We know that London’s a 24-hour city, but this fascinating video demonstrates how people travel around the capital day and night.

The map illustrate the journeys made by London’s 3.1 million Oyster card holders during one 24-hour period. It was created using data from 16 million daily Oyster transactions, as well as vehicle-location data from the city’s 8,500 buses.

Find out more more at http://jaygordon.net/londonviz.html#sthash.Kne3K4Co.dpuf

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, the oldest subterranean railway in the world. A major exhibition at the London Transport Museum opens this week, celebrating one of the most distinctive elements of the Tube – design. The multicoloured lines on the iconic map make order out of chaos, and also provide inspiration for artists and scientists alike. Here are some of our favourite re-imaginings.

The Real-time Tube Map

This fascinating map plots the live location of each train on the Tube network, using departure data from Transport for London. Matthew Somerville created it in 2010 at a ‘hack’ weekend – a gathering of designers and web developers who create projects from scratch over several days.

The History of Music Tube Map

Pop, rock, punk and funk are all there on this brilliant Music on the Tube map, which charts 100 years of popular music thanks to the efforts of the folks on the Guardian’s Culture Vulture blog. Each station is an artiste, and it’s fun to see where Michael Jackson intersects with Basement Jaxx and Bob Dylan links up with The Rolling Stones.

The Geographically Accurate Tube Map

Have you noticed that stations on the London Underground’s map can appear to be in different parts of the capital, yet are minutes away by foot? The map is designed to be easily read and understood, but this geographically accurate version from Project Mapping reveals the true locations of the stops, relative to each other.

The Electric Tube Map

The recently-completed Overground network (the orange line on the map) can take you in a complete ring around the city, albeit with several changes in between. Taking this as artistic inspiration, The Electric Tube uses concentric circles for the orbital sections of the Circle Line and Overground network and straight lines for the Central and Piccadilly Lines. It accurately shows where each train line connects, and uses a sine wave for the Northern Line’s Bank branch which crosses the Circle Line no fewer than three times. The map was the brainchild of Oliver O’Brien from the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at University College London.

 The Bikes on the Tube Map

Bicycles are only permitted on certain parts of the Tube (mainly lines outside of the centre, such as the Circle and District lines) and at certain times (outside of rush hours). This handy map from Transport for London points them out, as well as detailing the lines on which carrying a fold-up bike is allowed while a regular bike is not. An invaluable resource for cyclists wanting to take the Underground to speed up part of a journey.

Find more events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Tube.

By Bengt Bjorkberg

Standing on a platform in Moorgate station and seeing a steam train roll in is not an everyday occurrence, but I had the pleasure of experiencing it this month. OK, it was not a surprise as such, I had gotten my tickets, and London Transport Museum had pulled out all the stops to ensure that this would be a truly unique experience. Not only were there a station manager and police constable in period clothing, there was even a brass quintet entertaining passengers in the station lobby, not to mention the number of passengers that had put on their Sunday best. In fact the number of fellow commuters who seemed to have period Sunday best, ca. 1880-1940 surprised me and I felt under dressed myself!

Whatever interest you may have in trains and underground transportation; there is something magical about the old carriages being pulled by a steam locomotive. I admit that I, like most six-year-olds, dreamt of becoming a train driver for at least a week, but also must admit that I have been known to call roadside assistance for a flooded engine, so I have no specialist interest as such.

Saying that, the sound, smell and sight of this mode of transportation still awakes some romantic interest in the old days and this journey showed me what it may have been like. From the old “What to do in air raids” posters that are still in the third-class carriages to the detailed re-creation of the gas lamps in first-class carriage 353, to the Metropolitan Railways coat of arms on the locomotive, it all served to make it a unique experience of how it used to be.

Even if you did not have tickets, there was a chance to see the train along its route as it travelled from Moorgate to Edgeware Road and back. Judging by the number of smiling TfL workers, Transport Police officers and commuters who took the opportunity so snap a picture, it was worth the standard fare to see the train go by.

Did you encounter any of the Steam and Heritage Train Journeys this January? Tell us about it in the comments below

Royal Mail has released a special set of stamps to celebrate 150 years of the London Underground.

The first train ran along the Metropolitan Railway from Paddington Station to Farringdon Street exactly 150 years ago today. The network now has 270 stations and carries 1.2 billion passengers a year.

The new stamps illustrate the Tube’s history, from steam-powered trains to Art Deco stations and the modern Canary Wharf station. They’re available at UK Post Offices from today or at www.royalmail.com/underground.

So get your diaries out and pencil in an important date. On 9 January London Underground will celebrate its 150th anniversary. That’s right, a century and a half since the first underground journey took place between Paddington and Farringdon on the Metropolitan Railway. A range of events are planned for 2013, starting on 13 January with a recreation of that first journey.

But if trainspotting isn’t your thing, consider marking the occasion another way. In fact, what better to way to celebrate the Tube’s big birthday than by burying your head in a book about the Underground?

Penguin is the official publisher for the event and will mark it with the release of several tie-in titles. There are short paperbacks themed on individual lines, with the authors offering a personal reflection or a piece of inspired fiction; a definitive history of the Tube; a new collection of Poems on The Underground and a book charting the evolution of London Underground’s iconic design.

