Written by Tom Wareham, Curator of Maritime and Community History at the Museum of London Docklands.

Today the Museum of London Docklands celebrates its 10th anniversary as a museum – though the building itself is 210 years old and a grand and rare survivor of London’s commercial Georgian past.

Every morning as I arrive at work I am still impressed by the monumental scale of the warehouses built by London’s sugar merchants and plantation owners – even if only two of the buildings survived the firestorm of the Blitz in 1940.

On a warm day, as you cross the dock basin from the modern cityscape of Canary Wharf, the plum-coloured brickwork of the warehouses glows in greeting but, 20 years ago things were very different.  Broken windows, shattered doors and frames, leaking roofs, debris and rubbish cluttered the buildings.  It took millions of pounds to restore the building – and it took years of work to convert it into the exciting modern museum that now attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world.

The museum certainly has a unique effect on visitors who, as they discover the modern galleries, are slowly absorbed and captivated by the soft brickwork and original honey coloured timbers of the building itself. It’s as though the building itself breathes the history of the port that is being narrated in the galleries. No wonder visitors are so surprised and delighted when they come here. So, happy birthday Museum of London Docklands!

A guest post by the Museum of London as part of our Visiting the Past series. Look out for more London history next week.

A Momentary Lapse of London from Davide Roveri on Vimeo.

After seeing last week’s time-lapse video of London, Davide Roveri got in touch with this beautifully atmospheric London video. If you spot any great London videos, let us know and we’ll try to feature them here.

The Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show at ExCel

Indulge your nautical side at this world-renowned boat show, which brings the best sailing brands, displays and personalities under one roof. You can marvel at the gorgeous boats on display, buy sailing essentials from the experts and even have a go at a range of water-based activities in the On the Water pools. Tickets start from £16, and for extra maritime fun you can follow your visit with a trip to St Katherine’s Dock, where you’ll be able to view the newly-launched Clipper 70 and chat to members of their round-the-world racing crews. 12-20 Jan

Chris Ramsey: Feeling Lucky, at the Bloomsbury Theatre

Don’t miss Edinburgh Festival star Chris Ramsey, who brings his unforgettable brand of comedy to the Bloomsbury Theatre this weekend. This show, Feeling Lucky, follows his sell-out 2012 tour Offermation and is sure to include the trademark humour that has endeared him to audiences of Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Tickets are £15. 11-12 Jan

The London Ice Sculpting Festival, Canary Wharf

Chill out at the incredible London Ice Sculpting Festival, which demonstrates both the beauty and potential of frozen water. Extended to three days for the first time, it offers not only the chance to watch the world’s best ice sculpting teams, but also to have a go yourself in once of the many workshops. In addition, visitors can marvel at the Northern Lights laser show, place Ice Chess and participate in fun family activities. Entry is free. 11-13 Jan

Arenacross at The O2

Fans of motocross racing will love this high-octane indoor version, which condenses the best thrills of the outdoor sport into something smaller in size yet just as spectacular. As well as thrilling races, there will be incredible motocross action from the huge ramps, off which Europe’s best freestyle riders will perform astounding feats of aerial gymnastics. This event is the first in the 2013 UK Arenacross series, and tickets start from £19 for adults. 12 Jan

The London International Mime Festival, Various Venues

Fifteen companies from around the world will be participating in this diverse and thought-provoking festival, which this year promises everything from aerial acrobatics to psychedelic puppetry. Choose from amazing shows such as punk circus at the Southbank Centre, enchanting mechanical puppets at the Barbican, or the renowned Ockham’s Razor opening the festival with acrobatics a the Platform Theatre. 10-27 Jan

We love this video of the best of London’s architecture by Mattia Bicchi via YouTube.

Locations featured include King’s Cross Station, Strata Tower, Palestra Building, Royal Albert Hall, British Museum, RBS Building, Wembley Stadium, Heron Tower, Broadgate Tower, O2 Arena, St Giles Building, Tower Bridge, The Shard, National Maritime Museum, Wellington Arch, St Paul’s Cathedral and Canary Wharf and the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben (or the newly named Queen Elizabeth Tower to give it’s correct monkier.)

