker Cup
Great Eastern Hotel (Liverpool Street) and Vinopolis, October 4, £195 (Team of Three)

This year the NSPCC City Conker Cup will take place simultaneously at two venues in London, one North of the River and one South. The winners of both, North and South, will compete against each other for the final trophy and the first prize, an all-expenses paid trip for the winning team of three to the Port Festival in Oporto. Go and find you champion conker and smash the opposition.

Learn to Fence

Learn to Fence, what a swashbucklingly good idea! Get ready your Épée, learn to quarte and lunge at your opponent. No previous experience is required, and it is a perfect opportunity to get fit and meet and beat some new friends.

IMAX: Lord of the Rings (All night Screening)
BFI (IMAX), September 15, £25

How big a LOTR fan are you? Well the IMAX is showing all three, overnight, in their original theatrical 35mm glory. That is 558 minutes of goblin slaying, hobbit hunting and spell binding entertainment! So all you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.

Deckchair Dreams
Royal Parks, London

Summer is already at an end. This is your last chance to sit back and relax in one of the especially commissioned deckchairs.

Shakespeare’s Globe

The Globes season ends in October, but there are still tickets available for ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, ‘Holding Fire!’ and ‘We are the People’ so take advantage of the fantastic value £5 standing tickets.

UBS Openings: Live - Alvin Curran: Maritime Rites
Tate Modern, September 14, 17:30-19:00

“Performed by members of the London Symphony Orchestra, maverick composer Alvin Curran’s Maritime Rites is a sculptural sound piece staged on a barge on the Thames and on the banks of Tate Modern. At this UK premiere, the LSO lead improvisers and volunteers who join in with the bells of St Paul’s and Curran to present a rich collage of harbour sounds, foghorns and music associated with the river.”

Gamelan Wayang or Opera Jawa Film Screening
Southbank Centre, (Gamelan Wayang: 8 September, Free) (Opera Java Film: 7-20 September, £8.60)

Gamelan Wayang is an all-night session of storytelling, shadow-puppetry and music. This special event is based on an episode from the Mahabharata epic - the play follows the Javanese tradition incorporating contemporary characters and themes.
Opera Java Film: is an updating of The Ramaya, directed by directed by Garin Nugrogo with a soundtrack by Rahayu Supanggah.

Great River Race
The Thames, 8 September, 12:55-16:10

The Race is run over a challenging 22-mile course from Richmond to Tower Hamlets. Any traditional-style coxed boats propelled by a minimum of four oars or paddles, without sliding seats or rigger may take part. However, the race is handicapped so however unusual a boat may be it “should have” an equal chance”. The winners will receive the Challenge Trophy of The Company of Watermen and Lightermen of The River Thames and become the 2007 UK Traditional Boat Champions. Sounds like fun.

The Ronnie Scott’s Big Band
Ronnie Scott’s, 21-22 September, £26

“Formed last summer to coincide with the re-launch of the club, under the musical directorship of Pete Long, the Big Band has fast become one of the most popular in the country. Over these two nights, the big band will be featuring some of the music it has performed over the past 6 months. This will include music from the shows dedicated to the music of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Tubby Hayes and the Rat Pack.”

Tree-Athlon
Battersea Park, 15 September

Lace up your running shoes and plant an urban tree. The Tree-Athlon is a three-part event: a 5km run, a chance to tell the world what your urban tree wish is and a fashion swap. Go green!

Bakelite Bop
Notting Hill Arts Club, 8 September, £6/£8

“Natty Bo, the leader and producer of Ska Cubano - London’s leading Cuban and Jamaican revivalist bands, presents Bakelite Bop. Natty will be digging out his bakelite 78s for a heal shaking blend of Cuban, latin, Jamaican and ska rhythms as only he can. Expect to see him as finely turned out as his name suggests and the music to blend like sugar and mint in a magical musical cocktail that has been setting dance floors ablaze from London to Tokyo.”

