September is properly underway, and this little four-day stretch is doing a lot with itself. We’ve got dumpling folding in Lewisham, creative chat over a free cuppa in Deptford, a morning spent looking for bees, poetry with a mystery film, and enough live music to make Thursday feel suspiciously like Friday.
In this week’s Loop:
Dumplings, tea and a little folding practice
A Creative Cuppa for local artists and makers
Bees, poetry, cinema and two very different live gigs
Pick n Mix: knitting, books, chess, tech help and a bit of Deptford history
🗓️ Our picks for 7th – 10th September
Chinese Dumpling & Tea Cultural Experience
Fold them, eat them, learn a little something along the way
A hands-on afternoon at Zhu Lin Hidden Village where you’ll make and eat your own dumplings, learn traditional folding techniques and have Chinese tea while hearing some of the stories behind the food. Ingredients are included and the group is kept small, so this should feel more kitchen table than giant cookery class. There’s also an optional free Tai Chi session beforehand from 11am–12pm.
Details and tickets can be found here on Eventbrite. Tickets are priced at £12, advanced booking is required.
Tuesday 8 September @ 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Creative Cuppa
Marketing advice, useful chat and a free cuppa to go with it!
Artists and creatives can drop into the Albany for an informal hour with its Creative team. September’s session is all about marketing: how to talk about your work, build visibility and make better use of the tools already at your disposal. No pitching deck required, thankfully. Just bring whatever you’re working on, a few questions and your best “I definitely understand social media” face.
It’s free and there’s no need to book, though the schedule on the topics being discussed in each monthly session can be found here.
Wednesday 9 September @ 11:30am - 12:30pm
The Albany @ Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG
Fordham Park BeeWalk
One hour, several bees and absolutely no prior expertise required
Spend Thursday morning learning how to tell your bumblebees apart with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s B.E.E Project Officer, Tilly. The walk follows the Fordham Park BeeWalk route, with pots, nets and identification support provided, so beginners can get stuck in without arriving armed with their own miniature entomology lab.
This event is free, but you’ll need to register your place here.
Thursday 10 September @ 10:30am - 11:30am
Fordham Park @ meet where Clifton Rise meets Childreic Road, SE14 6DG
ESEA Film Screening x Poetry Reading by yuwei 魚尾
Poetry first, mystery film second
Deptford Library Cinema Club is mixing things up for ESEA Heritage Month. Poet and writer yuwei 魚尾 will read work exploring South-East Asian nomadic culture before introducing an ESEA film chosen specially for the evening. The actual film is being kept under wraps, which is either charmingly old-school cinema programming or a very effective way of stopping us checking reviews beforehand.
The screening is free, with places available to reserve through here.
Thursday 10 September @ 6pm - 8pm
Deptford Lounge @ 9 Giffin Street, Deptford, SE8 4RJ
Bologna Bridge Band
Funk, jazz, hip-hop and techno walk into New Cross Inn
If your Thursday requires something considerably louder, New Cross Inn has a nine-piece street-party band throwing funk, jazz, hip-hop and techno into the same pot. Doors open at 6pm and the gig runs until 10pm, giving you several solid hours to discover exactly how much brass-adjacent chaos one room can take.
Tickets can be booked from the Pit’s website here and are priced at £13.20
Thursday 10 September @ 6pm - 10pm
New Cross Inn @ 323 New Cross Road, London, SE14 6AS
Note: This event is 14+. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+.
Sheila Maurice Grey
Trumpet, visual art and one excellent reason to stay out on a school night.
Kokoroko leader Sheila Maurice Grey brings her solo project to the Fox & Firkin for the first time. The London trumpeter and flugelhorn player has worked across projects with the likes of Sampha, Little Simz, Yussef Dayes and Stormzy, while her own work also draws on her practice as a visual artist. A proper Thursday-night reward for anyone who has made it through the first half of September with their inbox vaguely under control.
Book tickets and view more details here on the Fox & Firkin’s website.
Thursday 10 September @ 7pm - 11pm
The Fox & Firkin @ 316 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6JZ
Pick n’ Mix ✨
Small plans, useful plans and the ones you’ll be pleased you remembered
🧶 Knit ’n Knatter - Monday 7 September, 7pm at Corbett Community Library. Bring along knitting, crochet or another craft and settle in with a friendly local group. Free, drop-in and pleasingly low-pressure.
📚 Irish Book Club - Tuesday 8 September, 10:30am at Catford Library. A welcoming morning book club celebrating Irish storytelling, from classics to newer writing, run with Lewisham Irish Community Centre.
📖 Story and Song Time - International Literacy Day Special – Tuesday 8 September, 10:30am–11am at Downham Library. Stories and songs for under-fives and their grown-ups, with an International Literacy Day twist. A gentle morning save for small people.
♟️ Chess Club - Tuesday 8 September, 5pm at Deptford Lounge. Free and open to all ages, from total beginners to seasoned players, with casual games, tips and chess clocks for anyone feeling competitive.
💻 IT and Form Help - Wednesday 9 September, 2:30pm at New Cross Learning. Free, no-booking-needed help with computers and online forms. One for anyone currently losing an argument with a website.
🎞️ Deptford High Street Exchange: Trader Tales and Book Display - Thursday 10–Sunday 20 September. Browse books on Deptford’s past and watch Trader Tales, a short film celebrating the people and history of Deptford Market, looping as part of the display.
See you next week ~