O Tours de Londres offer French language tours of London. Guest blogger Hugo took an afternoon tour of London and and gives us his thoughts (in French, of course!) below:

“Visitez Londres est une expérience fascinante. En effet, la ville a été le témoin de 21 siècles d’Histoire… Cependant, il est parfois difficile pour de nombreuses personnes non anglophones de réellement comprendre et découvrir la capitale anglaise. Heureusement, Ô Tours de Londres propose un circuit au bord de la Tamise adapté à tous les francophones.

“Pendant près de 2h30, vous marcherez de la Tour de Londres jusqu’à la Cathédrale St Paul en passant notamment par le Tower Bridge. Sur le trajet se succèdent d’incontournables monuments comme la Cathédrale Southwark miraculeusement conservée, le Shakespeare Globe Theatre ou encore les ruines du Palais de Winchester… Vous découvrirez aussi l’incroyable histoire du London Bridge, l’unique pont de Londres pendant près de 18 siècles…

“Au total, cette balade guidée comporte 13 arrêts qui vous permettront de découvrir des lieux mythiques de l’Histoire de Londres.

“Les guides compétents, dynamiques et disponibles vous dévoileront, de façon simple et claire, récits et anecdotes. Ils partageront avec vous les secrets des rues Londoniennes et de la Tamise et vous emmèneront sur les pas de Guillaume le Conquérant, Henri VIII, William Shakespeare ou encore Charles Dickens.

“C’est après ce fantastique voyage dans le temps, que vous serez à même de comprendre l’évolution de Londres, de sa mentalité et de ses habitants.

“Accessible à tous, cette balade est proposée à un prix très abordable : 15 £ par personne (17,5 €) (Gratuit pour les enfants de moins de 8 ans). Alors oubliez la barrière de la langue et allez découvrir Londres et son Histoire dans la bonne humeur grâce à Ô Tours de Londres !”

Pour plus d’informations et pour les réservations, n’hésitez pas à consulter le site de Ô Tours de Londres : www.o-toursdelondres.fr

Hugo was a guest of O Tours de Londres.

More London tours

Thanks to reader Lucas Veuve who got in touch with this fab London video. Lucas says:

“When I first moved to London, I was struck by the number of people living in this great city and the speed at which they move from one place to another. I wanted to capture how I saw London when I first moved here.”

We think he’s done a great job. Look out for great shots of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin and The Shard, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Southbank Centre and Trafalgar Square.

Look out for more London videos on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo

The London International Horse Show at Olympia

See Olympic medal winners at the thrilling London International Horse Show, which is celebrating its 40th year at Olympia. Not only are there world class dressage and show jumping events, but you can also watch carriage driving, dog agility trials and the Shetland Pony Grand National. Don’t miss the extensive shopping village where you can find great equestrian gifts and treats. Tickets start from £15. 17-22 Dec

A Wetland Christmas Carol at the WWT London Wetland Centre

A unique festive show crowns a varied programme of family activities at the WWT London Wetland Centre this weekend. “A Wetland Christmas Carol” features a suitably-themed twist on the classic tale, with a mud-hating Scrooge visited by the ghosts of Wetland Past, Present and Future. Alongside the performances, which take place at 12pm and 3.30pm, you can feed otters, craft your own Christmas decorations or take a guided tour. Events are free but standard admission charges apply – see the website for full details. 22-24 Dec

Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, St Paul’s Cathedral

Get into the Christmas spirit with this beautiful choral work by Benjamin Britten, performed in the exquisite surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral. Commencing at 5pm, it is performed by the Choristers of St Pauls and the Vicars Choral, with Sioned Williams playing the harp. Entry is free, and other carol services take place here throughout the weekend – see the website for details.  21 Dec

Pop Up Screens at the Truman Brewery

The popular Pop Up Screens brings a week-long programme of Christmas films to the Old Truman Brewery, which are perfect for some laid back festive fun. Screenings include Bad Santa, Scrooged and Nightmare Before Christmas, and a wide range of refreshments is available from their bar. Tickets are £14.  18-23 Dec

Christmas African Market, Dalston

Head to Gillett Square in Dalston between 11am-5pm for your chance to pick up original gifts at the Christmas African Market.  Stalls will be selling everything from jewellery and clothing to arts and crafts, plus there’s a varied programme of family activities that includes face painting, mask making and a drumming circle. 22 Dec

Greenwich Charity Pantomime Horse Race

The other horse-related event this weekend is slightly more frivolous, but every bit as enjoyable. On Sunday, people dressed as pantomime horses will race around Greenwich to raise money for Demelza Hospice, which cares for terminally ill children. The hilarious caper starts at 1pm, but you can also watch the opening ceremony at 12pm or enjoy a charity concert starring Not The Rolling Stones after the race (tickets are £20 and must be booked in advance). 23 Dec

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.

This weekend’s a corker: the Paralympic Games have arrived, St Paul’s is open late and Kings Cross is staging a festival with a truly delicious concept.

