2012 has been a landmark year for London thanks to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee, which celebrated 60 years of the Queen’s reign. And to top it all off, London’s newest skyscraper the Shard was inaugurated, transforming London’s skyline. Here are a few of our favourite images from an amazing and unforgettable year.

London said a big thank you to the athletes of Team GB and ParalympicsGB yesterday during a parade through Central London.

Athletes including Mo Farah, Victoria Pendleton, Sarah Storey, Sir Chris Hoy and Ellie Simmons showed off their medals from floats that travelled from Mansion House, through Trafalgar Square and ended at The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace.

The floats were led by two giant lion puppets, a steel band and dancers.It was also a chance to pay tribute to the police, armed services and volunteers who contributed to the Games.

British Airways led a flypast with the Red Arrows over The Mall, and the Pet Shop Boys played some of their biggest hits on a stage outside Buckingham Palace.

At the end of the parade, Princess Anne, Prime Minister David Cameron, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson gave speeches praising “the best ever” Games.

Did you go to the parade? Don’t forget to add your photos to our Flickr pool.

 
The Lords of Lightning have touched down in London this weekend. The metal suit-clad duo fling four million volts of raw electricity at each other while standing on two metal podiums!

I saw the mesmerising act last night at a hip bar perched atop Peckham multi-storey car park in South London, which affords eye-popping views of the city’s skyline. Before the sizzling performance began, a girl behind me said: “I don’t want to stand too close. I might get electrocuted!” The crackling sound of the electricity coupled with the smell of burning made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And I found the sight of the lightning bolts coming out of their hands, heads and swords utterly dazzling.

Presented by the Mayor of London and London 2012 Festival as part of Showtime, you can catch the Lords of Lightning again tonight (2 Sept) at 8pm and 9pm at 10th floor, Peckham multi-storey car park, 95A Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST. 

Entry is free but you are advised to book tickets in advance

Make the most of the many exciting cultural events taking place this weekend by exploring one of the Mayor of London’s cultural trails.

This Saturday, it’s all about South London, with activities taking place from 10am to 9pm. And it’s all free!

Start your day at the Southbank Centre where you can watch a documentary about the Diverse City – Breathe project, a unique collaboration between disabled and non-disabled performers from Dorset and Brazil.

Next, pop into the Southbank Centre’s shop on Festival Terrace, which is being curated by not-for-profit organisation Design Nation all month. Here you can see new products and showcases from some of Britain’s best design talent.

Your next cultural stop is Tate Modern. Take a look at Tino Sehgal’s Turbine Hall Commission. This live show involves choreographed movements and sounds from participants in the space – you’ll never have the same experience twice! Then check out the brand new Tanks at Tate Modern, hosting an ongoing programme of live art, performance, film and installations during the London 2012 Festival.

There’s more performance at your final stop in either Burgess Park or Peckham. Mayor of London Presents Showtime (a festival visiting all London boroughs) is collaborating with Southwark’s annual Elephant and the Nun festival. Highlights include the electrifying Lords of Lightning at Peckham Multi Storey Car Park (free but booking advised).

Download the free London Official City Guide app to guide you on the trail, and to give you more ideas along the way, or download a PDF

Last night performers, athletes and spectators welcomed the world back to London for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

The spectacular Opening Ceremony, created by artistic directors Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, saw Professor Stephen Hawking and actor Sir Ian McKellen introduce scenes exploring the theme of “Enlightenment” and showcasing the world’s leading deaf and disabled artists.

During the ceremony, more than 3,000 participants brought Sir Isaac Newton’s garden, the Large Hadron Collider and the Big Bang to life in a celebration of science and its capacity to change perceptions.

London-based performers and groups made a special impact throughout the night. “Principia”, an emotional choral composition, was sung by six London based choirs: the Hackney Community Choir, Barts Choir, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, the Hackney Singers, the London Chorus, and the Lewisham Choral Society. You can enjoy these volunteer choirs throughout the year across London, and each have performances coming up in the next few months.

The Graeae Theatre Company, based only a few miles from the Olympic Stadium in Hackney, performed an explosive cover of Ian Dury and The Blockheads’ “Spasticus Artisticus”. The company champions the inclusion of deaf and disabled performers in the arts thorough new plays and training initiatives. Graeae and their incredible sway poles can be seen this September in The Garden, part of Unlimited Festival at Southbank Centre.

Also appearing at Unlimited Festival, leading disabled dancer David Toole performed a solo dance while 16-year-old singer-songwriter Birdy performed “Bird Gerhl”. In perhaps the most stunning moment of the night, David ascended into the air supported by wires and “flew” above a stadium floor packed with the world’s Paralympians. You can see the incredible David Toole in a brand new work, The Impending Storm, on 7 and 8 September at the Southbank Centre.

Did you enjoy the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony? Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

The countdown is on to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with just hours to go before the Opening Ceremony…

The Paralympic Flame has visited some of London’s most famous attractions on its relay route today, including Big Ben, London Zoo,Lord’s Cricket Ground and Abbey Road - and it’s not over yet! The flame is now travelling east, en route to Stratford.

