Black History Month Tudor Trail

Follow a trail of snippets about black Tudors - who were they and what we know about them? Track down lives of individuals such as Henry VIII’s trumpeter, John Blanke, court entertainers, servants and ordinary Tudors living in England in the 16th century.

Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, Rangers Road, Chingford, E4 7QH, October 1 to November 1, 10am to 5pm. Details: Eric.Henderson@cityoflondon.gov.uk, walthamforest.gov.uk/Pages/Events/Black-History-Month-Tudor-trail.aspx

Urban Food Fest's Oktoberfest

Don your lederhosen and head down to this weekly food market which has been given a German make-over to celebrate Munich's famous Oktoberfest. There will be beers, Bavarian crispy pork rolls with sauerkraut, fries with creamy German curry sauce and much more.

Euro Car Parks, Shoreditch High Street, E1 6HU, Saturday, October 3, noon to midnight. Details: urbanfoodfest.com

Empire Extra

A month-long series of special theatre screenings opens this weekend at Empire cinemas, during which you will be able to see Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet (Oct 15) and David Suchet in The Importance of Being Earnest (Oct 8) close-up on the big screen. It begins on Saturday (Oct 3) with MET Opera: Il Trovatore about Leonora, the Verdi heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of the gypsy troubadour, and continues with ROH – Le Nozza Di Figaro (Live) on Monday (Oct 5), The Who: Live in Hyde Park on Wednesday (Oct 7) and many more throughout the month.

Empire, The Scene, High Street, Walthamstow, E17 7FD. Details: 08714 714 714, empirecinemas.co.uk

Hampstead Heath Conker Championships

Take your conkers put of the vinegar, string them on your toughest piece of twine and head to the heath where you can smash them about in this free knock-out competition which is for all ages.

Parliament Hill Bandstand, Hampstead Heath, Sunday, October 4, 2.30pm to 5pm. Details: cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/pages/event-detail.aspx?eventid=2342

dreamthinkspeak: ABSENT

The Duchess of Argyll booked into a central London hotel in 1978 and was ejected several years later, having finally run out of friends and credit. In Absent, she is surreally re-imagined entering a hotel as an optimistic 18 year-old in the 1950’s and being evicted in the present day, into a modernised and radically changed world. Absent will create an intimate journey for audiences through the maze-like basement of Shoreditch Town Hall, mixing film and architectural installation with a haunting soundtrack.

Shoreditch Town Hall, Old Street, EC1V 9LT, until October 25. Details: 020 7968 6808, absentshoreditch.com