The Funny Side - Covent Garden

“The Funny Side…of Covent Garden is an upmarket yet friendly alternative to the usual London comedy experience. Exciting bills; mixing top UK acts with the very best of visiting international talent in a truly great atmosphere. Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday.”

Freediving the mysterious undersea world of Galapagos
Royal Geographical Society, 26 September, £25

Tanya Steeter, World Champion Freediver, talks about her experiences in the mysterious underwater world of the Galapagos islands.

Dutch Portraits

Following the Dutch Republic’s independence from Spain in the 17th century it experienced an era of unprecedented wealth. Portraits were used to express the newly found self-confidence and desire for representation among the middle class, and artists responded by developing new types of portraits to meet the demands of this clientele. This exhibition has been jointly organised with the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis (The Hague) and is the first international loan exhibition in 50 years to provide a survey of the unprecedented range and variety of painted portraiture in the Netherlands at this time.

Miller’s Gin and Pimm’s Party
Miller’s Academy, 9 September, 18:00, £40

Miller’s Academy hosts a later Summer evening of Gin, Pimms and nibbles to the sounds of live romantic classical music in a candlelit atmosphere.

The Last night of the Proms

“The Last Night of the Proms is one of the most popular classical music concerts in the world, watched and listened to by an audience of many millions around the globe. While it lives up to its reputation of a fun Last Night party celebrating British tradition, it equally encapsulates the spirit of the Proms, with leading international artists and an all-embracing programme, introducing new works alongside much-loved classics and bringing together the different themes of the season.”

Regents Street Festival – Indian Summer
Regent Street, Sunday 2 September, 12:00-20:00, Free

This Sunday, Regent Street will be celebrating its annual festival. This year will be themed ‘An Indian Summer’, and will mark the finale of the Mayor of London’s India Now Festival. Regent Street will be transformed into India for a day of “spectacular free outdoor events showcasing India’s incredible variety, colour and creativity”. You will be able to watch traditional performances by the Aakaar Puppet Company or the spectacular processional performance of “In the Dholdrums”, featuring a giant drum, costumes, stilt-walkers and fireworks. There will be food stalls, restaurants and traditional Indian handicrafts as well as popular Indian music and dance performances.

DMC World DJ championships
The O2, 6/7 October, 17:00, £15

DMC return to the former Millennium Dome where the greatest DJ’s from around the world compete over two days in an attempt to be crowned World DJ champion. Saturday sees the “Battle for world Supremacy” and the “World Team Championship Final”. Sunday is the “DMC World DJ Final”.

The Great British Rubber Duck Race
Molesey Lock near Hampton Court, Sunday 2 September, 13:30, Free

This weekend, 165,000 rubber ducks will float down a 1km stretch of the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace. In doing so, it will set a new world record and raise over £500,000 for UK charities. It costs £2 to adopt a duck and if you come in first place you can win £10,000. Head down to the river and cheer on your Duck!

I for India
ICA, 24 August - 6 September, £8

“Sandhya Suri’s absorbing debut feature is a sensitive and intimate slice of life, blending old home movies with archival footage to document her family’s life since their move from India to England in 1965. Shot over 40 years, the Super-8 footage filmed by Suri’s father in Darlington and their family back in India unravels as a deeply emotional story of separation and loss. A time capsule of alienation, discovery, racism and belonging, I for India is a chronicle of immigration in 1960s Britain and beyond.”

Surrey v Somerset (Floodlit)
Oval, Tuesday 11 September, 16:10, £12

This could be your last chance to see some cricket this “non-winter”. So, book a ticket to the Oval and watch Surrey take on Somerset.

Friday Late: India Now
V&A, 31 August, 18:30-22.00

”Experience a journey through the streets of Bombay, with The Bombay Project’s fuse of music and film. Explore a specially designed contemporary installation by Design Temple, inspired by the V&A collection of Indian art and design. See some of the best Indian animation and film. Join talks and tours by artists, designers and curators.” And as always relax to the DJs and gorge yourself on food and drink.