The Paralympic Relay is running later than planned, but you can keep track of its progress here. The new schedule means it is due to arrive in Greenwich just before 6pm, and at Waltham Forest at 8.49pm.

Have you seen the torch today? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.

With the London 2012 Paralympic Games getting underway today, we take a look at the best accessibility apps to help visitors make the most of London and the Games.

Inclusive London
Check accessibility information on hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops, museums and more. You can set your access preferences and prioritise search results. Free, and available for iPhone. Find out more at inclusivelondon.com

Hailo
Hail one of London’s accessible taxis wherever and whenever you need one with your smartphone. No more waiting on a street corner! Available for free on iPhone and Android. Visit hailocab.com for full details and to download.

Parkible
Looking for a disabled parking space in London? Then use the Parkible app to find the spaces near where you are, or search a specific location for parking bays. Free to download and available for iPhone and Android.

Enabled City
The PhotoRoute app by Enabled City provides step-free routes on some of London’s most photogenic routes, including Paddington to Camden Lock and the London Eye to Tower Bridge. There’s a free “Lite” version available, as well as a fully offline premium version for £1.99.  Available on iPhone and Android. Visit enabledcity.com to download.

Official London 2012 Join In App
Last but not least, the Official London 2012 App. Plan your trip to the Paralympic Games, check event schedules and receive London 2012 alerts. Available for free on iPhone and Android. Visit london2012.com to download.

Are you coming to London for the Paralympic Games? Let us know if you have used any accessibility apps to help you get around in the comments section below.

Shoppers in Covent Garden were treated to an impromptu Shakespearean performance yesterday, as a flashmob of Shakespearean characters emerged from the crowd.

Performers introduced themselves (in character) to members of the public, quoted some of the Bard’s most famous lines and sang songs, before disappearing into the crowd again.

It was the first What You Will: Pop-up Shakespeare event, created by actor Mark Rylance as part of the Mayor of London Presents programme and London 2012 Festival.

Fifty actors, aged 17 to 70, are taking part in the event, including deaf and disabled artists. They will play characters including Hamlet, Puck, Cleopatra and Juliet.

Similar performances will be happening across London until Sunday 2 September. Today’s performances will take place in the Exhibition Road area from 12pm to 4pm. Other locations are secret until the day, so keep an eye on the Mayor of London Presents website or follow @molpresents on Twitter to find out where there’ll be.

London is getting ready for the excitement of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which will begin in style at tomorrow’s Opening Ceremony.

Many venues across the capital will be screening the Ceremony, which will feature a circus act, a tribute to Professor Stephen Hawking and a flypast by disabled pilots. The ceremony is called ”Enlightenment” and will also reference Shakespeare’s The Tempest, continuing the theme from the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

A selection of screenings is below, but let us know about any other Opening Ceremony events in the comments below:

BT Live in Trafalgar Square: 
BT London Live, which proved so popular during the Olympic Games, brings its blend of music, activities and sporting coverage to Trafalgar Square. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis and no tickets are required.

BBC Big Sceens:  
Find BBC Big Screens at General Gordon Square in Woolwich and Walthamstow Town Square, where you can watch Paralympic coverage for free.

Broadgate: 
There will be big screens showing the Ceremony in each of the three pedestrianised piazzas around Broadgate in the City.

Jimmy’s Supperclub at Annex East:
The popular pop-up in Stratford is hosting an Opening Ceremony party. For £42 you can enjoy a sparkling wine reception, live music, and all the action live on the big screen whilst you tuck in to 5 delicious courses.

The Sporting Page:
This popular Chelsea pub will be screening daily Paralympic coverage, including the Opening Ceremony.

The Doodle Bar:
The arty Battersea bar will be screening the Opening Ceremony. Bring a pencil and doodle while you watch the spectacle!

The Rose Theatre:
The café of this Kingston theatre contains a large plasma screen where you can watch the Opening Ceremony.

More about the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony

A ceremonial cauldron was lit in Trafalgar Square this morning to mark the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay.

Claire Lomas – who is paralysed from the chest down and recently raised £204,000 for Spinal Research by walking the London Marathon – lit the cauldron using the English Flame, which was created by a group of Scouts at Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson watched the lighting ceremony.

David Cameron said, “This is shaping up to be the best, the biggest, the most incredible Paralympic Games ever. We are going to see thousands of athletes giving their all and we are going to see what the Paralympics are all about. We are going to show the world that, when it comes to putting on a show, there is no country like Britain and no city like London.”

During the event, 26 Flame Ambassadors from different parts of Britain collected a splinter of the flame in a lantern to take back to Flame Celebrations across the country.

On 28 August, the English Flame, together with flames from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be taken to Stoke Mandeville, the home of the Paralympic movement, where they will be combined to create the Paralympic Flame.

Later that evening, there will be a 24-hour Torch Relay from Stoke Mandeville to the Olympic Stadium for the start of the Games.

The Paralympic Games run from 29 August to 9 September. Trafalgar Square will be turned into a BT London Live site showing all the action on a big screen.