Bits and bobs worth knowing.

🚌 London bus drivers striking over dangerous heat conditions mid-August to October: 1,500 Arriva North London drivers walking out across multiple dates. Some cabs reaching 40°C with drivers suffering heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Most buses have cooling fans not air conditioning. Affected North London garages: Edmonton, Enfield, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham & Wood Green Strike dates:

14-15 August, 18-21 August, 25-28 August
4-5 September, 7-8 September, 18-19 September, 21-22 September
2-3 October, 5-6 October, 16-17 October, 19-20 October

📺 Alexandra Palace celebrating 90 years since the world's first TV broadcast: On 2 November 1936 Ally Pally hosted the world's very first regular television broadcast. Singer Adèle Dixon performed to mark the occasion. Now 90 years later Alexandra Palace is marking the anniversary with a season of talks, screenings, tours and performances running September to October. Topics include children's TV, BBC News, LGBTQ+ and Black representation in broadcasting. Tours of the original BBC studios included. Special plaque being unveiled to mark Ally Pally's place in TV history. Dates and tickets to be announced.

☘️ London Irish Centre in Camden getting £38 million makeover: The London Irish Centre on Camden Square has been a community hub for Irish people living in London for over 70 years. Now it's getting a major rebuild funded by the Irish government and donors. New extra floor will include London's first dedicated Irish theatre (130 seats), a library with 7,000 Irish books, bar and café, performance space and a centre preserving the history of Irish people in Britain. Work starts 2027, finishes early 2029. Centre staying open in nearby temporary offices throughout.

Remember Niah McGiff? the talented artist behind the FLESH & PIXEL exhibition at Ally Pally last year. She let us into her North London studio for a look at where the magic happens.

Over the next few weeks I'll be speaking to people who live, work, or have a connection to North London. Who should I speak to next?

Charity Super.Mkt Pop-Up | 📍Coal Drops Yard, N1C | 6-9 August | Free
Several charity shops bring their best rails together under one roof, with vintage finds, designer labels and high street pieces to dig through. You can also bring along a favourite item that needs some care and learn how to repair or refresh it at the Made Better drop-ins. Every purchase supports charity and keeps another piece of clothing in circulation. 10am to 6pm.



Brewed Summer Market | 📍Brewed Online, N4 | 8- 9 August | Free
Brewed is giving the café over to local artists and small businesses for the weekend. Browse ceramics, prints, children’s clothes, textiles and personalised gifts, while children can get their faces painted and everyone can add something to the community mural. There is also a special drink made with The Honey Project. From 8am on Saturday and Sunday.

Cocktails in the City | 📍Bedford Square Gardens, WC1B | 6 to 8 August | (£)
If you missed it in July,  Cocktails in the City is back this weekend. That means Bedford Square’s private Georgian garden will become a pop-up village of bars, bringing signature cocktails from leading London and international venues into one place. Wander between them without crossing the city, with street food, music, tastings and workshops around the garden.



Pubs Through Time: A Tour of Tottenham’s Coaching Inn History | 📍Tottenham High Road, N15 | 8 August | Free
Walk the old coaching inn route along Tottenham High Road and hear about the pubs, breweries and families that once kept travellers fed, watered and moving. Local historian Oona Kelly will also explain how these inns became important meeting places for business, local decisions and everyday life. Meet outside Tesco at 10.45am for an 11am start. The walk lasts two hours and finishes near Bruce Grove.

The Divine Bar Boot Sale | 📍The Divine, N16 | 9 August | Free
A car boot sale inside one of Stokey’s queer venues, spread across two floors with 35 sellers offering clothes, books, homeware and unexpected second hand finds. Browse the stalls, stop for coffee, cake or a drink at the bar, then head back for another look. Pets welcome and no booking needed. 12pm to 5pm. Please note, the basement is not step free.

Music by Jack’s Lake: Final Concert | 📍Monken Hadley Common, EN4 | 8 August | Free
The last concert of this year’s lakeside series brings harpsichord, cello, violin, viola, piano and soprano voice to Monken Hadley Common. Alistair Scahill, Miwa Rosso, Charles Mutter and Ilona Domnich will play an evening shaped by North London’s mix of cultures. Bring a folding chair, a picnic and the dog. Starts at 6pm. Suggested donation £10. If it rains, the concert moves to St Mary the Virgin Church nearby.

Thought Experiments in the Park | 📍Regent’s Park, NW1 | 8 August | Free
A park meet-up for people who want to skip the small talk and discuss questions with no obvious right answer. You will read three tiny fictional scenarios designed to make you think, then talk them through in small groups, swapping groups for each one. The theme will be revealed on the day, and you do not need any knowledge of philosophy. Bring something to sit on, plus drinks or snacks. Meet near Gloucester Gate at 3pm. The organised session ends at 5pm, but people can stay and continue chatting.

