Here’s a lovely video from British Airways, showing two of their cabin crew, Mark and Lucy, enjoying a perfect day in London. 

From London Heathrow Terminal 5, to the Houses of Parliament, Primrose Hill, Camden Passage, The Langham, Hamleys, Fortnum & Mason, Natural History Museum Ice Rink, and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, they certainly enjoy a busy day. (I’m just not sure about that picnic, considering today’s temperatures are hovering around the 3°C mark.)

For more London videos, check out our YouTube channel.

Fans of the Natural History Museum, rejoice, because it has just opened an exciting new permanent gallery, Treasures, which looks to be a big hitter. Curators have selected 22 extra-special objects from the museum’s vast collection, which heaves with 70 million specimens. From moon rock to a 147-million-year-old fossil, all of the specimens chosen for the gallery have fascinating stories behind them and are of “enormous scientific, historical and cultural significance”, according to museum director Dr Michael Dixon.

Following a sneaky peak of the collection, we’ve picked five of our favourite treasures:

1.    Guy the Gorilla

This stuffed ape was once one of the best-loved animals in London Zoo’s history. The western lowland gorilla first arrived at the zoo on Guy Fawkes Night 1947, hence his name. Clutching a hot water bottle, Guy was so terrified of the fireworks that he wouldn’t sleep until a keeper slept beside him. Visitors loved Guy for his gentle nature as he was known to catch small birds that flew into his enclosure, peer at them curiously and then let them go. Guy died of heart failure in 1978 after dental surgery. Taxidermist Arthur Hayward then spent nine months preparing him for display.

2.    Neanderthal skull

This 50,000-year-old specimen was the first Neanderthal skull ever discovered and has played a huge role in the study of ancient humans. “Researchers have had access to this skull for years, but this is the first time it has been on public display,” says museum researcher Chris Stringer.

3.    The world’s most expensive book

One of the best-known natural history books ever produced, Audubon‘s The Birds of America is renowned for its beautiful life-size, hand-coloured illustrations of birds. With only 120 copies in the entire world, complete bound sets can fetch a staggering £7 million. The museum is displaying a different page of the book every month to prevent fading.

4.    Barbary lion skull

Plucked from the Tower of London’s moat by two workmen in 1937, this Barbary lion is thought to have been part of the royal menagerie from around 1280-1385. “People living nearby must have been petrified to hear the lion’s roar,” says collection manager Richard Sabin.

5.    Charles Darwin’s pigeons

Bred in his garden as an experiment, Darwin‘s pigeons provided him with the evidence he needed to prove the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Treasures at the Natural History Museum opens on 30 November 2012

A slightly nutty London video for this Friday lunchtime. While it’s not all factually correct (we’re fairly sure Johnson was writing to his friend Boswell when he made his famous “tired of London” quote; and the musical Cats is long gone), there’s certainly some fun renditions of London’s popular landmarks.

Look out for the British Museum; the London Eye; Natural History Museum; St Paul’s Cathedral; Buckingham Palace; Changing the Guard; Science Museum; V&A; and, of course, Big Ben.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

There are lots of new exhibitions opening this weekend, giving you the chance to learn about everything from how your favourite film characters got their look to why the humble trainer plays such a big part in popular culture. Alternatively, the excellent Bloomsbury Festival is the perfect chance to explore the area’s many cultural venues and expand your mind at special events.

Bloomsbury Festival, Various Venues
This two day festival is a wonderful chance to experience the thriving culture of historic Bloomsbury, which was made famous by prominent literary figures of the early 20th century. There are special activities at many of the great venues in the area, ranging from drawing sessions at the British Museum to bug-themed games at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. If you can’t decide, head to Russell Square for a varied programme of entertainment that includes poetry, dance and even maths buskers. 19-21 Oct

Hollywood costume at the V&A
Costumes are an essential part of a film character’s personality, and you can discover the complex process behind their creation at this intriguing exhibition. Using a variety of media, including exclusive interview footage, the exhibition takes visitors through every aspect of the costume designer’s job, before treating them to a stunning display of famous movie outfits. Adult tickets are £15.50. Until 27 Jan

