Postcard from #London. Seeing some of the sights in the distance under a bridge

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: The Lady Eve on Film4 at 2.55pm. Brilliant 1941 screwball comedy sees Barbara Stanwyck and Charles Coburn as cruise ship crooks, looking for victims, including unsuspecting Henry Fonda. But she falls for him, leading to hurt feelings and laughs youtu.be/ZeVAJre7PWU?...

Postcard from #London's South Bank - skateboarders just out of sight

Whispering Bob Harris is 80 today. Happy birthday Bob. The Whistle Test was a huge influence on a lot of people my age youtu.be/ZVgLUGfdW1U?...

Tonight's slightly chilled garden #cocktail is a warming Old-Fashioned, made with bourbon, rye, Demerara and bitters, according to Tom Savano cocktails. It's a pleasing pre-mix to which I added a couple of Maraschino cherries, which have sunk to the depths of the drink. Pip pip!

I saw Summerfolk at the Olivier Theatre. A little over-long but some amusing moments in a play that covered the pointlessness of privileged lives in Russia at the start of the 20th century with some heavy-handed portent of the revolution to come. It runs until 29 April.

Saturday's matinee #theatre treat is Summerfolk at the Olivier at the National. It's a modern version of an old Gorky play set in 1905 about class, privilege and denial. It comes highly-recommended by pals, so I'm full of theatrical anticipation.

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too.

I saw Teeth 'N' Smiles at the Duke of York's theatre. It's a 50 year old play about women in rock music that still seems totally relevant. It has a fiercely magnificent central performance by Rebecca Lucy Taylor and a pleasing Phil Daniels as a sleazy manager and great music. It runs until 6 June.

Thursday matinee #theatre ticket is Teeth 'N' Smiles at the Duke of York's in St Martin's Lane. It's a revival of David Hare's 1975 musical play about a rock group problems, which should be right up my street. However the last plays I saw at this theatre were disappointing (Stereophonic and Elektra)

I reckon this is the first early evening garden #cocktail of the year. It's a classic Margherita, accompanied by plain crisps, and an entertaining book, written by the brilliant Len Leighton, who died last month aged 97. Pip pip!

We saw the BBC Singers perform a service of choral evensong at St Paul's Church in Knightsbridge. It's a wonderful setting for some brilliant voices, but my main takeaway from their songs is that as a sinner I'm going to be consumed by the earth. Oh well, as long as I have more enchanting times.

The Nag's Head in Kinnerton Street in Knightsbridge is an off-the-beaten-track Victorian #pub full of character, which is well worth a visit. It's an independent boozer but sells beer from Norfolk's Adnams Brewery, which is fine. Loads of period features and the chance to drink outside in the sun

A boxer becoming a Financial Planner? It's not a big leap for Delicious Orie, who says he can use his "experience to help people make confident decisions about their financial futures." It's an uplifting story about new beginnings www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/olympic...

Good news story of the day: An inventor has quit his job after building an online map highlighting where the sun is going to be across London at set times - so people can find the best #beer garden www.mylondon.news/news/busines...

Football at 3pm is the perfect time to watch it for fans. It's AFC Wimbledon v Luton Town in League One which, thankfully, means no VAR to spoil the game

Chelsea have made it impossible to buy tickets for friends and family now so the end result is lots of empty seats. It's embarrassing for an FA Cup quarter final

Impressive support from Port Vale fans filling the away end at Stamford Bridge today for their FA Cup quarter final tie. TV tried to ruin it by scheduling the game at a preposterous 5.15pm but that hasn't stopped them. Hoping for a memorable cup upset.

The Guardian has published my dad Ted Read's obituary today. We were overwhelmed by the messages we got from his former pupils about how his teaching affected them www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Easter kids' fun at Wimbledon Park. Rain ahoy!

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too

The Guardian has published my dad Ted Read's obituary today. We were overwhelmed by the messages we got from his former pupils about how his teaching affected them www.theguardian.com/education/20...

We saw I'm Sorry Prime Minister at the Apollo Theatre. Jonathan Lynn's story has Hacker and Appleby as two old men, struggling with a world that has changed. There were plenty of jokes, but ultimately it's a sad story leaving you with little sympathy for the characters. It runs until 9 May.

Thursday's matinee #theatre treat is I'm Sorry, Prime Minister at the Apollo in Shaftesbury Avenue. I adored the 80s TV show so I'm fascinated to see this 'final chapter'. I'm anticipating plenty of laughs...

