The capital’s best free events from Dec 9-15th
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Happy Monday, Cheapskater!
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We can’t really believe that this is our penultimate email of the year… 2024 seems to have flown by! We’re glad that this is a banger of an edition, with SO many amazing free things happening this week (my personal highlights include a festive gingerbread display in Greenwich and the return of Borough Market’s annual “Evening of Cheese”).
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Before we move on to this week’s best free events, I have a quick question for you:
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Which section of Cheapskate is your favourite?
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It’s always helpful for us to know how our readers respond to the newsletter, so we can make it the best that it can possibly be. On that note, if you know of anyone who might like receiving Cheapskate each week, please do encourage them to sign up using your personalised referral code: {{rp_refer_url}}.
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Wishing you a wonderful week, Kate x
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PS. Congrats to our reader Basia, who won a pair of tickets to see the Fulham Palace Festive Light Display (as featured in last week’s newsletter). Scroll down for not one but two fabulous competitions…
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MONDAY
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DISPLAY 📸 Charing C, until Mar 2025
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Portraits of Legends
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Portrait photographer Zoë Law is behind Legends, a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery that celebrates 100+ renowned individuals & unsung heroes from the worlds of art, fashion, business & entertainment.
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XMAS 🤤 Woolwich, until Jan 6
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Edible exhibition
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Can you imagine Greenwich made from gingerbread? A new display at Woolwich Works brings to life this sugary cityscape, complete with gingerbread buildings, candy-lined streets, frosted features & more.
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EXHIBIT 🖼️ Waterloo, until 5 Jan
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Haegue Yang: Leap Year
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Discover a world of inventive & multisensory installations & sculptures at this short-run exhibit featuring the brilliant work of Seoul-born Haegue Yang. Tickets are available from just £3 on Tuesdays & Sundays thanks to the Hayward Gallery’s new pay-what-you-can scheme.
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TUESDAY
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TALK/LEARN 🗣️ virtual, from 7pm
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How to be hopeful
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How can we overcome cynicism and find hope in dark days? That’s the topic of this pay-what-you-can talk with psychologist & author Prof Jamil Zaki, who will help you learn to build your own “hopeful skepticism”.
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MARKET 🛍️ Battersea PS, until Dec 22
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Shop small this Christmas
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Battersea Power Station’s Turbine Hall B is being taken over by the Curated Makers Christmas Market - a collection of 60 makers & small businesses selling one-of-a-kind gifts “that tell a story & make a difference”.
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Competition time! 🍊
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We’ve partnered up with the premium vodka brand XIX Vodka to give away five bottles of their new, limited-edition Gumball Orange vodka (the brand’s first ever product collab!).
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Five lucky Cheapskate readers will each win a bottle of XIX Vodka Gumball Orange - a delicious, candied orange-flavored vodka inspired by the thrill of Gumball 3000 - an epic rally uniting supercars & superstars.
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To enter the draw, simply refer a friend to Cheapskate by sending them this link (it contains your personalised referral code): {{rp_refer_url}}.
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Once they’ve signed up, you’ll be entered, & then we’ll pick the winners’ names at random. Good luck!
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PS. Members of the Cheapskate club get automatic entry into all of our competitions & access to a monthly competition that’s exclusive to supporters - see below. Sign up here today (we’ll love you forever!).
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WEDNESDAY
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FOOD 🧀 London Bridge, 6-8pm
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Evening of Cheese
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Borough Market’s popular annual tradition is back! This event is perfect if you’re looking for ideas for a unique Christmas cheeseboard as you can consult with expert cheesemongers, discover new recipes & more.
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TALK 🗣️ Holborn, 6.30-8pm
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The state of democracy
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This year, billions of people around the world have been to the polls. What have been the surprises & takeaways from these election results? At LSE, an expert panel will explore what’s been a bumper year for global politics.
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THURSDAY
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TALK 🗣️ Holborn, from 7pm
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White Xmas unwrapped
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Head to Conway Hall for a festive lecture exploring the unusual World War Two roots of Irving Berlin’s song White Christmas & its role in establishing the concept of the commercial Christmas song.
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WEBINAR 🤔 virtual, 7.30-8.30pm
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Create a meaningful life
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Are you at a crossroads in your life or career? Rhiannon Brittain, a life & career coach is running a free masterclass designed to help you find a path that aligns with your needs, desires & dreams.
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FRIDAY
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PARTY 🎉 Shoreditch HS, from 9pm
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Happy birthday to Taylor!
