Against the spectacular backdrop of the Houses of Parliament we watched the magnificent procession sail down the Thames: first the cleverly rigged belfry, its joyous peals heralding the awe-inspiring sight to come, then a sudden cascade of small boats, their rowers all smiling and calling to each other as they made their way towards the bridge. The sheer number of participants was overwhelming, and the water was almost completely obscured by oars and colourful boats.

What quickly became apparent was that, despite the solemnity and import of the occasion, the British sense of humour could not be suppressed. Rowers exchanged jokes with the stationary boats and we waved, cheered and joked in return. Particular sympathy was given to the lone man in a kayak, with whom we wished we could share our champagne!

As the last of the small boats departed, a frisson of excitement went through our party as we heard the fanfare that announced the Royal boats. The sight of The Spirit of Chartwell gliding majestically – and it is only now that I truly appreciate what that word means – downriver is something that I will never forget. Although Her Majesty’s attention was more fixed on the MPs opposite, we were awarded sunny smiles from the radiant Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The rest of the pageant passed by in an exuberant stream of large and small boats. Particularly memorable were the Dunkirk ships, which looked almost too small and vulnerable to have achieved such an incredible feat, and the Academy of Ancient music, which played hauntingly beautiful music that echoed down the river and reminded us of the millenia of history that had led up to this glorious moment.

Finally, it was our turn to join in the procession and, despite the now pouring rain, we braved the prow of the ship to wave to those watching from the river bank. It was heartening to see that so many had stayed despite the weather, and a friend and I could not resist renacting the prow scene from the Titanic film to keep them entertained!

Passing through Tower Bridge, joking that The Queen must have retired for a well-earned cup of tea, we were shocked and delighted to see the Royal Barge on our left and The Queen, looking entirely unruffled despite the British weather, waving at us from the top. To witness first hand such incredible grace and attention to duty, qualities which undoubtedly inspired so many people to turn out to celebrate with The Queen yesterday, was a truly humbling experience.  Having reigned over us for 60 years with such dedication and panache, Her Majesty deserved every second of the adulation that was offered to her yesterday, and I can only hope that she enjoyed the pageant as much as I did.

You’ll see bunting, flags and special displays everywhere, and by the weekend London will be festooned with colour and buzzing with a festive atmosphere that will be remembered for generations. The capital has a long tradition of making a magnificent effort for Jubilee celebrations – check out this photograph of Selfridges preparing for George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935.

We’ve put together a gallery of some of our favourite Diamond Jubilee decorations so far, but if you’ve spotted other great displays around town please let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to stock up on Jubilee merchandise if you’re planning your own celebration!

By Louise Ridley

If you haven’t yet made plans for the Diamond Jubilee weekend, we’ve rounded up the best parties you can head to without a ticket. Just pitch up and start celebrating.

Jubilee Jam Festival at Proud Camden

Proud Camden will be decked out in bunting for a four-day festival, with afternoon tea and vintage swap shops in the daytime and performances from burlesque to folk in the evenings – including a New Bands On The Block event on Tuesday. 2-5 Jun

Don’t miss: Cocktails in teapots in the South Gallery’s vintage tea room

Duke of York Square’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Party

Royal footmen will serve high tea in Duke of York Square accompanied by a military band. The dress code is whatever you’d wear for tea with the Queen. There’s a prize for the best outfit – and you can also catch the pageant on big screens. 3 Jun

Don’t miss: The look-a-like Queen greeting her subjects

God Save the Clam, London Fields

A British punk twist on a US clam bake will take over the rooftop of  The Emigre Studios, overlooking London Fields for the weekend. Expect seafood in buckets, beach huts and deckchairs, rounded off with a cocktail bar and DJs. You’ll need to book for the bake but the Snack Shack selling lobster corn dogs and crackling popcorn is open to all. 31 May-3 Jun

Don’t miss: Finding out what a Fat Elvis sundae is at the ice cream bar

Piccadilly Big Jubilee Lunch

Piccadilly will be closed to traffic for the first time on Sunday for a huge street party with food stalls, fairground rides and entertainment laid on by the area’s legendary establishments like The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason. The lunch table is fully booked but the rest of the party is open to all. 3 Jun

Don’t miss: The chance to pose with an iconic BAFTA award

Street party at Westfield Stratford City

Head to Westfield Stratford City’s Four Dials and Chestnut Plaza areas, which will be carpeted with grass for a barbecue and festival-inspired performances from musicians, jugglers, street artists and more. Food stores will offer tastings and a large screen will show the pageant and procession. 2-5 Jun

Don’t miss: Giant versions of games like Jenga and Connect 4

What are your plans for the Jubilee weekend in London?