You can see more London videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo

Tourists often ask if they can go on a day trip to Stonehenge from London (the answer is yes). But now this English icon has come to the capital. Well, sort of…

Sacrilege is effectively a massive bouncy castle, the creation of Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller. Unlike the real Stonehenge, visitors are encouraged to interact with the structure and wow, is it fun! Adults and children alike jump and run with expressions of pure joy (and ultimately exhaustion) on their faces. My young family and I loved the experience so much, we went back to North Greenwich the next day for more. It’s free and no ticket is required.

Part of the London 2012 Festival, Sacrilege is touring the UK and is in London between now and the end of the Olympic Games on 12 August. The remaining London stops are:

• King Edward VII Park, Brent (25 Jul)
• Paddington Recreation Ground (28 Jul)
• Cheam Park (29 Jul)
• Ravenscourt Park (31 Jul)
• Hampstead Heath (1 Aug)
• Clapham Common (2 Aug)
• Burgess Park (4 Aug)
• Barra Hall Park (5 Aug)
• East Ham Central Park (7 Aug)
• Crystal Palace Park (9 Aug)
• Alexandra Palace (10 Aug)
• Christchurch Green (11 Aug)
• Waterworks Nature Reserve (12 Aug)

For full details see London 2012 Festival. So, will you be making a date to get in touch with your bouncy inner child? Now the school holidays are here, what’s your favourite London destination for family-friendly fun?

New Music 20×12 Weekend at the Southbank Centre
Beat boxing, fire artists and even giant wasps are promised in this weekend of musical premieres and activities at the South Bank Centre. Twenty new pieces have been commissioned for 2012 as part of the London 2012 Festival. They’re all 12 minutes long and are inspired by the dynamism of the Games. You can fit rather a lot into 12 minutes – take the short opera Our Day, which tells the story of Olympic gold medallist Mary Peters against the backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland in 1972. Most events are free but some workshops are ticketed.
13-15 Jul

Bastille Day celebration at Canada Square Park
This not-so-British celebration is part of the City of London Festival which runs in June and July. Bring your own wine and cheese to commemorate the turning point in the French revolution when the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed in 1789. The anniversary is France’s national day, and so it’s fitting that French acts will perform in Canada Square Park in Canary Wharf in the afternoon and early evening. Entertainment starts with euro ska jazz from Santa Macairo Orkestar, followed by young musician L whose songs are twists on French music, and finally the KKC Orchestra which fuses hip-hop and electro swing.
14 Jul

Vietnam Summer Festival at Spitalfields Market
Vietnam is proudly waving its flag at this brand new festival at the renowned Spitalfields food market, where food stalls from different regions will offer tasters of dishes like the classic Pho noodle soup - often eaten for breakfast in the country. If you’re feeling energetic, try out traditional Vietnamese games like jute-bag jumping (much like sack races in the UK) or the intriguingly named “dragon-snake”, a complex group game involving a script, a doctor and a very angry dragon.
14 Jul

Rioja Tapas Fantasticas at Potters Fields Park
It will be fiesta time on the South Bank for this celebration of top Spanish cuisine. Raise a glass of red, white or rosé Rioja wine in Potters Fields Park, overlooking Tower Bridge. Tapas – the perfect walk-and-eat cuisine – will be on sale from London’s Spanish restaurants and live Spanish music and cookery demonstrations are also on offer. You might return as a wine buff after some workshops and wine walks with experts Olly Smith and Susy Atkins.
14-15 Jul

What are you up to this weekend? Post your tips below.

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee year, the festival was launched with an ice sculpture of a giant diamond. The free festival takes place today and tomorrow at Canary Wharf - don’t miss it.

London Ice Sculpting Festival 2012, Canary Wharf, 13-14 January

This photo of Canary Wharf is one of a group of stunning London shots added to the Visit London Flickr group by Andrew 73.

If you’ve taken lovely London photos this week, add them to our flickr group and we could be featuring you next week.

Two days ago, the spectacular Colombian navy flagship ARC Gloria arrived in London as part of her goodwill world tour.  Some of London’s Colombian community were there to see the ship arrive.

ARC Gloria is moored in South Dock near Canary Wharf until tomorrow. If you fancy a look round, visitors are welcome to explore the decks today until 7pm. There is also an on board exhibition of Colombian gold and ceramics.

Seven Days on the Sun shared this stunning photo of Canary Wharf gleaming in the sunshine.

Have you taken a photo of London looking lovely? Add your photo to the Visit London Flickr group and we could be featuring you next!