Summer Lates at St Paul’s Cathedral
Take advantage of extended opening hours and free entry at St Paul’s Cathedral on selected nights during the Paralympic Games. Sir Christopher Wren‘s English Baroque masterpiece tends to invoke hushed awe, so it’s appropriate that the Summer Lates openings are intended for quiet reflection. Guides and priests will be on hand to  explain the cathedral’s history and spiritual life, while organ notes drift around you. The cathedral floor will be open from 6pm until 9pm with a short service at 8.45pm, and the cool underground crypt will be selling “Best of British” refreshments until 10pm.
31 Aug, 3 Sep and 7 Sep

London Live at Trafalgar Square
As the Paralympic Games take the stage in the UK’s sporting summer, BT London Live has moved its site offering free London 2012 celebrations to Trafalgar Square. You’ll be able to try out Paralympic sports like sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, chill out to live music or watch coverage of the Paralympics on a giant screen. It’s free entry and unticketed – just turn up.
Until 9 Sep

King’s Cross Ice Cream Festival
The organisers of the King’s Cross Ice Cream festival don’t just want you to eat the cool white stuff. They’re calling on ice cream fans to get hands on with the creative process, from milking a cow at the petting farm to experimenting with the latest nitrogen technologies to whip up some frozen delights. The festival is being held in the new Granary Square in Kings Cross and will showcase the best local ice creams from London and the South East.
1-2 Sep

Bowiefest at the ICA
The first ever festival dedicated to David Bowie’s film career will touch down at the Institute of Contemporary Arts this weekend for screenings, talks and a Bowie themed party on the opening night. Re-aquiant yourself with cult classics from the 1970s and 1980s like Labyrinth, where Bowie played Jareth the goblin king, alongside a cast of puppets from Muppets creator Jim Henson. 
31 Aug-2 Sep

Chelsea AutoLegends
Classic cars will take over Royal Hospital Chelsea‘s grounds on Sunday, as the third Chelsea AutoLegends event brings motoring fever to west London. The bill includes supercar and rally car parades and the chance to meet celebrities like five-times Le Mans winner Derek Bell. One exciting addition is the festival’s new celebration of women in motorsport, fronted by model and race driver Jodie Kidd. Another highlight will be seeing Bloodhound SCC, a car that looks like a rocket with good reason: its team are trying to break the elusive 1000mph speed barrier.
2 Sep

Got another event to add to our list? Add it in the comments below.

We love this video of the best of London’s architecture by Mattia Bicchi via YouTube.

Locations featured include King’s Cross Station, Strata Tower, Palestra Building, Royal Albert Hall, British Museum, RBS Building, Wembley Stadium, Heron Tower, Broadgate Tower, O2 Arena, St Giles Building, Tower Bridge, The Shard, National Maritime Museum, Wellington Arch, St Paul’s Cathedral and Canary Wharf and the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben (or the newly named Queen Elizabeth Tower to give it’s correct monkier.)

You can see more London videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo

Some of Team GB’s greatest athletes have been giving us their tips on what to see in London. Here are the results:

Afternoon Tea
Silver medal winning rower, Zac Purchase loves a traditional afternoon tea: “One of my favourite things to do is to have afternoon tea. It’s such a fantastic British tradition. Choose a good hotel or restaurant and dress up. Make an occasion of it, and you won’t need any more food for days!”

The O2 (North Greenwich Arena)
Bronze medal winner in the team Gymnastics, Louis Smith is a big fan of watching gigs at The O2. With big names like Cheryl Cole, Jessie J, Justin Bieber and J Lo all performing at the venue in the coming months, this Olympic venue has got a lot to look forward to.

Oxford Street
When she’s not perfecting her heptathlete events, gold medal winner Jess Ennis is a big fan of shopping on Oxford Street. Home to some of London’s greatest department stores, as well as that gigantic Top Shop, it’s no wonder Oxford Street is a favourite with this London 2012 legend.

St Paul’s Cathedral
Triathlete Helen Jenkins picked out St Paul’s Cathedral as her must-see London attraction. One of London’s most iconic landmarks, St Paul’s should definitely be on any history or architecture fan’s sightseeing bucket list.

The Thames
Silver-medal winning rower Mark Hunter, a qualified Thames Waterman, suggests a trip down the Thames as his unmissable London activity. If you’re not into rowing yourself, why not try one of the riverboat cruises or even a speedboat tour on London’s most famous river? You can even take a kayak down the Thames…

Nelson’s Column
The central Trafalgar Square landmark is a favourite for sailor Ben Ainslie. I wonder what Ben makes of Lord Nelson’s new hat?

Buckingham Palace
Wheelchair racer Shelly Woods picks the Queen’s official residence as her favourite place in London. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as Buckingham Palace will be where she finishes her marathon at the end of The Mall later in the summer.

The top three essential places to visit from a poll of the Team GB athletes are as follows:

• London Eye
• Buckingham Palace
• River Thames

What’s your favourite London landmark? Let us know in the comments below.

Each Friday, we like to highlight a particularly great London video we’ve found online.

This week top video is by FramE FramFilm on Vimeo, and shows London looking gorgeous in natural light. Look out for some top London attractions including Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, The Shard, Oxford Street, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Check out more London videos on our YouTube channel

Rhys Asplundh shared this stunning silvery photo of the London skyline taken from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral with the Visit London Flickr pool.

If you’ve been out in London with your camera this week, share your pictures with the group.

I love this video by two 16-year-old brothers, Tom and Joe, made around London this month. It offers a real snapshot of the city in December 2011: from the Occupy Movement at St Paul’s to the Christmas decorations on Oxford Street, these boys have made a fascinating portrait of one day in our city.

If, one day, they grow bored of the, let’s face it, incredible Lego Action Disaster movies they’re currently making, I’m sure they could move seamlessly into news reportage with the skills they’re showing with this video.

Check out more London videos on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/visitlondonvideo