Here’s a nice festive video for the end of your week: the decorations going up in the Great Hall in the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. I hope you enjoy this little slice of fairy-tale London Christmas as much as I did.

I think London’s looking fantastic this festive season. Don’t forget to check out the Christmas lights and Christmas markets throughout the capital; and here are some of our favourite Christmas Trees currently brightening up London’s dark evenings.

Check out our special Christmas section for full listings for all the seasonal events, ice-rinks, concerts and more in London at this festive time of year.

From the rural beginnings with speeches from Shakespeare, through the Industrial Revolution, with nods to our great institutions (the NHS, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the inventor of the World Wide Web), with comedy from Messrs Bean and Bond, Boyle’s show stretched both our imaginations, and it seemed, the walls of the stadium, as the show seemed to encompass the whole world inside the “steel O” to misquote Shakespeare! Here are my top 10 moments from the show, with tips on places to visit in London if you were similarly impressed.

1. Bradley Wiggins and that Huge Bell
What a way to start. Winner of the Tour de France and in possession of a snazzy new yellow jersey, Londoner Bradley Wiggins rang the largest harmonically tuned bell in the world, at 23-tonnes cast by the Whitechapel Bell Company (est in 1570). Fancy visiting their factory? You can.

2. Kenneth Branagh as Isambard Kingdom Brunel
I’m a huge fan of actor Kenneth Branagh, and his reading of the “Isle is full of noises” speech was fantastic. He was representing Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an engineer responsible for many of the UK’s bridges and dockyards. You can learn more about this famous chap at the Brunel Museum, and take a tour through his Thames tunnel in Rotherhithe.

3. London Symphony Orchestra (and, of course, Mr Bean)
Have you ever seen a better one-finger ostinato than that performed by Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean? It was one of several very funny moments, but behind it all was the London Symphony Orchestra, with Vangelis’ tune from Chariots of Fire swelling under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. You can see the orchestra play throughout the year in London.

4. James Bond Visiting Buckingham Palace
Another brilliant comic turn, this time from HM The Queen herself. A pouty Daniel Craig took a trip to Buckingham Palace before executing the most incredible arrival at a party ever; you too can visit the Queen’s residence during the summer months. And if you’re a big Bond fan, don’t miss the current Barbican exhibition about our most famous spy.

5. JK Rowling Reading Peter Pan
Another of my highlights was hearing Harry Potter author JK Rowling reading from Peter Pan, before a team of hundreds of children performed a piece representing the wealth of children’s literature from Great Britain. If you were inspired by the literary display, why not try our Peter Pan Day Out, or visit the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter to see behind the scenes of JK Rowling’s incredible world.

6. Tim Berners-Lee – Inventor of the World Wide Web
An unsung hero of the modern age, and a key player in the digital revolution, Londoner Tim Berners-Lee made a guest appearance in the Ceremony, live tweeting “This is for everyone” which certainly made me want to cry! You can learn more about computer scientists like Tim at the Science Museum in London.

7. Dancer Akram Khan’s Moving Nod to Mortality
Earlier silliness was tempered with stillness as another Londoner, British Bangladeshi dancer Akram Khan performed a moving dance work called Mortality. Having held the post of associate artist at the Southbank Centre, he’s currently associate artist at Sadler’s Wells, and regularly performs in London. Keep an eye on our dance pages to see him perform again in London.

8. David Beckham’s Speedboat Along the Thames
Later, the mood changed again, as we were treated to the view of the lovely David Beckham sweeping along the Thames on a speedboat. Were you tempted? I’ve done it too, on one of the Speedboat Tours available in London, and I totally recommend it. (I can’t promise you’ll get the same fireworks as you pass under Tower Bridge, but the adrenaline rush is the same!)

9. The Olympic Cauldron by Thomas Heatherwick
There were so many well-kept secrets surrounding the ceremony, but one of the best was the cauldron and the identity of the final torchbearers. It was yet another emotional moment when the young athletes circled the stadium, and lit the 204 petals representing each country, which then rose together to create the cauldron. Want to know more about the Thomas Heatherwick Design Studios? There’s an exhibition dedicated to the team on at the V&A until 30 September.

10. The Great British Music
Finally, what about the amazing music that played throughout? So many great British musicians were given a moment in the spotlight: from Elgar to Underworld; from Charles Parry to the Arctic Monkeys; from the Sex Pistols to Dizzee Rascal. If you’re a fan of Sir Paul McCartney, make sure you visit the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing next time you’re in London; you can also pay tribute to the history of British music at the British Music Experience at The O2.

What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below.

Yes, we’re all excited about the Olympics. And the Queen’s Diamond Jubliee. And the London 2012 Festival.

