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.

This morning, we were lucky enough to experience part of Martin Creed’s mass participation artwork, All The Bells on HMS Belfast.

More than 300 children from around the city joined in the piece, which celebrated the first day of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There were Brownies, Scouts, Sea Cadets and girls and boys wearing traditional Bangladeshi costumes all taking part. Ruth Mackenzie, Director of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival and Jeremy Hunt (the Minister for Culture, Olympics and Sport) also joined in, as did Channel 4 news anchor, Jon Snow.

At 8.12am, the ship’s cannon fired, and everyone on board rang their bells for three minutes. Across the UK, church bells, bicycle bells, door bells, mobile phones and more were rung for three minutes. Even the bells of Big Ben joined in; it’s the first time the clock’s bells have chimed anything other than the hour since 1952.

It sounded fantastic, and the children involved all had a great time. “It was brilliant,” one Brownie told me. “I’m really excited about the Olympics now. My favourite event is the diving – I want Tom Daley to win!”

“It was outstanding,” said Lee Harrison, 59, from Peckham, the Yeoman of HMS Belfast. “I’m quite taken aback, actually. I didn’t expect it to be as good as this! We’re a multicultural nation, and this’ll be a multicultural Games, bringing everybody together in peace and unity. And we’ve reflected that this morning. Getting the whole of Britain together to do this today is absolutely brilliant. As an ex-serviceman, I feel very honoured to be able to do this on the ship. But I’m going to have a serious lie-down now; I’m going to tell my wife to get the Radox out, cos my knees are aching!”

Ruth Mackenzie also found it quite a tiring exercise: “I was in the middle of the huge crowd, I can scarcely hear a thing, and it’s quite hard work actually – a young child from Wales next to me said ‘This is like a work out!’ and it was! It was quite good training.”

And what was the message of this mass bell ringing? “It’s our welcome message. Our message that London is a fantastic place. A great place to live, to visit, and it welcomes people from all around the world as tourists, as partners; we’ve got artists from all around the world as part of the London 2012 Festival, and of course, to welcome the athletes who are about to take centre stage with the greatest show in the world.”

Did you ring bells at 8.12 this morning? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

It’s just ONE WEEK to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Here’s a great video, showing the development of the Olympic site, and some of the stories of the people involved.

For more London videos, check out our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/visitlondonvideo

The camping organisation has teamed up with community sports grounds around London to provide camping pitches for just £10 per person per night (£5 for kids) in locations near Olympic and Paralympic venues.

According to co-founder Geoff Vaughan, the sports clubs are better equipped than many campsites, with showers, toilets, bars and big screens showing all the sporting action. Some sites will also offer breakfast packs and barbeque nights.

“The idea came about because we know how hard it is to fundraise for local clubs,” said Vaughan, whose business partner, Rhian Evans, is a keen rugby player. Proceeds will go towards improving club facilities and developing grass roots talent.

Games Makers (volunteers working at the Games) account for 70% of bookings so far. The most popular site, Eton Manor Rugby Club, which is just nine minutes away from the Olympic Park by Tube, has already sold out on certain dates.

For more information visit www.campingatthegames.com or browse more London campsites

Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square will host big screens during the London 2012 Games next summer.

With giant screens, state-of-the-art technology and concert-quality sound systems, these sites will be among the best places to watch the Games if you don’t have a ticket.

And it’s not just about the Olympic and Paralympic sporting action: there’ll be “have a go” sports sessions, live music and entertainment.

You can watch the Olympic Games at BT London Live Hyde Park and BT London Live Victoria Park from 27 July to 12 August, and the Paralympic Games at BT London Live Trafalgar Square from 29 August to 9 September.

Find out more at www.btlondonlive.com.

London 2012 organisers have opened volunteer recruitment to the public today, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to become involved in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Applications for volunteers, who will be known as Games Makers, opened at 8am today and continue until midnight on 27 October – so there’s only six weeks to apply.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: “Volunteering with us will be challenging but the rewards are life-long as our London 2012 Games Makers will literally make history happen.

“We want the best team players in the UK to apply, people who show the same qualities as our athletes including dedication, focus and grace under pressure.

“Whatever your role, you will help welcome the world and show what the UK has to offer. If you have what it takes to be a London Games Maker, apply now!”

There are 70,000 volunteer roles to fill for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with two thirds of the roles generalist volunteer positions. These include welcome desk staff, ticket checkers, costume assistants, drivers and event stewards.

The remaining roles are specialist roles comprising volunteers skilled in medical, press operations and anti-doping sectors -applications are also still open for these roles.

For more information and to apply visit www.london2012.com/volunteering.

Find out why Eddie Izzard thinks becoming a Games Maker is an opportunity not to be missed below:

The iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the archery event at the London 2012 Olympic Games after plans were approved by Westminster Council.

The athletes are set to compete on “the square” in the centre of the cricket pitch, with spectators assured of close seating, all against the imposing backdrop of the Lord’s Pavilion.

Preparations for the week-long Olympic archery event include temporary seating for up to 5,000 spectators, a warm-up range and an area for competitors and officials.

Seb Coe, Chair of London Organising Committee (LOCOG) said: “I am delighted that we have obtained permission to stage the Olympic Archery at Lord’s in 2012. It will be a spectacular venue for hosting the games and the Olympic Archery will be an exciting competition for both spectators and athletes”

Lord’s now joins other Westminster venues Horse Guards Parade and Hyde Park in hosting Olympic events.

Councillor Alastair Moss, Westminster City Council’s planning committee chairman, said: “Lord’s is a word-class sporting venue and will be ideal for hosting the archery event in 2012.”

The Olympic archery event will be held from 27 July to 3 August 2012.