Autumn is well and truly underway, so it’s time for warming pies and gentle strolls through galleries.
And don’t forget to book your place ice skating. Maybe this year you won’t be too slow to grab a spot on the ice?
There’s plenty to do in London in November, as we collectively brace for winder and dig out our woolly hats.
Things to do in London this weekend
Manze x Hoxton
Hoxton hotel, thehoxton.com
London’s famous M.Manze pie and mash is making more moves with a new residency at The Hoxton hotel in Southwark. This winter, the historic Bermondsey canteen will offer a month of collab pies. There’ll be two on the menu: a modern take on the cockney classic and a veggie alternative with mushrooms. Both will come with mash and Manze’s own 134-year-old recipe liquor, with the necessary chilli vinegar on the side.
Eutopia
Barking, eutopiawhs.com
A new 4,000-capacity nightclub is opening in Barking on Halloween. It’s actually more than that — a music, arts and cultural events hub, with three spaces within three old warehouses by the Thames and an outdoor area befitting of festivals. That London has a new venue for a big night out will be welcome news to those inclined to party. That’s what counts. Eutopia is a £1.5m project that might, just might, help reverse the declining fortunes of London’s clubbing scene. Opens October 31
A Story of South Asian Art
Royal Academy, royalacademy.org.uk
This exhibition charts the avant-garde artists who helped shape the trajectory of Indian modernism through to the art of today. At the centre of the show is sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee (1949-2015), whose abstract works draw on nature, regional traditions and the craft of her homeland. Seminal work by her parents, Leela and Benode Behari, also forms part of the collection, while ceramics, paintings, collages and drawings from many more also feature. .
It: Welcome to Derry
In cinemas
Based on Stephen King’s huge 1986 novel It, and the films it inspired, Welcome to Derry pictures a world of the small town in the 1960s, long before the terrifying clown Pennywise wreaked havoc. The story is set before the events of It and its sequel, acting as a prequel to both. Bill Skarsgård will be making his return as Pennywise, so the fear factor isn’t in any doubt.
Balled of a Small Player
Netflix
Though Colin Farrell’s box office star may have been tested with the lacklustre A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (truly, anything but), this psychological thriller sees him on steadier ground. An adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Farrell is magnetic as Lord Doyle, a heavy drinking gambler who spends his days at the poker tables in Macau. Doyle is not what he seems — not a lord, for a start — but as he finally seeks salvation, the darkness of his past begins to draw in.
Little Miss Marple
Adam Hargreaves
This is the combination you never thought would happen: Agatha Christie meets Mr Men. And so we get Little Miss Marple by Adam Hargreaves, son of the Mr Men creator. She lives in St Mary Mead and her friends include Little Miss Chatterbox. So she’s just the person to deal with Reverend Muddle’s suspicions about theft at the vicarage... Check out too Mr Poirot: Mischief on the Nile. Genius
There’s Always More That I Can Say — Sigrid
Out now
Norwegian pop powerhouse Sigrid returns with what she describes as an “accidental break-up album”, one that moves from “dizzy infatuation to heartbreak and reflection”, with a searing dose of joy and honesty, not to mention the singer’s rambunctious vocals and sky-high choruses. Word is this will be her most emotionally nuanced record yet — it’s certainly promising to be chaotic and a lot of fun.
Panaderia Don Julio
Toklas
Mexico's beloved Panaderia Rosetta bakery is stepping out of Mexico City to pop up in London for a takeover at Toklas, London’s own jewel of a bakery (and restaurant come evening) just off the Strand. In honour of Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, Don Julio Tequila is to host a three-day cultural event together with live music, savoury and sweet pastries and more. Think sugar skulls, flowers, decorations and quite a lot of tequila. Salud! eventbrite.com
Ice skating
Winter is coming. Ice skating at Somerset House remains a London festive staple, but it’s become so popular in recent years that booking early is more important than ever. So take this as your reminder to reserve a space at one of the capital’s favourite winter experiences. This year, there’ll be outdoor skating, après lodges for food and drink, and a line-up of live music, including big DJs in the evening.