But that’s not all we have to look forward to in London next year! Just when you thought London was already chock-full of thousands of exciting attrations, we bring you news of a few more… (And a couple which, while not new, are being revamped and restored in time for next year.)

1.    Cutty Sark Reopening, Spring 2012
The world’s last tea clipper will reopen in Spring next year. If, like me, you’ve been following the amazing diaries of the conservation of this incredible vessel, you’ll be pleased to know there’s not long to wait! You can get a sneak peek of things to come on their website.

2.    Kensington Palace Reopening, 26 March 2012
Another reopening I’m really looking forward to in 2012 is Kensington Palace. Again, I’ve been following developments at the site on their fantastic blog, and I can’t wait to see the revamped palace in all its glory come March. The gardens will be improved, as will accessibility, and they’ve got an exciting calendar of exhibitions and events  for 2012 to celebrate all the changes.  

3.    Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour, from 31 March
Another piece of excitement for London next year is the new Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. Book now, and you can go on a behind-the-scenes walking tour of the film studios where the Harry Potter series was made.

4.    Emirates Air Line, from Spring 2012
Whether it’s used as a genuine transport link, or more of a tourist attraction, the cable car across the Thames, (called the Emirates Air Line), will also be ready next year. Linking The O2 and ExCeL, with the promise of stunning views across London, this will be one of the coolest new ways to travel in London next year…

5.    Tate Modern’s Oil Tanks, from Summer 2012
If Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall isn’t enough for you, then this summer you can get even more art at the iconic riverside gallery as Tate opens its newest space. Part of the London 2012 Festival, the Oil Tanks are two 30-metre wide and seven-metre high concrete chambers. Inside, there’ll be space for installations, performance art, films, lectures and more.

What attractions are you looking forward to seeing in 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Christmas! Did you get all the presents you hoped for?

Here’s a present you might not have thought of: “sneak peek” tickets to see the new Warner Bros Studio Tour London – before it opens to the rest of the world!

Enter today’s competition, and you could be walking around the film studios that made the wonderful Harry Potter film series.

In addition, we’ve thrown in some Harry Potter goodies: exclusive signed merchandise, the complete Harry Potter series on Blu-ray, and a knitted Dobby toy…

If you’re free on 23 or 24 March next year, enter this competition now. You could be seeing this brand new Harry-Potter themed attraction before it opens to the general public. Good luck!

We asked our Facebook followers which London film locations they’ve visited.

Harry Potter film locations such as King’s Cross Station (Platform 9 3/4) and Charing Cross Road (the Leaky Cauldron pub) were popular, as well as sites from romantic comedies Notting Hill (the Travel Bookshop) and Bridget Jones’s Diary (Borough Market).

We also found out that The May Fair hotel features in Matt Damon’s new film, Hereafter – catch it in cinemas now.

Check out Film London’s map for more London movie locations and let us know which ones you’ve visited in the comments below.

How was your day in London?  I spent the day with my mum and auntie and had the most interesting and exciting time. I truly saw what this wonderful city has to offer. The combination of things we did in one day was astonishing.

To start the day we went to the National Gallery which has a great collection of art. One of the best things is that it’s free, like many other museums in London which is wonderful because everyone can appreciate the art the city has to offer. We saw the new exhibition Corot to Monet which is a collection of landscapes by European artists. After the exhibition we looked at some of the museum’s vast permanent collection.

Did you go anywhere nice for lunch? Yes. We walked down The Mall to a great Japanese restaurant called Sake No Hana. The food was amazing, the service was good and everyone was friendly and organized. The interior was very interesting and designed in an authentic Japanese style with a modern twist.

What came next? We went to Dover Street Market in Mayfair to look at the interesting clothes and shoes. The new Haunch of Venison gallery is round the corner so we went there too. I thought the contrast of the lovely old building with contemporary art inside was really interesting.  The Royal Academy of Arts was our next stop and we saw the J W Waterhouse exhibition, which was lovely and featured some beautiful paintings.

We needed a rest after all that art and went for afternoon tea at Sketch - a restaurant, tea room, art gallery and bar close to the Royal Academy. The interior is amazing. Each piece of furniture and art is different and better then the next. The afternoon tea was delightful and I will definitely go back.

What was the highlight of your day? The most exciting part happened right at the end. We went to a  charity preview screening of Harry Potter and the Half  Blood Prince! It was at the VUE cinema in Leicester Square at the same time as the premiere. The movie was wonderful and it really made a great end to the day.

My day in London was so interesting and diverse, there is so much happening and each experience is different. There is so much to see and do in London and that’s what makes it an amazing city.