Canada Water Cracker
Open House unlocks the Brunel Museum
Published Thursday 17 September 2026
Book free Brunel Museum tours, explore Rotherhithe on foot and find a free children’s dance club at Surrey Quays.
Top Updates
Brunel Museum opens its doors for free
Explore the Engine House, Grand Entrance Hall and a special Marc Brunel exhibition during the museum's free Open House Festival weekend. Half-hour guided tours run throughout Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September from 10.30am to 3.30pm; booking is recommended.
A new opera comes to the Thames Tunnel Shaft
The Lost Boy tells a love story between two teenagers in a fictional 1980s fishing village, with a score mixing synthesisers and contemporary classical music. The one-night performance at the Brunel Museum starts at 7pm on Friday 18 September; the rooftop bar opens at 6pm and booking is required.
Refurbished bikes go on sale in Deptford
Test ride refurbished bikes and meet the mechanics at The Bike Project's Super Saturday Shop Sale from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 19 September. Bikes over £250 are 10% off on the day, and sales help fund free bikes for refugees. The workshop is at 223-224 Edward Place, five minutes from New Cross Gate; no ticket is needed.
Dates For Your Diary
Saturday 26 September, 10.30am-6.30pm
Walk from Southwark Park for London hearts
The 6km and 21km London Life Hike routes start and finish at Southwark Park Bandstand, raising money for CPR training and public defibrillators. Standard entry is £15 for adults, £5 for ages six to 18 and free for under-fives; the longer walk starts at 11am and the shorter one at 1pm.
What's On
Saturday 19 September
What makes a good school?, 10am–12.30pm · booking required. Architect Emma Gribble leads a roughly two-mile walk exploring school design from 1873 to 2022. Meet at Jamaica Gate beside the lodge in Southwark Park; the route ends at Rotherhithe Primary School on Hawkstone Road. Book a place on the Open House walk.
Follow Rotherhithe’s maritime history, 1pm · booking required. Guides Laura Agustin and Rob Smith explore sailors’ lives and the riverside’s links to ships including the Mayflower and HMS Temeraire. The walk starts outside Rotherhithe station on Brunel Road. See ticket options for Jack Tar in the Age of Sail.
Tuesday 22 September
Dance with the Mischief Squad, 4–5pm · free. Children aged five to 11 can join a free dance club at T&T2 in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Redriff Road. The term-time session is a drop-in, with no advance registration needed. See the Mischief Squad details.
A Latin American short-story special, 6-7pm. Canada Water Library's free Short Story Book Club discusses Dahlia de la Cerda's Reservoir Bitches for Latin American Heritage Month. Pick up a free copy from the library beforehand; you can still join in if you do not finish every story.
Roadworks and Transport
Lower Road lane closures: Lane closures are due on Lower Road from 9pm on Sunday 20 September to 5am on Wednesday 23 September for Thames Water works.
Rotherhithe Tunnel closes overnight: The Rotherhithe Tunnel is due to close from 10pm on Monday 21 September to 5am on Tuesday 22 September. Its usual size and weight restrictions apply when it reopens.
Planning Watch
Ventilation details submitted for Canada Water Retail Park: An application received on Monday 14 September seeks approval of mechanical-ventilation details for the already-permitted Canada Water Retail Park redevelopment. This concerns a condition of the existing permission, rather than a new redevelopment proposal. View application 26/AP/2722.