London

Houses and collections
London Open House
This annual event gives you the chance to view, for free, hundreds of buildings of architectural interest, many of which aren’t usually open to the public. Check their website over the summer for more details.

London Silver Vaults
Tucked away in the capital’s legal district, the Vaults hold the largest collection of antique silver in the world. There are free  themed selling exhibitions in the entrance Foyer, featuring items for sale from the 30+ shops - ranging from pre-Georgian pieces to modern designs of frames, mirrors, jewellery and cutlery. London Silver Vaults, Chancery Lane, WC2A 1QT (www.thesilvervaults.com). Chancery Lane tube. Open 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, until 1pm Sat.

Scientific discovery
At the UCL Department of Earth Sciences Collection see a selection of rocks, minerals and fossils on display from this collection of more than 40, 000 geological specimens, painstakingly gathered over the last two centuries. One of the highlights is the Johnston-Lavis volcanological collection of minerals, rocks, photographs and gouaches, collected from about 1880-1912.
University College London, Gower St, WC1E 6BT (7679 7900/www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/geology). Euston Square tube. Open Wed lunchtimes or by appointment. Closed during exam times. Feature continues

Poetry browsing
The Poetry Library is an exceptionally comprehensive collection of modern poetry and was founded by the Arts Council in 1953 in an effort to inspire and support British poetry. The modern poetry section contains all twentieth- and twenty-first-century work published in Great Britain. You can also find a great selection of works from other English-speaking countries and a considerable collection of translations. Membership is free.
The Poetry Library, Level 5, Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, SE1 8XX (792 0943/792 0664/www.poetrylibrary.org.uk). Waterloo tube/rail.

Performance

St Martin-in-the-Fields (image © Andrew Brackenbury)

Church recitals
London’s churches offer amazing-value concerts from musical professionals and students, especially at lunchtime. Vocal and instrumental sounds of all kinds, not necessarily church music, continue the tradition of the church providing a sociable gathering place (sandwich-munchers welcomed).
St James’s Piccadilly Leads the field with concerts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes – there is serious programming and performance to be had here.
St Anne and St Agnes in the City Provides lunchtime music on Friday plus occasional Lutheran services with Bach’s music incorporated as part of the liturgy, as originally intended.
The Church of the Latter Day Saints Improbably sited opposite the Science Museum, it has (non-religious) music on Thursdays.
St Giles-in-the-Fields An important venue with Milton connections (Fridays).
St Martin-in-the-Fields Their lunchtime fare is not to be confused with its conveyor-belt baroque evenings. Entrance is free, though donations are welcomed.
St Lawrence Jewry Runs frequent lunchtime recitals. (Tuesdays at 1pm).
See Classical listings for details of forthcoming recitals.

Watch a trial
You can watch the proceedings of the most famous court in the world from the public galleries from 10am, Monday to Friday (get there half an hour early).
Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, EC4 (01206 513919/www.old-bailey.com). St Paul’s tube. Open 10am-1pm, 2-5pm (approx) Mon-Fri. Closed bank holiday Monday and the day after. Reduced court sitting in August.

Theatre at the Scoop
Ken Livingstone once described his headquarters as a ‘glass testicle’, but there are more reasons than that to go and gawp at Norman Foster’s City Hall. Not least for The Scoop - the amphitheatre outside where the free theatre productions are hosted each summer.
The Scoop, More London Riverside, SE1 (www.morelondon.com/scoop.html). London Bridge tube/rail.

Cricket
With a day at a county match costing upwards of £12, there is a decent alternative for the impecunious fan: club cricket. We’re not talking about village green stuff here, but the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Premier Leagues. You’ll see players destined for the top and there are some familiar names from the county scene, too. And, just occasionally, a genuine star turns out. There are Premier League matches every Saturday until September, mostly starting at 11.30am. Spectators are welcome and the bar is usually open. You can find out about clubs and fixtures from the websites of the four Premier Leagues around London.
Essex League (www.essexcricket.com ); Kent League (www.kcl.uk.net); Middlesex League (www.middlesexccl.com); Surrey Championship (www.surreychampionship.com).