Plan Your Weekend With D&G: Westminster & Pimlico

It’s Friday, and time for a well-deserved break. Indeed, here at Douglas and Gordon, we’ve made it even easier for you to enjoy your weekend, with our convenient area events guide for this Saturday and Sunday.

Royal Albert Hall

The Rays of Sunshine concert will be taking place tomorrow at the Royal Albert Hall, from 3pm onwards. Rays of Sunshine is a charity that grants wishes to seriously ill children in the UK, from ages 3 – 18. Indeed, in the audience will be 2000 children who have had wishes granted by the charity. The Royal Albert Hall has provided the use of the auditorium free of charge, and all proceeds from the concert will benefit terminally ill and sick children. Big names performing at the concert include JLS, Olly Murs, The Saturdays, Kimberly Walsh, Ruff Diamond, Charlie Brown, Angel and Flawless.

Westminster Academy Sports Centre

The Westminster Academy Sports Centre is providing free beginner off-road level one cycling training this Saturday. The courses are subsidised by the City of Westminster, who are committed to making cycling a safe, enjoyable and practical method of transport in the borough. There will be 2 sessions taking place on Saturday – one from 9.30am to 11.30am, and the other from 12pm to 2pm. Bikes are available to borrow if you don’t have your own. Classes are open to anyone who works, lives or studies in Westminster.

St James Theatre

“The American Plan”, a play written by Richard Greenberg and directed by David Grindley, has just started at the St James Theatre, and will run until 10th August. The production has been described as “A tangle of ravaged dreams, broken souls, twisted motives and deceit, The American Plan takes place against a backdrop of the Catskill Mountains during a 1960s summer.” Friday and Saturday night’s performances start at 7.30pm, and there will also be a Saturday matinee beginning at 2.30pm. The play has received 5 star ratings from both the Guardian and The Independent, so don’t miss out on what promises to be a fantastic evening of stage drama.

The Royal Society

For the intellectuals and insatiably curious among us, The Royal Society is currently running its Summer Science exhibition, which ends on Sunday. Tonight, you can attend a panel discussion entitled “Nature’s Marvelous Medicine”, which will investigate how sustainable it is to derive our medicines from natural resources, and debate the medical, economic and social benefits in comparison to lab-created drugs. Saturday night’s feature, meanwhile, is called “Curious Maths: Finding the Solution”, which will reveal the stories behind fascinating mathematical discoveries, and discuss the importance of finding mathematical solutions in the future. Both Friday and Saturday night’s talks are free to the public, and begin at 6.30pm. Finally, Sunday’s exhibit, “Bringing Up Baby”, will focus on author Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel, Room. The panel, featuring psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter, will discuss the enduring emotional consequences of significant childhood experiences, and the long-term effects of psychological and physical neglect on the development of the brain. Sunday’s talk will begin at 4pm. The exhibit is being held at the Royal Society headquarters, located at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace.

Cadogan Hall

If you’re more of a classical music fan, then the performances taking place at Cadogan Hall this weekend will be right up your alley. Friday night will feature violinist Ida Haendel, accompanied by pianist Misha Dacic. On Saturday night, Cadogan Hall will play host to the Lewisham Choral Society, where Dan Ludford-Thomas will conduct Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst and When David Heard, among others. Both Friday and Saturday night’s shows begin at 7.30pm. To round off a weekend of talented musicians, the RCM Junior Department Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7pm on Sunday evening. [Image credit: Cadogan Hall]

There’s certainly enough going on to keep you entertained! From all of us here at Douglas and Gordon, have a fantastic, relaxing weekend.

Don’t forget to like our Pimlico Facebook page to stay updated on local news and our property of the week!