BBC Tickets: The News Quiz, BBC Symphony Orchestra
Broadcasting House or BBC Maida Vale Studios, Free

The BBC makes it into another Top 10 - with good reason - they are funny, fun and free. I have two suggestions for you this week, the Radio 4 institution “The News Quiz” returns for another series and the “BBC Symphony Orchestra”. You need but apply.

Work, Rest & Play
National Gallery, 26 July - 14 October, Free

Work, Rest & Play explores these themes and how they have been depicted in art. “The exhibition brings together exhibits dating from the 16th century to the present, it traces changing ideas about work and leisure, and looks at how artists have responded to major shifts in working patters, from industrialisation to contemporary office culture.”

Buckingham Palace

“Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace’s nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.”

Shakespeare’s and Dickens’ London – The Old City
11:00 Wednesdays and 14:00 Sundays, St Paul’s Tube, Exit 2

Despite the ravages of time, riots, bombings and especially fire, traces of Dickensian and Shakespearean London remain. The tour will pass “half-timbered Elizabethan dwellings to the magnificent early 16th-century gatehouse where Shakespeare went with his plays to the offices of the Elizabethan Master of the Revels. And from London’s grandest Tudor manor house to crooked little alleys which fed the fires of Dickens’ ‘hallucinating genius’”

Notting Hill Carnival
25-27 August, Notting Hill-Hyde Park, Free

Europe’s biggest street party is back. This weekend, the carnival will flood the streets of Notting Hill, with a million people soaking up the music of steel bands, reggae and the spectacle of the parade. The sights and sounds of the Caribbean will extend all the way to Hyde Park. On Saturday, you can enjoy “Panorama”, a steel band spectacular. On Sunday, the emphasis is on families and younger festival goers and Monday is Adults’ day. The carnival is at your doorstep, let it light up you life.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Southbank Centre, 15-16 October, £10-27.50

“Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s chorus of powerful harmonies emote the struggles and passion of South Africa. The warmth and charisma of founder and composer Joseph Shabalala, a man who has survived apartheid with his spirit whole, shines through Mambazo’s music - their captivating Zulu harmonies are a proud, strong homage to the jubilance, power and beauty of indigenous music.”

Summer Opening of Parliament Tours
Houses of Parliament, Ends 29 September, £12

During Parliament’s summer recess, the House is open to UK residents and overseas visitors. Tours take 75 minutes and you will be guided through the key areas of the estate, such as the Commons and Lords debating chambers and the Queen’s Robing Room.

Sanjeev Bhaskar – India Rising
V&A, 7 September, 19:15-20:05, £7.50

“Sanjeev Bhaskar, star of The Kumars at No. 42, discusses the complexities, beauties, and eccentricities of modern India, following an epic and highly personal journey made as part of a new BBC2 series about the country. Travelling from Delhi to Bombay, Jaipur to Calcutta, he met ordinary and extraordinary Indian people from every background. And he reveals a country steeped in history yet at the forefront of new technology, at once confusing, astonishing and jaw-droppingly beautiful.”

Carmen
Coliseum, 29 September – 23 Novemeber, £15-90

English National Opera’s new season commences with an exhilarating performance of Bizet’s masterpiece, Carmen. It is one of the most beloved operas of all time and this new realisation “marries vivid storytelling with dynamic dance elements”.

50 Years of Helvetica
Design Museum, 17 July- 2 September

The Design Museum Café exhibits how the “most widely used and respected sans serif typeface on the planet” has influenced our lives. From its birth 50 years ago, in the Haas type foundry of Switzerland, it has touched our lives and shown up in such diverse locations as the images of lunar landings and the signage for the New York Subway.

Firepower: Royal Artillery MuseumRoyal Arsenal Woolwich, £5

The Royal Artillery Museum gives you a chance to experience “Woolwich at War – The Spirit of the Blitz” and “Summer Holiday Fun at Firepower”. There are a number of activities on offer, including: a paintball range, “firing a 2 pounder”, the chance to try on military uniforms and wander around the artillery of our past.

