ZSL - An elephant birthday = giant celebrations

Mammoth celebrations at the Zoo Asian elephant Lucha was treated to a birthday surprise of mammoth proportions at ZSL Whipsande Zoo last week, filled with her favourite veggie treats, banana and cucumber. The huge birthday cake was created by Great British Bake Off finalist Richard Burr, for Lucha and her herd to enjoy. Watch her devour her birthday treat here – she had a smashing time! The cake isn't the only epic feature of construction at the Zoo, as the Great Brick Safari, an exhibit of life-like LEGO® brick sculptures, is open this half-term. At ZSL London Zoo Mini Keepers is also back by popular demand, where kids can get stuck-in and experience daily life as a zookeeper! Both experiences end on June 2, so this is your last chance to make the most of them this May half term. Save 10% by booking online below. Also, something fishy is going on at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Take a peek below to see what we're carping on about.

Imperial War Museums - COME AND SEE A SPITFIRE AT LONDON BRIDGE STATION

COME AND SEE A SPITFIRE AT LONDON BRIDGE STATION LEARN MORE PART OF D-DAY 75 To celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, for one week only we've installed a replica Spitfire in London Bridge station. Come down and see one of the most iconic aircraft of all time! The Spitfire played its part in the Normandy invasions. The Spitfire Mk.IX provided essential air support for the D-Day landings as a fight-bomber. Yet it also played a less likely part. Barrels of beer were strapped to their bomb racks and flown over the channel to the troops in Normandy. It was only when a call came from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, pointing out that this was technically exporting beer without paying tax, that this brief role in the Spitfire's history came to an end. Alongside our activity at London Bridge, we're also hosting a digital exhibition on D-Day 75 at London Waterloo. Come down to either station to learn more about the biggest combined naval, military and air operation ever seen, and pick up a free limited edition D-Day 75 newspaper for your journey home!     D-Day 75 This June we commemorate 75 years since the D-Day landings across our three historic sties; HMS Belfast, IWM Duxford and Churchill War Rooms. We're hosting a series of special events, exhibitions and activities that will retell the stories of the invasion.  JOIN US THERE

Adams Antiques Fairs - Save the date! Our June antiques fair at The Royal Horticultural Halls

There's just two more antiques fairs for the summer season remaining, with the next fast approaching on Sunday 16th June.  Find the perfect unique gift for Father's Day at The Royal Horticultural Halls where we've been holding antiques events for the last 30 years. SUNDAY 16TH JUNE 2019 10AM  -  4.30PM The Royal Horticultural Hall,  Lindley Hall,  80 Vincent Square,  Westminster,  London SW1P 2PE £4 entry- tickets available on the door or in advance (with booking fee)   Nearest Tube: Victoria/ St James's Park ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

Wellcome Collection - This June: views on vaccines, the mother of rabbits, and a birthday party

Wellcome's free museum and library for the incurably curious Jo Spence and Oreet Ashery: Misbehaving Bodies NOW OPEN, UNTIL 26TH JAN 2020 FREE EXHIBITION | DROP IN Influential photographer Jo Spence’s work documents her diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent healthcare regime throughout the 1980s. Her raw and confrontational photography will be shown alongside Oreet Ashery’s award-winning miniseries ‘Revisiting Genesis’, 2016, which explores death and dying in the digital era.  How Does the World Feel about Vaccines? WED 12 JUNE, 19.00-20.30 FREE | BOOK NOW Listen in on a recording of a BBC World Service programme, to hear about the findings of a major new global survey investigating attitudes to vaccines. The Wellcome Global Monitor asked people around the world whether they think vaccines are safe, effective and important for children to have.  Library Insights: Mary Toft, Mother of Rabbits THU 13 JUNE, 18.00-19.00 FREE | BOOK NOW Hear the story of Mary Toft, the ordinary 18th-century woman who managed to convince doctors that she had given birth to rabbits.  Consider the personal and political context in which this scandalous hoax existed and gain a deeper insight through seeing historic representations. Beyond the Perfect Image SAT 15 & SUN 16 JUNE, 12.00-17.30 FREE | DROP IN Starting with Jo Spence's birthday as a moment to celebrate ageing, this weekend of performances, screenings, talks and a birthday party introduces the themes in the Misbehaving Bodies exhibition. The programme brings together a range of perspectives on how illness shapes our understanding of identity. Packed Lunch: Design Errors WED 26 JUNE, 13.00-14.00 FREE | FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED What role does design play in the mistakes we make? Join Human Factors researcher Dominic Furniss to learn about his work to reduce human error through better design and procedures; from everyday things to hospitals and chemical plants. Please note that as this event is taking place in the Reading Room, food and drink should be enjoyed elsewhere before or after the event. BSL Interpreted Tour of Smoke and Mirrors THU 27 JUNE, 18.00-18.45 FREE | BOOK NOW VIA EMAIL What can magic and conjuring tell us about the human mind? Join us for a BSL-interpreted tour of our exhibition Smoke and Mirrors to explore how our biases affect our perception and whether our senses can be hacked.  Email access@wellcomecollection.org to book. RawMinds: Performing Magic STARTS 20 JULY FREE | APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Are you a performer with magical skills and deft sleight of hand – or is this something you’d love to learn?  We’re looking for young people aged 14-19  interested in magic, performance and how tricks work on the minds of an audience, to join our free ten-day summer project. Please give us your feedback We are currently conducting important research to understand what people think about us and our website. It only takes 5 minutes to complete our short survey and we'd be very grateful for your feedback. We're also looking for people to take part in telephone interviews to tell us a little more. If you're selected as a participant, you'd be paid £40 for your time. Please register your interest via the survey.   BEYOND WELLCOME Urban Impulses: Latin American Photography From 1959 To 2016 FRI 14 JUNE - SUN 6 OCT 2019 THE PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY EXHIBITION DAY PASS: £5 (£2.50 CONCESSIONS) Featuring the work of over seventy photographers and artists, Urban Impulses embraces half a century of Latin American photography, from 1959 to 2016.  Offering a diversity of artistic approaches, from street documentary to collage, the show traces a constellation of significant historical events that have marked the region.

Wellcome's free museum and library for the incurably curious   See full opening hours for all facilities on our website Mon Galleries closed (Library, café and shop open until 18.00) Tue 10.00-18.00 Wed 10.00-18.00 Thu 10.00-21.00 Fri 10.00-18.00 Sat 10.00-18.00 Sun 10.00-18.00   Need some breakfast before you hit the galleries? Wellcome Café is open from 08.30 on weekdays, 9.30 on Saturdays and 10.00 on Sundays. Change to Cloakroom Policy Items larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm are not accepted in the cloakroom and will not be permitted in the gallery spaces for safety and security reasons.