You can visit Santa’s reindeer at London Zoo from Sunday: but here’s a wonderful sneak preview of them getting used to their new home for the festive season.

Are you hoping to visit Father Christmas in London in the coming weeks, and tell him whether you’ve been bad or good?!

Here’s a list of the (many!) places he’s currently waiting to hear about your Christmas wishes: Santa’s Grottos in London

Yesterday, we had a photo of cycling santas. Today, a video. This feels like a suitably silly festive film for you this Christmas Eve.

See if you can spot the following attractions as this team of santas (and a couple of rudolfs) take their boris bikes for a spin around London:

• Houses of Parliament
• London Eye
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Millenium Bridge
• Horse Guards Parade
• Buckingham Palace

Well done to the team from the FreshNetworks office for putting together this brilliant bit of seasonal nuttiness. Great soundtrack too. Enjoy.

Quick! Follow that reindeer! Even Santa knows that cycling in London is a great way to get around.

www.LKGPhoto.com shared this photo with the Visit London Flickr group.

If you’ve taken a great photo of London, enter our Only in London Flickr photo competition and you could win top price tickets to Jersey Boys and a night for two at the Thistle Marble Arch with a bottle of champagne! Don’t forget to tag your entry onlyinlondon2010.

How cute are these cheeky Christmas monkeys?

And today, you can win a festive day out at ZSL London Zoo this Christmas, for you and up to four friends!

Christmas Journeys at London Zoo is a brand new experience for 2010. As well as hearing Christmas stories, you get to meet the animals, sing Christmas songs, enjoy a cup of mulled wine (for the adults) and even see Santa on this festive tour of the Zoo!

What are you waiting for? Enter this competition today, and you and four friends could be cuddling up to donkeys and sheep in the wonderful setting of London Zoo in December.

Enter Day 8:  Tickets to London Zoo’s Christmas Journey here

We’ve had a 53ft inflatable rabbit, a 37ft topiary reindeer (last chance to see!), a giant cupcake and a vintage tea party, all in the space of a few months.

There was the odd smattering of celebrities, with Elton John and David Furnish’s clothes sale, Donatella Versace’s Fashion Fringe initiative, Paul Smith’s bin, Jamie Cullum acapella performance, and even a gig from the Stereophonics.

High fashion came to the piazza in September, with Anna Wintour herself putting in an appearance. OK, so it was a look-a-like, but that didn’t stop the fun at our inaugural Fashion Fete event, complete with Fashion Woof doggie show. How they barked!

Before we bid you farewell, don’t forget you can still nip down to Covent Garden to pick up something hot at our mulled wine hut on East Piazza. Santa will be on duty in his grotto right up until Christmas Eve, so no excuses! And of course all the shops will be open on Christmas Eve for those last-minute purchases.

Have a very Merry Christmas from all at Covent Garden.

Hi, I’m Angie Greaves from Magic FM’s Drivetime, and I’m a brand-new guest blogger on blog.visitlondon.com.  

What I’m hoping to do is bring some suggestions of things to do in London, whether it’s eating out, seeing a good play at the theatre, enjoying outdoor London, or, if you’re a parent, finding interesting and stimulating things to do with your children.   

Every Christmas, Magic hosts a Christmas party at Hamleys toy store in Central London. Now, I have to be honest, the thought of braving Hamleys doesn’t immediately fill me with much joy, (human traffic isn’t one of my favourite pastimes). However, the faces of the children when they come out with their gifts and toys does!  
 
The main concern I hear when I mention Hamleys is price, but it really isn’t as astronomical as you’d think. As well having concessions like Build-A-Bear and Hello Kitty, Hamleys do their own range of toys, games and gifts which suits every budget.

In Hamleys, you can find anything from a tiny fluffy cat, to a talking-and-walking dog; perhaps you’re looking for a magician’s box of tricks or remote-control car. If you want to be a little more adventurous, you could even go for moving farm animals, to a life-sized giraffe.  The choice really is yours. 

If you stick within your budget, there’s no reason why an afternoon at Hamleys couldn’t be considered as part of your Christmas shop, and it’s got a great atmosphere for kids.  
 
Each floor is themed: 

• Girls
• Boys
• Soft Toys
• Computer Games
• Toddlers

There are staff are on every floor conducting demonstrations and the children are the priority.  
 
Hamleys’ cloakroom facilities are brilliant, and the baby changing room has everything you need if you have very little ones who need changing and/or nursing. Then there is a café with hot drinks and snacks keeping everything you need for your day under one roof.

This is also the special time of year when your children can go to Santa’s Grotto. Pose for a photo with the big man as a reminder of the fantastic day you had at “London’s Favourite Toy Store”.
 
Set your budget, be realistic and make your way to Hamleys, it’ll be fun for the kids and you too!

It’s Hamleys’ 250th birthday in February so keep an eye on magic.co.uk in the New Year for news on special birthday events that we can all enjoy!

It’s Christmas week and here at VL Towers, we’re feeling pretty festive.

Nearly all our Christmas shopping is done (although there are some nervous eyes watching the post-room for last-minute deliveries), the decorations are up, and we’re looking forward to an exciting couple of days’ off towards the end of the week.

This week’s big question: what are you hoping Santa will bring you on Friday?

Now that we know we’re not getting one of Harrods’ famous Meerkats, what is it that you really, really want for Christmas this year?