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Swifties, assemble! Juju’s Bar & Stage (a fab warehouse bar/music venue in east London) is running a special event to celebrate Taylor Swift’s birthday. Expect a night of 100% Taylor hits, filled with her biggest anthems & fan favourites era by era. Plus, there’ll be themed cocktails, a photobooth & a bracelet-making/trading station.
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PARTY 🎉 Hackney, 10pm-2.30am
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Acceptable in the 80s
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Paper Dress Vintage (the fab vintage clothing boutique/live music venue) is hosting a “mid-month Xmas special” this Fri eve, featuring “simply the best” hits & dancefloor fillers from the 80s. Book ahead for a free ticket.
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EXHIBIT 🖼️ Temple, 10am-4pm
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The power of play
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Check out Ready, Set, Play, an immersive, pop-up exhibit at Somerset House which will explore how childhood play inspires shared empathy & bridges cultures around the globe.
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DANCE 💃 Waterloo, from 3pm
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Mix & Move: Winter Special
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Take part in a joyous, party-style dance class at the Southbank Centre, as part of the inclusive Mix & Move series. Try new routines from a medley of dance styles from across the globe - & there’s absolutely no need for any dance experience or to have a dance partner.
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WEEKEND
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MARKET 🎄 Vauxhall, Sat-Sun 10.30-4
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Fun on the farm
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It’s Vauxhall City Farm’s Christmas market this weekend, where you can shop while enjoying the music of choir singers, plus “hot food & mulled wine a’plenty”. While there, you can also check out the Winter Light Trail.
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MARKET 🛍️ Peckham, Sat 12-5pm
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Pexmas returns
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Pexmas, Peckham’s much-loved festive market, is returning to Copeland Park this weekend for the 14th time. There’ll be 150+ unique stalls run by incredible small brands & makers (& it’s dog-friendly!).
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MARKET 🛍️ Croydon, Sat until 24 Dec
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Chrimbo in Croydon
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Sat’s the launch of shopping centre The Whitgift’s new festive market, where you can buy everything from handmade cards & gifts to vegan cakes & scented candles. Daily free workshops will also be running.
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MARKET 🎄 Bermondsey, Sat 12-8pm
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Cosy Christmas market
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It’s also the Bermondsey Square Christmas Market this weekend - another great opportunity for present shopping, enjoying festive tunes & gorging on yummy food. Plus, you get a free hot choc if you register here.
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And for dessert...
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☕️ Want to keep Cheapskate in your inbox each week? Please support us by joining the Cheapskate club (as a thank you, you’ll get automatic entry into all of our competitions - plus entry into regular supporter-only competitions). Not able to financially support us? Try clicking on our links (like this one!) - which won’t cost you a thing.
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🪩 RAW, the unique listening night, is putting on its final event of the year this Friday - & we have two pairs of tickets to give away! This festive event at The Ministry in Borough is focused around street performers; there’ll be music from some of London’s favourite buskers, rappers, rock, indie & neo-soul artists, plus live art, a games room & more. To enter the draw, simply join the Cheapskate club! And if you’re already a member, then you’ve been automatically entered.
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🤰 Are you pregnant? Registered nutritionist Niamh Dunne is running a free online workshop at 7pm tonight where you can learn about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy & gain practical tips. Topics covered include myth busting, the essential nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy, foods to avoid & ways to manage possible symptoms. A Q&A will follow. Sign up here!
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👧 Small kids can be quite hard to buy for, so we recommend My Little Darling - it has a fab selection of toys (like this ice cream bath machine) for little ones up to eight years old. Use the code CM20 to take 20% off, today only.
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😬 If you’re someone who takes great pleasure in using a toothpick at the end of a meal, you’re going to love this set (yes, really, plus it would make a great stocking filler…).
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🍻 Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a pub lover? If you spend £25 on a CityStack London Pub Collection, you can treat a loved one to £100-worth of food & drink at 60+ stunning independent pubs across London. Use the code CHEAP24 for free standard shipping.
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🛒 We’re obsessed with the (free-to-use) cashback app JamDoughnut, which gives you up to 20% instant cashback at thousands of shops, restaurants & supermarkets. Use our referral code EAMT to get a £3 bonus when you use the app for the first time.
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🍕 I was invited to have dinner at Sodo Pizza’s Clapton branch last week - & can confirm that their sustainable sourdough pizza is truly delicious! I had the Wicker Man, which features nduja cured in Islington, fresh mozzarella produced in Acton & chilli-infused Walthamstow honey. There are now six branches across London, including in Bethnal Green, Deptford & Walthamstow - go, go, go! - Kate
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