Open Garden Squares Weekend, various locations

Get a glimpse of London’s secret green spaces this weekend, with an Open Garden Squares ticket ticket that gives you access to more than 200 gardens. Gardens on the list include Holland House Garden, where you can enjoy a BBQ and live music from The Treblemakers on Sunday, Arlington Square – don’t miss its Gin Garden event on Sunday afternoon – and the IPC media garden, which boasts enviable views of the Thames. Tickets are £10 if bought before 8 June, and under 12s go free. 8-9 Jun

MINT Polo in the Park, Hurlingham Park

See high octane equestrian action at one of London’s glitziest polo events: MINT Polo in the Park. This shortened form of polo creates a faster game that provides a thrilling spectacle for both seasoned spectators and newcomers alike. Other attractions include the Pommery Champagne Garden, a luxury shopping village and the Club Med Kid’s Zone. Adult day MINT Polo tickets start at £20,  7-9 Jun

Zoo Lates at ZSL London Zoo, Regent’s Park

Experience the magic of London Zoo after dark, at these fun adults-only evenings. You can watch live comedy in the aquarium, enjoy a surreal dancing session at the silent disco or just relax with some tasty food at the events’ street food festival. Zoo Lates Tickets are £15. Until 26 Jul

Showjumping: The Global Champions Tour at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Relive the magic of London 2012 at the Global Champions Tour: the world’s leading show jumping championships. Team GB’s gold medal winners Nick Skelton, Scott Brash and Ben Maher will be competing among the world’s top 30 riders, which also includes big names such as Charlotte Casiraghi and Edwina Tops Alexander. The action takes place in the International Quarter, adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and tickets start from £10. 6-9 Jun

Gizzi Erskine’s Barn Yard Party at Street Feast

Indulge your tastebuds at this special Street Feast event, one of a series of live Saturday culinary capers. Celebrity chef Gizzi Erskine has chosen a glittering mix of live music to augment the tasty array of food on offer, which ranges from Salt Yard’s Catalan BBQ to Gizzi’s own yakitori chicken skewers. Entry is free. 8 Jun

More London events

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

The countdown is on to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with just hours to go before the Opening Ceremony…

The Paralympic Flame has visited some of London’s most famous attractions on its relay route today, including Big Ben, London Zoo,Lord’s Cricket Ground and Abbey Road - and it’s not over yet! The flame is now travelling east, en route to Stratford.

The Paralympic Relay is running later than planned, but you can keep track of its progress here. The new schedule means it is due to arrive in Greenwich just before 6pm, and at Waltham Forest at 8.49pm.

Have you seen the torch today? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.

From outdoor musicals to adult face-painting and a very expensive Scotch egg, there’s plenty of excitement to be found in London this weekend. Here are our recommended things to do.

West End Live

Fans of musicals should pay a visit to Trafalgar Square this weekend for West End Live, a huge free festival on Saturday and Sunday afternoons which celebrates London’s West End shows from Phantom of the Opera to Wicked. For the first time ever this year, the line-up includes performances from every single West End musical currently playing. 23 – 24 Jun

Taste of London

Forty of London’s best restaurants will dish up feasts as part of Taste of London, the capital’s fine dining festival which is returning to Regent’s Park. There is also a boutique food market, delicious demonstrations from top chefs like Jason Atherton and Michel Roux Jr, a masterclass in matching champagne to the scent of flowers and the chance to win the world’s most expensive Scotch egg – priced at a mere £500. 21 – 24 Jun

BP Portrait Award

Young New York artist Aleah Chapin has won the renowned portrait-painting award with a nude picture of her family friend. The artwork, titled Auntie is on show at the free exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery, alongside 54 other finalist portraits which were whittled down from 2,187 entries. Until 23 Sept

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival

The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival is an outdoor arts extravaganza that will bring theatre, dance and eccentricity to spots around Greenwich like the Cutty Sark Gardens and Greenwich Market. Don’t miss Prometheus Awakes on Friday night – a spectacular retelling of the Greek myth featuring an enormous glowing puppet at the National Maritime Museum. Another highlight this weekend is the recreation of the 19th century Greenwich Fair, which includes a show inside a 30ft pig and gravity-defying piano. 21 – 30 Jun

Zoo Lates

See the animals but leave the kids at home: ZSL London Zoo is offering grown-up fun by opening its doors after hours every Friday in June and July for Zoo Lates. A silent disco, street food, music, comedy and cabaret performances transform the zoo into a festival – and you can even turn into a creature with costumes and face-painting (we all know we’re tempted when the kids get it done). Over 18s only. Fridays until 27 Jul

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.