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: All About Eve, 1950, on BBC4 at 8pm. Brilliantly bitter and witty satire of showbiz as aging star Bette Davis encourages but becomes jealous of aspiring young actress Ann Baxter. It gained 14 Oscar nominations and won 6. youtu.be/MZErhnNNci4?...

I'd rather be called woke...

I saw Shadowlands at the Aldwych Theatre: a pleasing front row view through a cheap rush ticket bought today. It's a tear-jerker with Hugh Bonneville as a stoic CS Lewis and Maggie Siff an enthusiastic love of his life, with Joy and pain, love and loss on display. It runs until 9 May.

Wednesday's matinee #theatre visit is Shadowlands at the Aldwych. It's a tear-jerking story of love and loss as acclaimed writer CS Lewis marries an American divorcee. Should be perfect entertainment for a sprightly spring day in April. Hopefully.

Birds and boats and buses - #London's Embankment, at Temple Station.

This is even too preposterous to be an April Fool's joke. Farage is about as principled as a tapeworm

Marylebone Road this evening. Spring definitely feels like it's arrived in #London but putting the clocks forward has also given us more light as we step out for fun.

This column about high-risk #investment was published in The I paper five years ago, but its warning still stands as relevant as ever.

I'm not going to condone this response #beer

It's comedy at the London Palladium tonight. Tbh, I need a laugh

#VAR has made Premier League gamers so unenjoyable that I'm planning to give up my season ticket this year. To be honest, that's not the only reason why: top-flight football's boring too and owners have pushed up prices and prefer to embrace tourists rather than loyal fans.

Last year my dad told me his favourite film was The Seven Samurai. He said the 1954 movie changed the way he viewed cinema. I've never seen Kurosawa's 3-hour epic, but but will finally remedy that today at the glorious Garden Cinema.

I've had an interesting and fun week. I hope you have too.

These are the lions at the Tower of #London, wire sculptures commissioned from artist Kendra Haste in 2010, to mark the Tower's former menagerie. It housed a collection of exotic wild animals from 1235 to 1835 leading the western tower to become known as The Lion Tower.

This must be the most photographed bridge in #London and remains a staple on all memorabilia of the Capital, but there's a reason. Tower Bridge is iconic because of its majesty, looming above visitors to the area. It looked stunning yesterday evening.

A classic East End boozer. The Princess of Prussia in Prescott Street, E1 is a beautiful old Shepherd Neame pub with original Victorian fittings and a secluded beer garden out back. It seemed popular with the office crowd with all tables booked for 5.30ish on a Thursday when we visited.

I saw Ruth The Musical at Wilton's Music Hall. The story of Ruth Ellis, the last women to be hanged in Britain, is an interesting one, but the music in this show was a little bit flat and so the story missed its beat. Great performances and venue, however.

I saw Ruth The Musical at Wilton's Music Hall. The story of Ruth Ellis, the last women to be hanged in Britain, is an interesting one, but the music in this show was a little bit flat and so the story missed its beat. Great performances and venue, however.

Thursday's matinee #theatre visit is Ruth The Musical at the stunning Wilton's Music Hall in East London. About Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in Britain, it's apparently "a bold British noir musical that delves into sex, class, power and injustice in 1950s Britain". Interesting.

A viral dog rescue from 2016 is now immortalized with a statue in Kazakhstan. When a dog fell into the Sayran reservoir, bystanders formed a human chain to pull him to safety. The statue is a reminder of the value of unity, solidarity and collective action. 14/10 for all

Meta has been fined $375m after a jury found that the company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, enabled harm including child sexual exploitation on its platforms. www.theguardian.com/technology/v...

I took this picture eight years ago today after spending the day filming in this location. Can you name the town?

A Soho tradition - sitting outside Bar Italia in Frith Street with a coffee (cortado) and a grappa. Opposite the early queues are out for Ronnie Scott's but otherwise the evening crowd is yet to appear. The price, at £11.80, is much steeper than I recall, but isn't everything these days

Pre-film cocktail is a Negroni at the gorgeous Garden Cinema near Kingsway. The cinema has been beautifully put together and shows lots of classics as well as the latest releases. Today's treat is 1959's Breathless. The drink, at £10, was reasonably priced.

"Picture me, I should be wild and free..." Terry Callier was born today in 1945. He made some of the most beautiful jazzy soul in the 60s and 70s and had a major resurgence in the late 90s. This is "Where A Lark Is Singing" from his 1999 album Lifetime. youtu.be/1Si0iDSTIFs?...

I'm finishing work early today so I can have an afternoon cinema treat. I'm seeing Jean-Luc Goddard's 1959 French new wave crime noir Breathless (A Bout de Souffle) for the first time and really looking forward to it. I've no idea why I've never seen it before