Roman Amphitheatre - London
Guildhall Art Gallery, £2.50

Discovered in 1988 by archaeologists doing work in the area, you have the chance to see these carefully preserved, 2000 year old ruins that are an important part of the legacy of Roman London.

Camden Fringe
Etcetera Theatre, 30 July-26 August

“Anything goes at the Camden Fringe as the Etcetera Theatre and Liberties play host to a mix of new writing, comedy, cabaret, dance” and much more including shows such as “Get Over It, Hamlet”, “Tripple Tipple Tales” and “Three Cheese Salad”.

Global Cities
Tate Modern, 20 June - 27 August, Free

This exhibition transforms the Turbine Hall to examine ten modern changing cities. Cairo, Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo are explored though five themes: speed, size, density, diversity and form. City populations are growing and their effect on the planet is becoming dramatic, Global Cities explores these changing metropolises.

Betfair Turbo Tennis
The O2, 15 September, £20-60

Turbo Tennis compresses a match into 30 minutes, deuces become sudden death and if you spend too long stretching between point prepare to pay a forfeit. This one day competition sees the young guns: James Blake, Andy and Jamie Murray challenging the experienced Champions: Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic and Pat Cash. Who will take home the $100,000 prize fund?

Beastie Boys & KT Tunstall
The Roundhouse, 6 Sept (Beastie Boys), 30 Oct – 1 Nov (KT Tunstall), £20-30

Amongst the multitude of performers taking to the stage at the Roundhouse over the next few months, two take my fancy. The Beastie Boys will play an exclusive instrumental Gala show, featuring The Mix-Up, their first album of all-new instrumental material. KT Tunstall, the Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter and Grammy nominee brings her highly acclaimed live band back to the UK to promote the release of her second album ‘Drastic Fantastic’. Will she live up to expectation and are the Boys just too old?

Ranolf Fiennes: Transglobe Expedition: 25th anniversary celebration
Royal Geographical Society, 10 September, 19:00, £20

From 1979-1982 Ranolf Fiennes and Charlie Burton undertook the first circumnavigation of the world via the North & South Poles. On its 25th Anniversary Celebration, Ranolf Fiennes and members of his team are giving you the chance to listen to the amazing story of their truly epic 3 year journey across land, sea and ice.

Late Lounge
Terrace Café, National Theatre, Friday/Saturday, 22:00-1:00, Free

The Late Lounge introduced Bring & Share into my life. Unlike a normal club, you bring your ipod, suggest a song and then leave the DJ trying to mix it all together.

Why not try something different on a Friday night? Attend a Watch This Space performance and then head up to the Late Lounge to relax, absorb the eclectic music and meet someone new.

Bank of England Museum
The Bank of England, Free

The museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the United Kingdom’s central bank. If you haven’t got piles of cash at home, the museum gives you the chance to learn about banknotes and coins as well as stare at the shiny gold bars.

Harlequins v Manu Samoa
Twickenham Stoop, 17 August

In preparation for the start of the 2007/2008 Guinness Premiership season, Harlequins will play four warm up matches. The first is against Manu Samoa, who are currently in preparation for the start of the World Cup. If there is one good reason to slip out of work on Friday, this is it!

Portobello Film Festival
1 –21 August, Free

The Portobello Film Festival claims it “shows tomorrow’s films today” and with an impressive history it seems to have achieved it. This year’s festival, free as usual, will showcase hundreds of low budget films interspersed with other more random features. Venues are varied with pubs, churches and studios all on the roster.

The World Press Photo Exhibition
Southbank Centre, 18 August - 9 September, Free

200 Award-Winning photos from all over the planet are exhibited in the “definitive competition for photographic reporting”. The photographs on display “range from the shocking to the sublime, the beautiful to the barely believable, and include war-torn Iraq, street dancers in Paris, fans and footballers at the World Cup in Germany, the American Ms Senior Sweetheart Pageant, and the vicious hunting grounds of the Leopard seal”.

