The weekend guide

Our tips to help you plan ahead and get the best out of your weekend in the city: Friday 10 - Sunday 12 July.

Outdoors

Last chance to catch the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, the largest spectacle of its kind in the world, boasting an abundance of floral delights and more.

Planted beds at the Hampton Court Flower Show

Visitors can enjoy around 50 inspiring display gardens including the wildlife-friendly Life Cycle Garden, and the various conceptual showcases dedicated to the big names in garden design.

There are more than just plants here of course; hundreds of nurseries fill the floral marquees, and floral art, fruit and vegetables and food are also a major part of the show.

Family weekend (Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 July) has fun activities in the Children's Zone, including a Tudor-themed RHS Scarecrow Competition.

Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey. Ongoing to Sunday 12 July, daily 10am - 7.30pm, Sunday 10am - 5.30pm. Day tickets £27, afternoon entry £17, kids go free.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Dance

There's something about the tango that's made for summer and the outdoors, ideally when the afternoon light shades into early evening. Fancy an al fresco session this weekend?

Head over to Regent's Park, where Strictly Come Dancing's Kele Baker is hostinga tango party for dancers of all ages and abilities, beginning with a beginner's lesson at 1pm.

Pack a picnic and make a day of it; all proceeds go to the Royal Parks Foundation to help pay for tree planting in Regent's Park.

Tango Al Fresco in Regent's Park: Avenue Gardens, at the south end of the Broadwalk, Outer Circle. Sunday 12 July, 1pm - 6pm. From £10.00 per adult ticket.

Dance Al Fresco

Art & Culture

Alongside US artist Elizabeth Peyton's vibrant portraits of rockers, artists and musicians, the Whitechapel Gallery is also hosting East End Academy, a snapshot of contemporary work made by artists "living or working east of the Aldgate Pump".

Collages by Daniel Kelly are among the works on show

This triennial exhibition was launched in 1932, with big guns like Antony Gormley and Rachel Whiteread among its alumni. Painting is the focus this year and the 12 artists on show were selected from over 600 submissions.

Take a look at Daniel Kelly's large-scale architectural collages, Luke Dowd's spray paintings, Varda Caivano's multi-layered canvases, and admire the breadth and vitality of London's art scene.

East End Academy: The Painting Edition, Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street E1. Ongoing to 30 August. Free admission.

Whitechapel Gallery

Books and spoken word

Journalist and author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown kicks off the Ealing Literary Festival with a talk about her memoir The Settler's Cookbook, an exploration of her East African Indian roots through the shared experience of food, cooking and recipes.

The 10-day festival, spread over various local venues including the Acton carnival, has set its sights on young and old alike: alongside appearances by children's character Kipper from author Mick Inkpen, there are talks by columnists and authors Will Self and Toby Young, and a Desert Island Books session by broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli.

Ealing Literary Festival, Acton Town Hall and various local venues, Friday 10 - Sunday 19 July. Admission by ticket only for some events.

Ealing Literary Festival

Kids and families

Any idea what south east London's biggest and longest running community festival is?

It's the Lewisham People's Day which marks its 25th year with an invitation to don an 80s outfit, dress up as a local landmark or wear something silver to reflect the Silver jubilee.

Lewisham Pride: The James Taylor Quartet

The Catford-based event will feature a mix of international acts, local performers, street theatre, cinema, dance and cabaret across eight stages, including ska combo The Dualers, the London Breakbeat Orchestra and jazz funk favourites the James Taylor Quartet.

Split into four areas with a parks bandstand and a youth 'village', the festival will also host community stalls, a craft market and circus workshops; a special heritage team will be on hand to help people share their jubilee memories via webcam, an Acoustic Arts Cafe provides chill out space and a Love Lewisham zone will put the spotlight on all things green and environmental.

Lewisham People's Day, Mountsfield Park, Catford SE6. Saturday 11 July, 12noon - 7pm, Free admission.

Lewisham People's Day

See also:

Dr Pepper's weekend travel surgery

On the Big Screen in Waltham Forest