The tower that houses the famous Big Ben bell, whose distinctive chime can be heard throughout Westminster, is to be renamed in honour of The Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year.

Presently known as the Clock Tower, it will be renamed Elizabeth Tower at a special ceremony, following recent approval of the proposal by the House of Commons authorities.

It is worth noting, however, that the name change will only apply to the tower and not the bell. Big Ben, incidentally, is said by some to have been named after a giant and very successful 19th century boxer called Ben Caunt, proving that all sorts of achievements are capable of making history.

What do you think of the name change? Will you start calling it Elizabeth Tower; or continue to refer to the attraction as Big Ben as many people currently do? Let us know in the comments below.

The London 2012 Olympic Flame will travel through six London boroughs next year before reaching the Olympic Stadium.

The Torch Relay will visit:

• Waltham Forest (21 July)
• Bexley (22 July)
• Wandsworth (23 July)
• Ealing (24 July)
• Haringey (25 July)
• Westminster (26 July)

The Flame will arrive at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The nationwide tour will begin at Land’s End in Cornwall on the morning of 19 May 2012 and will take 70 days to travel 8,000 miles around the UK.

During this time, the Flame will be carried by 8,000 torchbearers including sports people, celebrities and members of the public.

The Relay will travel for approximately 12 hours every day, culminating in evening celebrations when it arrives at each destination.

For more information visit www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay

MPs and journalists took a battering from members of the House of Lords at today’s Parliamentary Pancake Race in Westminster.

The Lords team took the title back from the MPs, who won last year.

The annual race sees teams of MPs, Lords and members of the press fighting it out for pancake glory and to raise awareness for the charity Rehab.

The victorious Lords team comprised Lord Redesdale, Earl of Listowel, Baroness Parminter, Baroness Jolly, Lord Marks and Lord St John of Bletso.

Lord Redesdale commented:

“It was a gruelling race which called for guts and determination. The MPs and media runners put up a serious challenge but, thanks to a rigorous training regime undertaken immediately before the race, our efforts were rewarded. When all is said and done, we are all just pleased to play our part in supporting the great work of Rehab.”

Rehab is a not-for-profit organisation which provides training and support for people with disabilities and other socially-disadvantaged groups.

London 2012 has announced a new route for the Olympic road cycling races.

The world’s leading cyclists will race through six London boroughs, passing attractions including:

• The Mall (the race’s start and finish point)
• Westminster
• Richmond Park
• Bushy Park
• The river Thames
• Hampton Court Palace

The road cycling race is one of the first major events of London 2012.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said, “Following our success in Beijing, the road cycling events really will bring the magic of the Games to life for many thousands of spectators.”

The races are provisionally scheduled to take place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July. The men’s race on Saturday will be 250km (156 miles) long and the women’s race on Sunday will be 140km (87 miles).

See a map of the new route here: http://www.london2012.com/documents/venue-documents/cycling-road-race-route.pdf

Read our previous blog entry on the Olympic Cycle Route

The London 2012 beach volleyball competition, planned for Horse Guards Parade, has received the go-ahead from Westminster City Council.

A temporary stadium, holding 15,000 spectators, will be built in Horse Guards Parade from mid-June 2012.

Horse Guards is famous for hosting ceremonial events like Tropping the Colour. It gets more than 6 million visitors each year.

The Olympic beach volleyball schedule will last for 13 days from late July to early August 2012, and is expected to be one of the most popular at the Games. Ticket prices start at £20.

“I am delighted that we have received permission to go ahead with our plans and thank Westminster City Council for their support,” said London 2012 chairman Lord Coe.

“The London Games will be an amazing experience for athletes, officials and spectators, and I believe that Horse Guards Parade will be one of our most spectacular venues and bring real excitement to the area in 2012.”

Mark Camley, chief executive of The Royal Parks, said, “The eight Royal Parks will host a range of London 2012 Games events and we’re delighted that beach volleyball will take place on Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park.

“This is the first time it will host an event of this kind.”

Is the beach volleyball one of the events you want to see during 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

It’s official! Kate Middleton and Prince William are going to be married on 29 April in Westminster Abbey.

And Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that the occasion will be marked with a public holiday. 

Westminster Abbey is the same place that hosted the Queen and the Queen Mother’s weddings; it was also the venue for Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

The prince’s private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkington said the couple wanted a spring wedding and felt that the abbey offered relative intimacy despite its size.

The extra day’s holiday falls in the same week as Easter Monday, giving millions of workers a three-day week.

David Cameron said, “We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible have a chance to celebrate on the day.”

What do you think of the date? Are you going to come and watch from the streets of Westminster? Let us know in the comments below…

The Olympic road cycling route will start and end in Central London, crossing the river Thames and travelling through South West London and the Surrey Hills in between.

London landmarks along the new 138-kilometre route include:

• Westminster - the route begins in this historic area of London
• Crossing the Thames at Putney
• Bushy Park
• Richmond Park
• A 12.5km circuit of Westminster, Chelsea and Fulham
• The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace – where the race finishes

Read more about this on www.insidethegames.biz

Fly around a virtual London with Skape. This cool video shows Westminster and Buckingham Palace in 3D.

But can you spot anything strange about Big Ben??

Sad news yesterday: London designer Alexander McQueen was found dead at his Westminster apartment.

The so-called the bad boy of fashion, Alexander McQueen became a hugely influential force in the fashion industry, and his death is being mourned across the world.

He was born Lee Alexander McQueen, the youngest in a family of six kids, the son of an East End cab driver. Schooled in Stratford, McQueen remained proud of his working-class London roots. At the age of 16, McQueen began working as an apprentice at Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard, then moved to Gieves & Hawkes on the legendary street. He also worked at Angels and Bermans, theatrical costumiers on Shaftesbury Avenue. In the 1990s, he completed an MA at Central Saint Martins.

In many ways, Alexander McQueen’s styles were typically London: rebellious, irreverent, creative and pragmatic.

US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour called McQueen “one of the greatest talents of his generation.”

“He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen’s influence was astonishing – from street style, to music culture and the world’s museums,” she said in a statement. “His passing marks an insurmountable loss.”

His death comes just days before London Fashion Week, where he will be sorely missed.