The Time Out London blog team

The Science Museum has been handed a enormous wad of cash and it’s planning to use it transform its largest gallery space.  Thanks to a whopping eight-figure donation from the Serum Institute of India (the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer), the museum’s 20-year-old Making the Modern World gallery will be transformed and re-open in 2028 as Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery. We don’t know that exact amount of money that’s been injected into the museum, but it’s apparently the largest international donation in its history.  At the moment, the Making of the Modern World gallery has six different zones presenting some iconic and everyday items that have shaped how we live today. Among the fascinating stuff on the display, there’s the first Apple computer, a porcelain bowl salvaged from Hiroshima, penicillin from Ian Fleming’s lab, the world's oldest surviving steam locomotive, ‘Puffing Billy’, and Tracy, one of the world’s first transgenic sheep.  Photograph: Science Museum Group The refurb is being designed by Lawson Ward Studio. Led by architects Hannah Lawson and Georgina Ward (who are also currently working with the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Wallace Collection and the Natural History Museum), the new and improved gallery will ‘draw on the existing architectural features of the space, utilising natural light, the double height and the largest gallery space in the museum’. Like the Making of the Modern World gallery, it’ll span 250 years of inventions...

London has a formidable array of markets, for whatever your want or need – whether that’s nabbing a houseplant at Columbia Road flower market, grabbing a cheeky pastry from Borough or trying on leather jackets in Camden. Find a full lowdown of the best markets in the capital with this handy Time Out guide. While Londoners are spoiled for choice when it comes to markets, it’s always a treat to see communities putting together new ones (and even better with Christmas nearly upon us). In that regard, we have some good news: a new Saturday market has launched in Bethnal Green, east London, with six stalls selling an array of artsy goods.  The market is hosted in front of legendary cafe E Pellicci on Bethnal Green Road, and it’s the result of a project by E Pellicci, the East End Trades Guild, Oxford House and Newmans Stationary. It was crowdfunded by the century-old cafe and locals, who raised over £9,000 to kickstart the market. The Bethnal Green market is running for eight weeks, having started at the beginning of November. It’ll be open every Saturday from 9am to 4pm, until December 20.  Krissie Nicolson The market offers hand-crafted pieces from east London artists, featuring everything from one-of-a-kind crafts and pieces of vintage clothing to ceramics and even art made on the spot.    Bethnal Green market stalls Bethnal Queen: vintage clothes and original pieces Ceramasistas: nature-inspired ceramics  Control & Chaos: sustainable luxury candles  Fine Art and Fancy...

It’s November and officially acceptable to start getting excited about the festive period in London.  If you’re the type to savour the Christmas period (rather than panic about present-buying), there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. Some of London’s biggest and best festive markets have already started welcoming visitors, having opened at the start of November (find a full list of markets and opening dates here), and the capital’s iconic neighbourhoods are starting to sparkle with Christmas-themed displays, too.  But when exactly does each of London’s major Christmas lights displays officially turn on? We’ve got the lowdown. From Oxford Street and Covent Garden to Kew, here are the switch-on dates for the capital’s festive displays. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas lights displays in London. When are London Christmas lights turned on this year? West End The first official display turned on in the capital this year was in the West End – specifically Piccadilly, Leicester Square, and St Martin’s Lane. The lights are on until January 6, and the festivities include a brand-new ice rink at Leicester Square. Switch-on date: Saturday November 1. Oxford Street The longest shopping street in Europe features, as before, 5,000 stars consisting of 300,000 LED bulbs. Once again, the street is partnering with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) to raise funds for seriously ill children.  Switch-on date: Monday November 3. Photograph: BBA Photography /...