Five Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend

EVENT EXPLORE FOR FREE
The sun is here – at last! Time to make the most of it! The annual Heritage Open Days festival opens up hidden places, history-soaked houses, and culturally rich spots for everyone to explore for free. There are over 5000 events taking place from September 8–17, including plays, talks, open houses and trails.
Why not take a behind-the-scenes tour of the iconic Tyne tunnels, visit the Gothic Temple at Stowe, or explore the history of television at the BFI Film and Television Archive?
This year, the festival celebrates the country’s artistic trailblazers, with the theme ‘Creativity Unwrapped’ – head to a gelato flavour exploration in North Shields, find out about the creativity behind a brick in Hampshire, or meet the talented jukebox-building team at Sound Leisure in West Yorkshire.
There are a series of innovative, youth-led events taking place this year; sing your heart out at a Shanty Social in Portsmouth, join a crafty Proggy Pride Party in Sunderland or take a walk through Oxford’s street art in a Hidden Heritage Graffiti Trail.
Find an event near you here and the pick of family friendly events here.
Head to the Royal Docks to see David Cotterrell’s Saltley Geyser, a plume of water that shoots 30m into the air, or become a River Litter Detective at Broomhouse Dock. This weekend, classic boats descend on St Katharine’s Dock for a festival, while over in the Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, there’s been a sighting of a mysterious Unidentified Marine Object in the show, Creatures of the Kelp. Plus lots of unmissable walks, art workshops and mudlarking! All September. Free and ticketed.

EVENT TALES FROM THE RIVER BANK
Snaking through London bringing trade, travel and people, the Thames is one of the most important waterways in the UK. For the whole of September, the waterway is celebrated; the Totally Thames festival sees the river come alive with performance, incredible art installations, sound walks, projections and sculptures that emerge at low tide. It’s the perfect festival to cool off at!

EVENT A RIGHT COB ON

Eating new season corn-on-the-cob is one of early autumn’s joys (and our guinea pigs just love the husks!) We love them Mexican street food style, spiked with lime, cheese and chilli, but there are more simple topping ideas here. Alternatively, look to Japan for inspiration, and serve corn pops with a sweet, sticky dipping sauce. Or go cosy – veggie corn chowder makes perfect autumn comfort food and is easy and quick to make.



EVENT DANCE AND PLAY

Partying north and south of the Thames, The Greenwich + Docklands festival is in full swing. This weekend, explore a free programme of dance and art across the sun-drenched piazzas, parks and waterfronts of Canary Wharf in Dancing City. Watch the playful Bouncing Narratives, which takes place in and around a shipping container with a trampoline for a roof; the best seats are under the performers in the container! Or take in Pan-Catwalk; two performers, one catwalk and a never-ending row of outfits. Or join Arcade; interactive dance games you can join in! All free. Find out more here

DO THORNY ISSUE!
As all good hedge witches know, this is the season when hawthorn berries start to spangle the trees like shiny rubies. They are magickal little things, said to help regulate heartbeats and high blood pressure. They’re quite pippy and stalky, but it’s worth persevering with the fiddle in order to cook them. Try making richly-flavoured, deep crimson haw ketchup, perfect for eating with roast dinners, or sweet cordial. Find out more about the berries and tree here and find more ideas for recipes including a tincture, fruit leather and liqueur here

WHAT WE’RE READING Make pocket money equal: “When does the gender pay gap start, and why? Working with Professor Tim Jay, an educational psychologist at Loughborough University, we discovered that boys get 20% more pocket money every week, while products marketed at girls cost 5% more. And it doesn’t stop there. Boys and girls earn – and learn – about pocket money in different ways too, which sets them up with different financial literacy skills.” Read more here

WHAT WE’RE EATING The flavours of banana, strawberry, coconut, and vanilla create a calming wake-up moment—even when you’re on the go, says Rens Kroes. Here’s a breakfast you can blend and go! Find the recipe here