Allotments of Stepney Farm, Hackney. Pic: ChodHound (Flickr)
As the summer music season gets underway, there are plenty of opportunities this week to sample some of the eclectic sights and sounds of London in late June. From outdoor street dance performances and the live music stages of Lewisham and Croydon, to the more relaxed urban farms and orchards of Hackney, Pick of the Line truly has it all for you over the next couple of days.
Pop Up Vintage Fair
22 June (Saturday)
Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, E1 6EW
Featuring everything from ladies and menswear to jewellery, posters, antique maps, collectables and even mobile hair styling services on site, the Pop Up Vintage Fair is clearly a must-see for vintage fans. Check out the fair's facebook page for more information.
“Friday night fist fight” club night organised by Fan the Fire Magazine
21 June (Tonight) 8pm - 2:00 am (free)
Old Blue Last Pub, 38 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3ES
Five piece “dream-pop” ensemble, Paper Boats set to headline the event. Find their music on soundcloud here. Indie group, Go Tell The Eskimo are the evening's supporting act, with My New Favourite Tribe opening the event.
The Old Blue Last has been described by the Guardian, NME and the Evening Standard as one of East London’s hottest new live music venues.
Workshop on Growing Food in Shady Spaces (£25 per session)
22 June (Saturday) 10am - 2pm
Stepney City Farm, Stepney Way, E1 3DG
Sustainable food growing expert, Simon White will lead a special session at Stepney Farm explaining how to get the most out of the shady areas of our gardens and providing tips and advice on which shade tolerant plant varieties to go for.
For more information or to find more sessions in the farm’s Practical Vegetable Gardening event series, go to www.stepneycityfarm.org
Guided Tour of Bee Habitats in Butterfield Green Orchard (free)
23 June (Sunday) 2:30pm - 4pm
Shakspeare Walk, Butterfield Green Orchard
If you ever wanted to find out more about bees and their impact on the local environment, here’s your chance! Local Hackney ecologist, Russell Miller will take participants on a relaxing Sunday afternoon stroll exploring the diversity of bee species in Butterfield Green Orchard. For contact information and maps click here.
Greenwich and Docklands International Outdoor Performing Arts Festival (free)
21 - 29 June
Located at a number of sites in East and South London (see map for more details)
The week-long event, now in its 10th year, will feature a variety of performances spanning the world of theatre, dance and street arts. This year sees 30 national and international dance and theatre companies taking part with over 150 unique outdoor productions. Some highlights to look out for include: "As The World Tipped", "The Great Greenwich Whale", "Audible Forces" and "Faust".
Go to the festival's events page for the full listings.
Purley Festival
24 - 30 June
Next weekend, the Purley Festival will be packed full of live music acts on three different stages. The festival promises to be something for all musical tastes including jazz, rock n' roll, indie-rock, hip-hop and singer-songwriters performances galore.
Throughout the week, the festival will also feature a number of interesting events and workshops around the local area. Some of the highlights include talks by the pioneers of Croydon's new start-up scene, several local history walks and a number of special film screenings.
