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We’ve had cat cafés and even an owl café but opening a crow café has been a particular sort of challenge. On Easter Sunday the world’s first crow café will open in east London, complete with birds that can open bottles. For one day only members of the public are invited to meet and interact with some of these magical, mysterious and much-maligned birds. Hopefully, minds will be changed in the process, and a few more hearts will be won for crow-kind.

The idea for the café was born — or, perhaps more appropriately, hatched — during a fashion fiasco.

The lights were up, the cameras were waiting, the clothes had been arranged but the star model was refusing to pose. Not without a tasty worm or two. I was helping out on a bird-themed photoshoot and Benzene, the tame magpie I’d brought along was creating chaos: jumping on the photographer’s head, gleefully shouting the only word he’s learnt to imitate, which unfortunately happens to be “Trump”, and generally doing anything other than perching prettily in shot.

It was embarrassing, not least because top animal wrangler Trevor Smith (the man who literally put the bats in Batman) was on set. His flock was impeccably behaved. All he had to do was chirp to his robin or twit-twoo to his owl and they would perch, pose or even vogue if he wanted them to. He cawed sternly at my insubordinate bird. “Not everyone has the touch,” he said consolingly as the magpie batted eyelashes I didn’t even know he had at the camera.

Our bird-wrangling skills might have been wingspans apart but we discovered we had at least one thing in common. We both share an undying love for the most hated and reviled family of birds in the world: crows.

At the café, Yum Yum — Trevor’s beloved eight-year-old London-born crow — will be the star of the show. Indeed, she is a star in her own right, having appeared in films, TV shows, and photo shoots for many years. “Yum Yum will show how clever corvids can be,” says Smith. “I’ll have her opening bottles and doing various demonstrations. She’s a beautiful, fascinating bird: so intelligent.”

Also present for guests to meet will be a rook called Gilbert, another crow called Charlie, a raven called Elijah, and, if it hatches in time, a baby raven too. He or she is currently an egg.

As well as meeting the birds, attendees will be able to enjoy complimentary crow-shaped snacks and buy refreshing drinks and suitably Gothic Easter treats from the crow bar. Best of all, any money made will be donated to widlife charity Folly Wildlife Rescue to help crows and other creatures too.

The crow family, which includes magpies, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, carrion crows and many others, has a serious PR problem. According to myth they are harbingers of doom and consorts of the devil. In the Torah, the faithless ravens are the only creatures to abandon Noah’s Ark and, according to Christian belief, magpies refused to mourn for Jesus. In one Islamic legend a godless crow even attempts to have the Prophet Mohammed killed.

Corvids don’t get a much better press today. Many people think that all they do is gobble up songbirds and do unspeakable things to lambs. Legally, crows and their clan (with the exception of ravens) are considered “pests”, meaning they can be trapped or shot with relative impunity.

“If only people could meet them, they would see what incredible creatures they are.” Trevor Smith

For animal man Smith, 61, who has shared his life — and his home — with crows since the age of six, all of this has been a source of great sadness and frustration. “If only people could meet them,” he said. “They would see what incredible creatures they are.”

I found myself agreeing with him. Last year I helped rescue a baby magpie, who now lives with me. He’s as bright as a toddler and just as mischievous. Before him it had never even crossed my mind that birds could have their own distinct personalities too.

The main challenge while setting up the café was finding a venue willing to open its doors to a flock of the devil’s own birds. Our first target was The Farmer’s Club, London’s number one meeting spot for members of the agricultural industry.

Not the most obvious place, you might think, but there was a certain degree of logic at work. The original idea behind the event — which Smith has been sitting on for years — was to go straight to the front line of the war between man and crow by approaching the farmers and gamekeepers who are largely responsible for shooting and trapping them. The unfortunate soul I spoke to at The Farmer’s Club was very polite but the answer was, perhaps inevitably, “no”.

It was better than the wall of silence I was met with elsewhere. A sign of anti-crow prejudice, perhaps? Or, more likely, people just thought I was mad. Luckily, Off Quay, an amazing event space in east London, came to the rescue. Up on the eight floor of Capstan House, it has a bird’s eye view of the Thames and Docklands, and is a three-minute walk from the nearest station.

My magpie — much as I love him — can’t be relied upon not to steal from guests, so I’ve left all things avian up to Smith. He’s been handing animals for a few decades longer than I’ve been alive and, as an animal psychologist, knows exactly how to make sure the birds are happy.