Sneaking into Fashion, Covent Garden Piazza
Get a whiff of sporting fashion at this entertaining free exhibition, which traces the adoption of trainers into popular culture. Visitors can admire a range of celebrities’ trainers, including those made famous by Mo Farah, Kanye West and Vivienne Westwood. The exhibition is open from 9am-7pm every day in the Covent Garden Piazza. Until 28 Oct

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 at the National History Museum
The best 100 wildlife images, selected from more than 48,000 international entries, are displayed in this renowned annual exhibition. Visitors will see thought-provoking works that cover the entire spectrum of the natural world, including the competition-winning photograph, which is due to be unveiled today. Adult tickets are £10. Until 3 Mar

Michael Clark Company: New Work at the Barbican Theatre
See the hotly-anticipated new production by legendary British dancer and choreographer Michael Clark at the Barbican Theatre. This double bill of dance combines classical ballet with modern choreography and is set to music by Scritti Politti and Relaxed Muscle. The latter will be playing live during the second part of the performance. Tickets start from £16. Until 27 Oct

Shauna Richardson’s magnificent crochet lions have arrived at the Natural History Museum. The three large beasts form The Lionheart Project, an Arts Council commission for the Cultural Olympiad.

The lions are situated in a glass case just outside the main entrance to the museum and I was instantly struck by their size. Even though I had read they were 4m tall, I still wasn’t expecting them to be so huge, lifelike and a bit scary! They have big teeth and I thought they looked a little hungry.

Even if you don’t crochet, you’ll be impressed by the work and skill that went into crafting the beautiful lions. Shauna spent two years making them. The 150 Swaledale sheep from Derbyshire who supplied the wool for the project might be a little surprised to discover that they weren’t growing jumpers!

Viewing the Lionheart project is free, and you can enjoy the free Exhibition Road Show festival and plenty of other free events in Kensington’s museum quarter this summer.

Free. 20 July – 10 September 2012, Natural History Museum
www.lionheartproject.com

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after dark in London’s museums and attractions, here’s your chance to find out. Family sleepovers are on the increase, and you can now spend the night at many of London’s top attractions. Kids must be accompanied by an adult at most sleepovers, so grown-ups can join in the fun too!

Natural History Museum
Discover what goes on at the Natural History Museum after staff and visitors have gone home. Monthly Dino Snores sleepovers for kids aged eight to 11 include a torch-lit trail through the famous Dinosaurs gallery, a live show about creatures that bite and sting, a fossil workshop, and a chance to sleep under a diplodocus skeleton. The fun continues in the morning with breakfast and a session with Animal Man Nick Spellman.

Science Museum
Fancy spending the night among the Science Museum’s exciting models, machines and exhibits? Once a month, the museum holds Science Nights for children aged eight to 11, with hands-on workshops and a 3D film screening in the impressive IMAX cinema. At the end of the evening you’ll snuggle down for a night in the museum, before enjoying a tasty breakfast in the morning.

ZSL London Zoo
Don’t be surprised if you hear rustling in the night at ZSL London Zoo’s BedBUGS sleepover. Kids aged eight to 11 are invited to spend the night in BUGS! with the spiders, beetles and tamarins. (Don’t worry, they are all safely behind glass!) Activities include animal talks, games, storytelling and a torch-lit tour around the zoo, where you can find out what animals get up to during the night.

Golden Hinde
Experience life as a member of Sir Francis Drake’s crew on the Golden Hinde’s Family Overnight Living History Tour for kids aged six to 11. On arrival you’ll be dressed in Tudor costumes as an officer, barber surgeon or gunner. After an evening of activities and a Tudor dinner, you’ll spend the night among the cannons on the gun deck. Continental breakfast in the morning signals your return to the 21st century.

Chelsea Football Club
Perfect for young football fans, Chelsea FC sleepovers offer the chance to stay overnight at Stamford Bridge. Kids aged five to 10 can take part in an evening of fun-filled activities including a game of five-a-side football, a look around the home dressing room and a walk through the players’ tunnel. Plus they’ll get to meet Chelsea mascot Stamford the Lion before settling down for a night in the Chelsea FC Museum.

Come face-to-face with a shark and other animals as you’ve never seen them before at the Natural History Museum.