A Bug’s Life Zine Workshop | 📍Hypha Studios, Kentish Town, NW5 | 8 August | Free
Never made a zine before? It’s basically a tiny homemade magazine you fold from paper and fill with your own drawings, words and ideas. Drop in, choose a bug themed prompt, then cut, stick, write and draw using the materials provided. Add your finished zine to the mini library for someone else to discover, and have a look through what other people have made too. No art skills needed. Tea and biscuits included. Drop in anytime from 2pm to 7pm.

Collective Writing with common/play\grounds | 📍Cubitt, N1 | 9 August | Free
Cubitt is leaving the Angel Mews space it has called home for years, and this workshop is helping write its goodbye. You will look through old material from the gallery, write down memories and reactions, then combine your words with everyone else’s to create one group farewell. The finished piece will be printed on a risograph machine and read aloud together. No writing experience needed. Bring a phone, tablet or laptop. 11am to 2pm. Registration required.

The Camden Fringe | 📍Various venues across Camden and beyond | 3-30 August | (£)
For four weeks, Camden fills up with more than 450 shows across 39 venues. Expect comedy, theatre, music, dance, opera, improv and plenty of ideas that are still rough around the edges in the best way. Most shows last about an hour, so you can book something on a whim, discover someone brilliant before everyone else does, or see the strangest thing in the programme just because you can.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Enfield Town Heritage Trail | 📍Palace Gardens, EN2 | 8 August | Free
Part walk, part local treasure hunt. Pick up a map, follow the clues around Enfield Town and look for details you may have passed hundreds of times without noticing. The route takes around 45 to 60 minutes, with local landmarks, historical hints, Lost and Found Bingo and a small prize at the end. Maps are available from the Enfield Society gazebo between M&S and Pearsons from 12pm to 5pm.

Click below to see full weekend list.👇

Opening or launching something? Noticed a change in your neighbourhood? Got a local story, observation or point of view worth sharing? Reply to this email. A photo, link or a few lines is plenty.

The Prince & Friends Summer BBQ | 📍 Finsbury Rd, N22

The Prince has a different guest chef on the grill every Sunday in August.

2nd: Noah Franklin (Sessions Arts Club, Leo's, The Robin). Persian.
9th: Alex Purdie (Bocca di Lupo, Bouchon Racine, The Lavery). Italian.
16th: Nacho Pinilla (Barbary, The Bull and Last, Arabica). Spanish.
23rd: Tasca (Project 44, Giacco's). Portuguese.
30th: Roo & Zain (Firangi, Ruth's). South Asian.

Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.

Open House Festival 2026 | 📍Across London | 12 to 20 September | Mostly free
For 9 days, London opens doors that are usually closed to the public. You can step inside private homes, recording studios, archives, power stations and landmark buildings, with tours and drop in visits across all 33 boroughs. This year includes Strongroom studios, the Zaha Hadid Foundation archive, the Barbican Conservatory and Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. Mark 19 August in your calendar, when tickets and ballots go live for some of the biggest names, including 10 Downing Street, BT Tower and BBC Broadcasting House.

King’s Cross Summer Sounds | 📍Coal Drops Yard, N1C | 13 to 23 August | Free
Coal Drops Yard is putting on free live music for 11 days, with a different reason to stop by each evening. One night might bring jazz from Tomorrow’s Warriors, another global folk, queer artists, indie bands or hundreds of singers performing show tunes and pop together. No ticket needed. Find a spot around the Yard and stay for one act or the whole evening. Music runs from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, with longer family programmes on Sundays from 1pm to 6pm.

Dirty Dancing at Finchley Lido | 📍Finchley Lido Leisure Centre, N12 | 29 August | (£)
Watch Dirty Dancing on a big screen beside Finchley Lido’s outdoor pool, with deckchairs, sunset drinks and food available before the film. Come in 60s summer clothes if you fancy it, then settle in for Baby, Johnny and that lift under the stars. Doors open at 6pm, music from 7pm and the film starts at 8pm. Spaces are limited.



The Big Brine | 📍Hackney Bridge, E15 | 12 & 13 September | (£)
London is getting its first festival devoted entirely to pickles, ferments and all the sharp, salty things in between. Try food from makers working with everything from cucumbers to kimchi, watch live demonstrations and see what guest chefs can do with ingredients that have been brined, cured or left to bubble in a jar. There will also be music and entertainment across the weekend. Tickets are not on sale yet, but the waitlist is open.