What to do in London on Christmas Day 2022
It’s 10 days until the dread day, when most of London shuts down — for Christmas Day, but a few hardy venues will open for the visitors stuck in the centre of town and with nothing else to do.

Study finds London Underground air contains ultrafine metallic pollution
A study into pollution levels on the London Underground has found ultrafine metallic particles small enough to end up in the human bloodstream, although the study also notes that it's not clear whether these particles pose a health risk.

Watch “Father Christmas” fly over London on Christmas morning
Father Christmas — in the guise of the International Space Station — will be flying over London early on Christmas morning.

London’s weekly railway news
A weekly round-up of London's rail transport news…

Simpson’s Tavern granted protection as it fights to reopen
The ancient Simpson’s Tavern in the City of London, which was forced into sudden closure by the landlord, has been given protection against being sold off in a decision described as a "no brainer" by the proposer of the protection order.

Tickets Alert: Visit Diamond Light Source – the UK’s largest particle accelerator
In the countryside not far from Didcot can be found a stunning flying saucer of a building, which also happens to house the UK’s national synchrotron, and they open it up to the public for free tours.

National Portrait Gallery confirms it will reopen in June 2023
After three years of closure for rebuilding works, the National Portrait Gallery has confirmed that it will reopen its doors on 22 June 2023, following the most significant redevelopment in its history.

South Western Railway cutting train services over Christmas due to staff shortages
South Western Railway (SWR) is warning passengers that it will be running a severely reduced service over the Christmas period due to a shortage of staff.

The Bourne Valley Wharf pavilion
What looks like an old water tank next to the Thames is actually a raised garden, that just happens to be in what looks like an old water tank, but is in fact a modern water tank clad in copper painted steel panels.

Elizabeth line staff vote for strike action
Maintenance and safety staff working on the Elizabeth line have voted for strike action after they rejected a pay offer.

Christmas trips through the Islington canal tunnel
Although usually only a summer event, for one day over Christmas, there will be trips through the long canal tunnel that runs underneath Islington.

Mayor of London to raise council tax to fund public transport services
A previously announced plan to raise council tax bills in London to help fund Transport for London (TfL) as it recovers from the pandemic has received government approval.

The 800-year old church of St Martin-in-the-Fields
The grand church on the corner of Trafalgar Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields is 800 years old this year. Sort of.

TfL awards Bakerloo line extension consultancy contract
Although the Bakerloo line extension project is on hold at the moment, TfL is still carrying out some work on protecting the alignment and has awarded a contract to carry out feasibility studies for five packages of tunnelling works.

Barbican celebrates women from pre-revolutionary Iran
Exhibitions take ages to arrange, and yet at times, they accidentally coincide with wider world events, and such a moment has happened at the Barbican with Soheila Sokhanvari's Rebel Rebel.

A giant floating moon fills Greenwich’s Painted Hall
A scale model of the moon will be filling the Painted Hall in Greenwich for the next couple of months.

Smithfield’s Christmas Eve auction – cancelled for 2022
Smithfield meat market has confirmed that the annual Christmas Eve auction won’t be happening this year.

A decade of contactless payments on London’s public transport
On this day in 2012, a revolution began when London's buses started accepting contactless payment for fares. A decade later, contactless payments make up over two-thirds of pay as you go fares on London's buses, and over 2.5 billion journeys have been paid for this way.

The pedestrianisation of Strand has been completed
After several years of work, the pedestrianisation of part of Strand has been completed, turning a once busy traffic choaked road into a quiet space for walking and resting.

Ambulance staff to read safety messages on the London Underground
The voices of staff from London Ambulance Service (LAS) will be ringing out across the Transport for London (TfL) network this Christmas, in a series of specially-recorded messages reminding millions of customers to take care as they travel across the capital.

LEGO dinosaurs coming to the Horniman Museum
A 1.5 metre long model of a Polacanthus, an armoured 125-million-year-old dinosaur found in the UK, will be on show for the first time as part of the Brick Dinos exhibition, coming to the Horniman Museum.

London’s Alleys: Bleeding Heart Yard, EC1
This is a cobbled yard in Holborn surrounded on most sides by old warehouse buildings and may have been named after an old pub, or a murder.

Ten photos of a foggy Regent’s Canal
Foggy mornings are lovely for a walk, and what could be lovelier than a walk along the Regent's Canal?