Animals Inside Out is the museum’s latest exhibition, where you can see the internal systems of almost 100 animal specimens, from a tiny frog to a four-tonne elephant. The exhibition uses the plastination technique invented by Dr Gunther von Hagens and used in his Body Worlds exhibition.

Animals Inside Out at the Natural History Museum until 16 Sep 2012. Book tickets

Scott’s Last Expedition at the Natural History Museum offers a fascinating insight into the explorer’s doomed journey to the South Pole.

The exhibition, which runs until September, promises to go beyond the familiar tales of Robert Falcon Scott’s three-year journey to the South Pole (1910 to 1913) and it doesn’t disappoint.

The focus is on the everyday stories and activities of the people who took part, their scientific work and unforgettable human endurance. Visitors can easily spend a couple of hours in the exhibition, reading about everything from the mammoth task of planning the trip to the heart wrenching words of Scott’s final diary entries.

In planning the Terra Nova expedition, Scott had to approach dozens of sponsors who he hoped would help fund the trip. Some lent financial support, while others provided some of the many tonnes of provisions that were loaded onboard for the epic trip. There are detailed log books of the supplies that were packed onto the crowded vessel, as well as footage of how they unloaded it all on arrival in Antarctica.

The exhibition then moves into a reconstruction of the hut where Scott and his men lived for much of their time in this inhospitable part of the world. Once inside, you get to see exactly where the men slept, ate and passed the many days that they spent there.

In most people’s minds, Scott is known as the ultimate explorer, but perhaps what is less well known is just how much scientific research was done while the men were away. The ambitious programme covered a broad range of specialisms including meteorology, zoology and geography. The exhibition features a lot of this work and emphasizes the significance of the discoveries made, even to this day.

Had Scott lived to tell his tale, his experience would have still been overshadowed by the success of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who beat the British team to the Pole by a month. Curators have compared the two missions, highlighting what might have made the Norwegian efforts more successful.

This extremely moving exhibition, which marks the centenary of Scott reaching the pole and his tragic death, features over 200 rare specimens and original artefacts. Many items, such as clothing, skis, food, tools and diaries are being shown together for the first time.

Scott’s Last Expedition at the Natural History Museum until 1 September 2012. Book tickets

Shreena Soomarah is a copywriter whose parents emigrated from Mauritius more than 30 years ago.

There is no one race, religion, cuisine, or way of life that defines Mauritius. Much like London, life there is a cosmopolitan existence.  No wonder the two cultures get on so well, and so many Mauritians choose London as their second home.

There are a few places you can find Mauritian culture in London:

• The Mauritian Open Air Festival takes place each July in Down Lane Park, Tottenham, and offers Mauritian cuisine and performances by some of the biggest names in Mauritian music
• Tune into Spectrum Radio, a radio station based in Clapham, to hear Mauritian sega and soca music, plus programmes dedicated to the Mauritian community in the UK
• The first Mauritian post office stamps are among the rarest in the world and can be viewed as part of the Tapling Collection at the British Library.  Dating back to 1847, only 500 of each value were produced
• At the Natural History Museum, you can see a native Dodo.  These are a Mauritian emblem, having been made extinct when the country was colonised

Where else can you find Mauritian culture in London? Let us know in the comments below.

The leaves are turning brown, the weather’s getting chillier and it’s time for a bumper crop of autumn art exhibitions in London.

Two major shows open this week: the British Museum’s Grayson Perry exhibition, which combines new work with objects chosen by Perry from the museum’s collection, and Tate Modern’s retrospective of Gerhard Richter, marking the German artist’s 80th birthday.

Tacita Dean’s installation for The Unilever Series is unveiled in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall on 11 October. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei covered the hall in ceramic sunflower seeds for last year’s commission. We can’t wait to find out what Dean has in store!

Frieze Art Fair returns to Regent’s Park in mid-October, bringing together 170 of the best art dealers from around the world, along with arty talks, films, music, installations and a sculpture park.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to the Natural History Museum, displaying the best wildlife images chosen from 41,000 submissions. And then, in November, one of this year’s most anticipated exhibitions opens: Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery, which is sure to be another London blockbuster.

Which London exhibitions are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.