Last night, all the excitement of Christmas came to London with the big Christmas light switch-on at Oxford Circus, on Regent Street and in the City of London.

We watched the performances at the slightly quieter St Paul’s stage. Little Boots performed her sparkly pop with professionalism, before the newly reformed Spandau Ballet took to the stage to sing crowd-pleaser Gold, followed by one of their new hits.

In a co-ordinated switch-on which slightly reminded us of the Eurovision song contest (a few pauses while the brave DJs from Heart FM chatted through video link-ups with different areas of the city), the lights on Regent Street and at Oxford Circus were turned on by Colin Firth and a very beardy Jim Carrey, while a beautiful, more serene light display was started by Bob Hoskins at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The St Paul’s Cathedral Choir then led the crowd in a warm-up singalong of O Come, All Ye Faithful, before the wonderful Andrea Bocelli (this time live from Leicester Square) took the lead in a rousing singalong of Silent Night. It was a lovely moment; it felt like the whole city had stopped for a moment to sing along with Andrea’s fantastic voice.

And did we break the world record?! Early reports suggest that we did!

(If you were at Regent Street or Oxford Circus, tell us about your evening in the comments below!)

Then there was just time to run over to Leicester Square for the world premiere of the film itself: Disney’s A Christmas Carol.

We passed through a gorgeous winter wonderland in Leicester Square (snow, more carollers and celebrities adding to the festive atmosphere!), along the red carpet, and into the Empire cinema.

After a quick intro from Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins and Jim Carrey, the big moment had arrived.

And our verdict on the film? The 3D animation is really spectacular, and there are some great moments flying above Dickens’ London in the snow. It’s quite scary at times, although maybe more so for adults than for kids! Jim Carrey plays all three ghosts with typical enthusiasm. And if you’re excited about seeing the gorgeous Colin Firth, you might be disappointed: his motion-capture character isn’t nearly as good looking as he is in the flesh!

If you were there, let us know what you thought!

In just a few hours, the City of London and London’s West End will be lit up with a fantastic light display, ready for the capital’s Christmas celebrations.

Then London will welcome a host of stars to Leicester Square, ahead of the glitzy world premiere of the new film,  Disney’s Christmas Carol.

We’ll also be trying to break the record for the largest number of people singing a Christmas carol at the same time!

And what carol will it be? You decided with our online poll (now closed). More than 1,000 of you voted, and the results are in:

• Silent Night (with 33%, 359 Votes): winner!
• O Come, All Ye Faithful (28%, 297 Votes)
• God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (13%, 135 Votes)
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (26%, 281 Votes)

Thanks to everyone who took part in the poll, and enjoy the celebrations tonight!

Last week, we asked for your Only in London recommendations. Thanks for adding your thoughts to the comments!

With news announced yesterday that London will be heading back to Victorian times this Christmas with the exciting world premiere of Disney’s A Christmas Carol and Christmas Carol themed Christmas lights in the West End, we’ve been discussing London’s history here at VL towers.

So, imaginative thinking caps on. We want to know, if you were given a time machine, which period of London’s history would you most like to travel back to?!

Would you be interested in galloping across to Hampton Court Palace with Henry VIII and his Tudor court?

Or maybe you’d like to pop into an 18th century coffee house, and witness the new revolutionary age of pamphlets and trade and Enlightenment.

Perhaps you’re another fan of Dickens’ Victorian London, and would like to go back to the golden age of railway with stations like St Pancras; new buildings like the Houses of Parliament, and the Royal Albert Hall; the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the wonderful Crystal Palace.

Or would you rather swing with Twiggy and The Stones in Carnaby Street in the 1960s? Let us know!