“They talk to us all the time,” says Smith. “It’s in the way they fluff their feathers up, and the way they blink. They’re trying to make contact with you, to tell you they’re OK. I’ve been trying to get this over to the public my whole life. A lot of people think they’re evil things and that they should be destroyed but when you show people the other side they begin to fall in love with them.”

Things to do in London this weekend 10 show all Things to do in London this weekend 1/10 Have a cracking Easter Whether you’re in the mood for an egg hunt, want to spend time with the family, head out for a Sunday lunch or go on an epic, Easter-themed bar crawl, there's plenty on this Bank Holiday weekend. Don’t forget to pick up family/friends/yourself one of 2017’s best Easter eggs, either. 2/10 Celebrate Songkran ​Songkran, the Thai New Year, falls as it does every year on April 13, this year a Thursday, and lasts until the 15. While once it flew somewhat under the radar, Songkran is slowly making its mark on the capital’s annual calendar. Though Londoners may struggle to start the day making an offering to Buddhist monks, there’s a few chances to get stuck into the celebrations. 3/10 Get wired at London Coffee Festival Prepare to get highly caffeinated. This weekend marks the launch of the sixth annual London Coffee Festival, the largest of its kind in the world. Last year saw more than 250 coffee shops, stalls, restaurants and bars partake and this time round will be no different. From an espresso martini party headlined by Norman Jayon Friday, to the main festival itself at the Old Truman Brewery, there’s a lot planned. 4/10 Kick off the weekend with a new boozy brunch New(ish) Turkish restaurant Firedog in Fitzrovia (the restaurant that banned avocados) are launching a brand new bottomless brunch. Besides the unlimited prosecco, there’ll be Aegean mezze, including the likes of Lor with walnuts, and Sujuk with charred spring onions. For this weekend only, it’ll be the bargainous £25 per person (£35 thereafter). Be sure to read our other top picks of the best bottomless brunches across London. 5/10 Sunday Papers Live The broadsheets brought to life: this real life incarnation of a newspaper has proved popular enough that this weekend marks its tenth show. Each page from one of the Sunday papers gets its own performance: this weekend, Bruce Parry tackles the travel section, BAFTA-winning satirists Jolyon Rubinstein and Heydon Prowse wrestle with the UK News, and east London collective Sofar Sounds are in charge of the culture. There’ll also be buckets of Bloody Marys and a Sunday roast to tuck into. 6/10 Festival of Beer and Bar Snacks Following a roaring success last year, this festival returns for more fun. Across the weekend, guests will be able to try creative snacks from the pub’s in-house kitchen team, while gastro big guns Bao, Som Saa and Kiln will also be collaborating to create a selection of exclusive one off dishes. Festivities run from 4pm-3am on Thursday 13, and 12pm-3am on Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16. 7/10 Head to the world’s first Crow Café Provided it doesn’t get cancelled, like the owl cafe and the fox cafe before it, this Crow Café should prove a huge hit. They’re saying it’s the world’s first, which is pretty hard to dispute. It’s much more about the crows than the café, with a display and talk from Trevor Smith, who is bring his crows, YumYum and Charlie for guests to meet, as well as Gilbert the Rook and Elijah the raven. There’ll also be crow-shaped snacks to tuck into while you learn more about these underappreciated birds. 8/10 Tuck into the Kobe Menu at Sushisamba SUSHISAMBA is often more about the view than the food, but this week you’ll likely find it difficult to tear yourself away from the dishes they’re plating up. Kobe week sees them celebrate, shock horror, Kobe beef, with a menu that boasts 12 specials. You can spend a little on dishes (£6.50), a lot (£156), or a lot lot (Beef Ishiyaki at £1000). Try their one-off cocktail too, an old fashioned made with Japanese whiskey and washed with Kobe beef fat. SUSHISAMBA 9/10 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy about the meeting point between buisness and pleasure is getting a production at Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End. The score was written by Guys and Dolls composer Frank Loesser, and promises a night of toe-tapping and laughter. 10/10 Eat, drink and be merry What better way to spend any weekend than gorging on glorious grub? We have everything you need to know, including London’s best brunches, the capital’s finest Sunday roasts, the best bars the city has to offer, and more of the finest food you can get your hands on. 1/10 Have a cracking Easter Whether you’re in the mood for an egg hunt, want to spend time with the family, head out for a Sunday lunch or go on an epic, Easter-themed bar crawl, there's plenty on this Bank Holiday weekend. Don’t forget to pick up family/friends/yourself one of 2017’s best Easter eggs, either. 