The Thames Jubilee Pageant

Don’t miss the opportunity to view this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, use our guide to find the best places to stand.

Bridges:

If you’re prepared to get there well before the pageant’s 2.25pm start, some of the bridges will offer unbeatable views. Some of them are closed off for private events, but the ends of Lambeth, Westminster and Blackfriars will be open. These areas are expected to be very crowded and spectators will be subject to bag searches. The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant website recommends viewing the pageant from the river bank.

River Bank:

More London: south side of the river by Tower Bridge. This large open area will afford good views of the pageant and the Avenue of Sail.

Embankment: north side of the river by Temple tube station. The Queen’s barge will stop by HMS President at 4.15pm to watch the rest of the pageant go by – stand on the wide pavement here to get a good view. There are also three large TV screens in this area.

Victoria Tower Gardens: north side of the river by the Houses of Parliament. This leafy area has a great view of the river, contains a viewing screen and provides ample space for a picnic.

Chelsea Embankment: nearest tube Sloane Square. The area next to the Royal Hospital should afford a great view and will feature viewing screens across its length. If that gets too busy, however, we reckon that the area on the south side of the river between Battersea and Albert bridges might be quieter as it’s harder to access. 

Things to note:

• Battersea Park’s Jubilee Festival is now sold out
• Most of the riverside dining venues, like the OXO Tower restaurant, are either sold out or serving set menus.
• The pageant disperses at Greenwich – if you can’t find space elsewhere then head east of Tower Bridge to watch the ships dock along the river.
• The Avenue of Sail – a display of more than 60 boats too large to join the pageant – will be open for viewing from 30 May.

The Thames Jubilee Pageant takes place on 3 June from 2.25pm. Visit our event page for a map of the route. Check the official Thames Jubilee Pageant website and Twitter feed for more information.

Harvey Nichols London unveiled new windows in London earlier this month, in celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

In what they’re calling “their most ambitious installation to date”, the Harvey Nichols windows have been transformed into a quaint British High Street of yesteryear, complete with shops and boutiques seen throughout the Queen’s illustrious reign.

Head down there this spring to take a stroll down memory lane and see H. Nichol’s and Sons Greengrocer, Blooming Lovely Florist, Nic’s Plaice Fishmonger, Harvey Nickers lingerie shop and The Knightsbridge Corner Shop — all filled with must-haves from the new season!

Harvey Nichols is one of London’s Top Department stores. You can see the special windows at 109-125 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7RJ

Transport for London is launching two limited edition Oyster cards to celebrate the exciting summer ahead. The special Oyster cards follow the popular Royal Wedding Oyster cards last April.

From mid-May, an Oyster card featuring an official portrait of The Queen will be available at all London underground ticket offices; selected Oyster ticket machines within zone 1; and TfL Travel Information Centres.

The second card celebrates the special events taking place this summer, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Big Lunch and the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It is expected to be available from mid-June.

Want more? The official Diamond Jubilee china is on sale now, and two sets of Diamond Jubilee stamps have been issued, with another one to come!

As well as a shiny new crest and a weekend of celebrations, the Royal Borough of Greenwich proudly showed off its new status with a stunning fireworks display last night.

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

If you’re looking to boost your stamp collection, 2012 is the year to do it!

Royal Mail is issuing some interesting new collections featuring London events and figures this year, starting with the Olympic “definitive”, or everyday stamps, which go on sale today.

Olympic and Paralympic Stamps
The new stamps feature the Olympic and Paralympic logos, as well as an image of the Queen’s head, and are set to brighten up millions of letters.

After the Games, Royal Mail will issue a set of Gold Medal stamps to honour all Team GB victories.

Diamond Jubilee Stamps
Royal Mail will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with three new stamp sets:

• House of Windsor stamps featuring the five monarchs from the start of the 20th century, issued 2 Feb
• A miniature sheet with six portraits of the Queen taken from banknotes, coins and stamps issued during her reign, including a 1st class diamond blue definitive, which replaces the standard 1st class gold definitive during the Jubilee Year, issued 6 Feb
• A set of eight stamps featuring images of the Queen during the six decades of her reign, issued 31 May

More London Stamp News
That’s not all! Look out for special Charles Dickens stamps in June to mark the 200th anniversary of the author’s birth, and an upcoming collection on British Fashion Designers (hope there’ll be a few Londoners there too).

While you await these new collections, keep your inner philatelist occupied at the British Postal Museum & Archive, where you can see stamps from all over the world.

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.