Warhol vs Banksy
The Hospital Gallery, 10 August – 1 September, Mon-Friday 10:00-20:00, Sat 12:00-18:00, Sun Closed, Free

The Hospital presents a “face to face show of classic drawings and paintings by Andy Warhol set against the infamous graffiti work of Banksy”. This new exhibition consists of more than 40 works and compares those of the late American Pop artist Andy Warhol to the contemporary British graffiti artist Banksy.

Tête à Tête
Riverside Studios, 9-26 August, £5-10

Tête à Tête return to Riverside Studios for a sensual feast of the newest, funkiest and inspirational opera.

Prince @ The O2
The O2, 1-21 August, £20+

Prince is a musical legend! Currently performing 21 dates at The O2, smashing all previous arena attendance records, he is giving us one last chance to see him perform his greatest hits. Songs like “When Doves Cry”, “Purple Rain”, “Little Red Corvette” and “1999” are a piece of musical history and engrained into our brains. Go, let prince rock-your-world and get a free copy of his latest album.

Carters Steam Fair
Battersea Park, 4-19 August

Carters Steam Powered Fair is a fun loving spectacle of the past. It has taken 30 years, but John Carter and his followers have collected unfashionable items, discarded by their owners, preserved them and built up Carters Steam Fair. Take a trip down to Battersea and realise that old is fun too.

Trafalgar Square Festival – India Now
Trafalgar Square, throughout August, free

The spectacle of outdoor Indian-inspired performances continues. This week you can enjoy the internationally acclaimed, Bangalore based, Attakkalari Centre as they bring the sights and sounds of an Indian street into Trafalgar Square (enjoy the choreographed motor scooters). Watch “Juggernaut” a theatrical ritual about the relationship between India and Britain or see one of the highlights of this year’s festival, a collaborative dance spectacle featuring one of India’s leading artists, Naresh Kapuria alongside Akademi and Theatre Tol.

Film4 Summer Screen
Somerset House, 2-11 August, £12.50/£15

The Film4 Screen at Somerset House kicked off last week. Don’t worry there are still four nights of outdoor big-screen entertainment to go. Get tickets quick and catch: “Walk The Line” (Wednesday), “Chak de India” (Thursday), “Hot Fuzz”, “Point Break” (Friday) and “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Saturday). Summer has finally arrived so bring a rug and enjoy.

Great British Beer Festival
Earls Court, 7-11th August, ~£5

The Great British Beer festival has over 450 ales to sample, live entertainment and tutored beer tasting. You don’t even have to grow a beard to grab a pint.

Jimmy Carr
Hen and Chickens, Islington, 11 August

Jimmy Carr tries out more new material at this fantastic venue.

Burma: Behind Closed Doors

“A stunning photographic exhibition by contemporary photographer and recent graduate from Central St. Martins College of Art & Design, James Mackay.”
“This exhibition features a collection of photographs that combine beautiful poignant imagery with both political and personal relevance, capturing the essence of life inside a country under control and reflecting the continuing oppression faced by the people of ‘The Golden Land’ in their daily life.”

Saint Joan
National Theatre, Ends 25th September, £10

Joan of Arc, a country girl in her late teens declares her bloody mission to drive out the English and restore the crown to France. With staggering confidence, she takes command of the army and leads Charles to the throne. But as one of the first Protestants and nationalists, she threatens the fabric of feudal society and the Catholic Church across Europe. Within a year she is burnt at the stake.

Kenneth Martin and Mary Martin
Camden Arts Centre, Free

“Two major figures in British abstract art, this is Kenneth Martin and Mary Martin’s first joint exhibition for over 20 years. Kenneth Martin’s mobile sculptures and Mary Martin’s reliefs and architectural maquettes combine mathematical principles with striking innovation.”