2/10 Celebrate Songkran ​Songkran, the Thai New Year, falls as it does every year on April 13, this year a Thursday, and lasts until the 15. While once it flew somewhat under the radar, Songkran is slowly making its mark on the capital’s annual calendar. Though Londoners may struggle to start the day making an offering to Buddhist monks, there’s a few chances to get stuck into the celebrations. 3/10 Get wired at London Coffee Festival Prepare to get highly caffeinated. This weekend marks the launch of the sixth annual London Coffee Festival, the largest of its kind in the world. Last year saw more than 250 coffee shops, stalls, restaurants and bars partake and this time round will be no different. From an espresso martini party headlined by Norman Jayon Friday, to the main festival itself at the Old Truman Brewery, there’s a lot planned. 4/10 Kick off the weekend with a new boozy brunch New(ish) Turkish restaurant Firedog in Fitzrovia (the restaurant that banned avocados) are launching a brand new bottomless brunch. Besides the unlimited prosecco, there’ll be Aegean mezze, including the likes of Lor with walnuts, and Sujuk with charred spring onions. For this weekend only, it’ll be the bargainous £25 per person (£35 thereafter). Be sure to read our other top picks of the best bottomless brunches across London. 5/10 Sunday Papers Live The broadsheets brought to life: this real life incarnation of a newspaper has proved popular enough that this weekend marks its tenth show. Each page from one of the Sunday papers gets its own performance: this weekend, Bruce Parry tackles the travel section, BAFTA-winning satirists Jolyon Rubinstein and Heydon Prowse wrestle with the UK News, and east London collective Sofar Sounds are in charge of the culture. There’ll also be buckets of Bloody Marys and a Sunday roast to tuck into. 6/10 Festival of Beer and Bar Snacks Following a roaring success last year, this festival returns for more fun. Across the weekend, guests will be able to try creative snacks from the pub’s in-house kitchen team, while gastro big guns Bao, Som Saa and Kiln will also be collaborating to create a selection of exclusive one off dishes. Festivities run from 4pm-3am on Thursday 13, and 12pm-3am on Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16. 7/10 Head to the world’s first Crow Café Provided it doesn’t get cancelled, like the owl cafe and the fox cafe before it, this Crow Café should prove a huge hit. They’re saying it’s the world’s first, which is pretty hard to dispute. It’s much more about the crows than the café, with a display and talk from Trevor Smith, who is bring his crows, YumYum and Charlie for guests to meet, as well as Gilbert the Rook and Elijah the raven. There’ll also be crow-shaped snacks to tuck into while you learn more about these underappreciated birds. 8/10 Tuck into the Kobe Menu at Sushisamba SUSHISAMBA is often more about the view than the food, but this week you’ll likely find it difficult to tear yourself away from the dishes they’re plating up. Kobe week sees them celebrate, shock horror, Kobe beef, with a menu that boasts 12 specials. You can spend a little on dishes (£6.50), a lot (£156), or a lot lot (Beef Ishiyaki at £1000). Try their one-off cocktail too, an old fashioned made with Japanese whiskey and washed with Kobe beef fat. SUSHISAMBA 9/10 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy about the meeting point between buisness and pleasure is getting a production at Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End. The score was written by Guys and Dolls composer Frank Loesser, and promises a night of toe-tapping and laughter. 10/10 Eat, drink and be merry What better way to spend any weekend than gorging on glorious grub? We have everything you need to know, including London’s best brunches, the capital’s finest Sunday roasts, the best bars the city has to offer, and more of the finest food you can get your hands on.

It might all seem trivial, compared with Trump and Brexit, but there’s an important point to be made. Corvids are more like us than we think. In humans the brain tends to make up around 1.5 per cent of the body. In ravens, it’s 1.3 per cent. Research conducted on New Caledonian crows has suggested they are as clever as children, with reasoning powers equivalent to those of a five- to seven-year-old human.

It’s not just about intelligence either. Magpies love admiring themselves in mirrors.

Crows can count, make plans for the future and remember faces for years. They identify each other using unique calls: one might even say they give themselves names. Can it be right that such bright creatures are written off as “pests”?

Crows might not be everyone’s cup of tea (or even caw-fee) — but whether you love them or hate them, you should stop by the Crow Café this weekend. You might be surprised, when you meet one nose-to-beak, to find a little of yourself reflected in those dark and clever eyes.

The Crow Café takes place on April 16 from noon to 3pm at Off Quay, 8th Floor, Capstan House, 1 Clove Crescent E14. Tickets from £5-£10, crowcafe.eventbrite.com