Already out is:

• Underground: How The Tube Shaped London by David Bownes and Oliver Green: From the London Transport Museum curators and archive comes an official history of the Underground, which is described as a rich work of social, design and engineering history.
• Poems on the Underground by Judith Chernaik, Gerard Benson and Cicely Herbert: A new collection of the much-loved series, including poems not previously published in other anthologies.
• London Underground by Design by Mark Ovenden: Since the 1920s, the Underground’s design – its maps, carriages, posters – has been a part of Britain’s culture and design history. Available from 31 Jan

The specially commissioned Penguin Lines are:

• A Good Parcel of English Soil – The Metropolitan Line by Richard Mabey
• Drift-The Hammersmith and City Line byPhilippe Parreno
• What We Talk About When We Talk About The Tube -  The District Line by John Lanchester
• Heads and Straights – The Circle Line by Lucy Wadham
• A Northern Line Minute by William Leith
• Waterloo-City, City-Waterloo byLeanne Shapton
• The 32 Stops – The Central Line by Danny Dorling
• The Blue Riband –  The Piccadilly Line by Peter York
• Earthbound – The Bakerloo Line by Paul Morley
• Mind The Child – The Victoria Line by Camila Batmanghelidjh
• A History of Capitalism According to the Jubilee Lineby John O’Farrell
• Buttoned-up –  the East London Line by Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom

There are of course many other existing books on the subject. Journeys on the Tube offer fantastic people watching opportunities and so make for extremely fertile ground for fiction too. Here are a pick of the many publications already available:

• Underground, Overground: A Passenger’s History of the Tube by Andrew Martin. The author blends reportage, humour and personal stories in this engaging history. He attempts to untangle the Northern Line, visit every station in a day – and find out which gaps to be especially mindful of.
• Underground London by Stephen Smith. An alternative tour around London, as seen from below. Stephen Smith uncovers the secrets of the city by walking through sewers and tunnels under such places as Hampton Court, ghost tube stations, and long lost rivers like the Fleet and Tyburn.
• 253 by Geoff Ryman. This novel tells the stories of the 252 passengers and one driver on a seven-and-a-half minute journey from Embankment to Elephant and Castle. Each character has a page devoted to their stories.
• Mr Becks’ Underground Map by Ken Garland. This contains illustrated colour diagrams of the various maps issued from 1908 to 1964 and also diagrams from Harry Beck’s original sketch in 1931 until his last diagram in 1964.

What’s your favourite book about the Tube?

Last week a steam train chuffed into London’s Baker Street station as part of preparations for the Tube’s 150th  anniversary celebrations that are kicking off in January 2013. This BBC London newsreel explains some of the history of London’s underground as well as showing footage of the first steam train on the network for a good long while.

How are you planning to celebrate the Tube’s 150th birthday in London next year? Let us know in the comments below.

London isn’t often described as quiet, but Christmas Day is the one day of the year when the capital can feel that way. But there’s actually no shortage of things to do and Christmas Day is a rare chance to explore and experience a different side of London.

There’s no public transport on Christmas Day, but you could opt for a Boris bike to explore Central London with much less traffic around. There will also be a few taxis and mini-cabs for hire.

With limited transport options, and thousands of Christmas calories consumed, walking might be your best bet. You’ll have London’s beautiful architecture, street art and Christmas lights largely to yourself, and walking is the best way to experience it. Take a look at these photos of London on Christmas morning by IanVisits, which include Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street and Hyde Park Corner.

Tours

You can even go on a guided walking tour. London Walks hosts two walks on Christmas Day: The London of Samuel Pepys at 1pm and Charles Dickens’ London Walk at 2pm. Both walks start at the big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square and last for two hours.

Westminster guide Peter Berthoud is offering three walking tours on Christmas Day, with the first at 6am for anyone who wants to experience an eerie 28 Days Later-style London! If you’re keen on a Christmas lie-in, you can opt for a post-lunch walk at 4pm.

Fancy a more relaxing tour? Push the boat out and have your Christmas dinner on the Thames, enjoying the sights of the river on a cruise. Or take a luxury coach tour of London with a professional guide.

Activities

Almost all of London’s attractions are closed on Christmas Day, but the weird and wonderful world of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is open all year round. Ripley’s is open from 10am with last admission at 8.30pm on Christmas Day (closing time subject to change so check in advance).

Or, for a different kind of weird and wonderful, head to The Serpentine (lake) at Hyde Park where the hardy members of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the annual Peter Pan Cup swimming race. The race starts at 9am.

Christmas Services

Most London churches will have Christmas Day services. It’s best to check with the individual church in advance but Central London churches with Christmas Day services include:

• St Martin-in-the-Fields
• Southwark Cathedral (closes at 1pm)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (arrive early and be prepared to queue)

Eating and Drinking

Many restaurants close on Christmas Day but check our blog post for Christmas dinner options in London.

Some pubs open for a few hours around lunchtime but most will be closed or ticketed in the evening. Make sure you check in advance for opening hours. Hotel bars are a good bet for a drink on Christmas Day, but again, check with the hotel in advance.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for spending Christmas Day in London?

On sale from 10 December, the limited edition Oyster card features the Tube’s shiny new 150th anniversary logo, set against an attractive background of vintage Underground designs. You can use the cards in the same way as usual, either as pay as you go or by adding your Travelcard to it, and they will be available to buy at London Underground stations and TfL Travel Information Centres. The special Oyster cards come hot on the heels of the success of the cards created for the Royal Wedding and the Diamond Jubilee. Grab one while you can – it might be 150 years before they make another one!

Visitors to London from the UK and overseas can buy visitor Oyster cards in advance, although they may not feature the limited edition design.

Next time you’re heading through Gatwick Airport, look out for a new installation called The London Collection, created by the godfather of British pop art, Sir Peter Blake.

The London Collection is a a walk-through gallery of 12 different London-inspired artworks that captures the city’s cosmopolitan and multicultural spirit. With hints of Blake’s trademark sentimentality and nostalgia, these artworks both welcome visitors to London, and provide a comforting cultural backdrop to Londoners returning home.

Have you seen the Blake installation at Gatwick? Let us know what you think 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.