Hreinn Fridfinnsson
Serpentine Gallery

“Hreinn Fridfinnsson is one of Iceland’s leading conceptual artists. His work is celebrated for its lyricism and stark poetry that transcends the often-commonplace subjects and materials that the artist uses to create his pieces. Although there is a consistency of theme and a common emotional thread to his art, the media that Fridfinnsson employs are remarkably varied in scale and substance, from photography, drawings and tracings to presentations and installations of sound, texts and ready-mades.”

Middlesex Sevens
Twickenham Stadium, 18 August, £30

The Middlesex Sevens is a Rugby Tradition! 12 Guinness Premiership clubs go head to head in a free-flowing, try scoring, end-to-end rugby extravaganza.

Covent Garden Night Market
Every Thursday in August, 5 -10 pm

The “Larder of London”, Covent Garden, returns to its roots, bringing together the best of London’s food markets. With delicacies from over 35 different stalls including Neal’s Yard, Chocstar, Gourmet Candy Company, The Ginger Pig and Violet Cakes there will be something to tempt any pallet. To keep you entertained “Cut A Shine” – ‘The hottest Hoe Down group this side of Texas’ promise to provide a ‘roaring, thigh-slapping, pavement-stomping’ performance.

Impressionists by the Sea
Royal Academy, 7 July – 30 September, £7

In the 1860’s to the early 1870’s Boudin, Manet and Monet turned their attention to the contemporary fashionable beach scenes of Northern France. The impressionists focused on the sublime forces of nature, the light and weather to capture the coastline and the ongoing social and economic changes taking place in France.

Wimbledon Ticket Ballot

If you love strawberrys and cream and tennis but are too disorganised, lazy and don’t fancy queuing outside overnight. You are not alone. Since 1924, tickets to Wimbledon have been in such great demand that they have run a Public Ballot whereby the majority of Centre, No.1 and No.2 court tickets are sold in advance. On August 1st, the ballot for 2008 opens, so even though Wimbledon is 10 months away, apply now.

Carnaval del Pueblo
5th August, Burgess Park, Camberwell, Free

The Carnaval del Pueblo is the largest Latin American event in Europe (100,000 people attended last year), showcasing music, arts and dance form 19 Latin American countries. At noon, a colourful and striking float procession departs City Hall on its way to Camberwell. The arrival of the parade marks the start of the Party! The park will play host to four stages and three bars. So whether you fancy chillaxing to one of the Grammy Award winners, or watch the Open Salsa Dance championships it should be a fun day out.

Archery at Lord’s: Great Britain v India v China
Lord’s, 6th August, 10am – 12pm

Lord’s is the venue for the archery competition in the London 2012 Olympic Games, and in preparation for the monumental event, for the first time in the ground’s 220 year history it will host an international archery tournament. The npower International Archery Challenge, for The MCC Cup, will take place on the morning of 6th August (between 10am and noon) and will see Great Britain, India and China competing for the Trophy.

Islamic Art Centre

“A three-year-long renovation and re-design of the V&A’s Islamic Gallery has created an outstanding new home for the collection. The new Jameel Gallery houses over 400 objects, including ceramics, textiles, carpets, metalwork, glass and woodwork, which date from the great days of the Islamic caliphate of the 8th and 9th centuries to the years preceding the First World War.”

Historic Royal Palaces

Tower of London,
Hampton Court,
Banqueting House,
Kensington Palace,
Kew Palace
All brilliant, all fun.

Music: Rosaleen Trio
National Portrait Gallery, 3 August, 18:30

Exploring music written for two violins and one viola, this concert will feature a range of music including pieces by Bach, Dvork and Martinu.

Meet John Deman
Old Royal Naval College, 4 August 2007

“Hear about the life of a black Greenwich Pensioner in the early 19th century who left his West Indies home to join Admiral Lord Nelson’s fleet. Performances are free and suitable for all the family.”