The Football Fan
The fantastic Wembley Stadium Tour will satisfy any football fan, regardless of team loyalty. Highlights include the crossbar from the 1966 World Cup and a replica of the World Cup Jules Rimet Trophy. (The original was stolen in 1966 and later found under a hedge by a dog named Pickles). Prices start at £15.

If you’re after something a bit more tangible, then why not buy a piece of Wembley Way? Etch your words in stone to be cemented into the ground surrounding the national stadium, from £50.

The History Buff
In the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, give a loved one the royal treatment, with a day visiting the State Rooms, the Royal Mews and The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace next summer, from £19.50.

The visit to the State Rooms includes the highly-anticipated exhibition Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration.

Or if they don’t mind travelling further afield, they can visit all three of the Queen’s official residences, with a Queen’s Palaces gift ticket. This includes Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, from £26.95.

The Thrill Seeker
See the city from a new angle and at high speed! London RIB Voyages and the Thames RIB Experience run daily speedboat trips down the Thames. Suitable for all ages, weatherproof clothing is provided. From £32 per adult, £19.50 under 14s.

Or if the Thames is just too tame, then head east to The Lee Valley for some white water rafting, from £49. You could even challenge the whole family! (Participants must be at least 14 years old).

The Budding Zookeeper
Go behind the scenes at one of London’ s most loved attractions, London Zoo, and buy an Attenborough in the making the chance to be a zookeeper for the day, from £16.

If their interests are more marine-based, they can join the aquarists behind the scenes at the SEA LIFE London Aquarium. The new 40-minute behind-the-scenes tour shows the aquarium’s inner workings and takes guests “behind the glass”. £7.50 for adults and £5 for children.

Good luck with the rest of your Christmas shopping, and let us know if you’ve had any London gift brainwaves this Christmas!

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

Southeastern Star just made a new friend at ZSL London Zoo!

This camel is one of a pair, and one of 18,499 animals in residence at the zoo. (There’s a handy list of London Zoo’s animals on their website, should you have a craving to know how many camels, ducks or kinkajou they have.)

When you go to London Zoo this summer, don’t forget to add your London photos to the Visit London Flickr group.

Zoo Lates is back! The popular adults-only event at ZSL London Zoo is a rare chance to explore the zoo after hours.

When we visited, we didn’t see many animals raving like the ones in the video (in fact many were asleep) but we did have fun at the silent disco, twisted cabaret and yummy food stalls.

Here’s what a couple of other visitors had to say…

“It was great to wander around after work on a Friday, checking out the local inhabitants such as the penguins in their new home at the beach (who seemed to be loving the rain), with a beer in hand. Walking past the silent disco made me laugh, watching everyone dancing away with headphones on in the rain. I am off again in a few weeks’ time. Fingers crossed for some sunshine this time!”
Lisa, London

“Despite the rain the Brits were out in force. Zoo Lates had a festival feel with lots of entertainment and food stalls with every type of cuisine you can imagine. It was amusing to watch people dancing in the rain to the silent disco too. A really enjoyable way to spend a Friday evening in London!”
Ruth, London

Zoo Lates takes place every Friday in July 2011

ZSL London Zoo’s new Penguin Beach opens tomorrow; I dodged rainshowers this morning to enjoy an exclusive preview.

As you can see from the pictures, the new penguin pool is much bigger than before. In fact, it’s five times larger, and three times deeper (at 2 metres) than the previous penguin pool. There are fantastic underwater viewing areas, so you can get really close to the penguins, and enjoy watching them “fly” underwater.

There are 66 penguins at the new Penguin Beach of different species:

• Humboldt (from South America)
• Macaroni (from Antarctica, with the yellowy plumes)
• Black-footed (from Africa, close relatives of the Humboldt)
• and the amazingly cute Rockhopper, called Ricky (who you can see doing his best rock hopping in the video below)

Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of the latest technology and zoology supporting this exciting new visitor attraction. There’s a nursery with a chick incubation unit, and a pool where the young penguins can learn to swim. Tom Hart, London Zoo’s penguinologist (it’s a real job!) hopes that together with ZSL, they’ll learn lots more about these endangered birds, their breeding habits and ways to improve their conservation.

Zoological Director David Field said, “This takes the zoo’s penguin tradition into a new era, allowing us to breed large colonies of threatened penguins in an amazing new habitat. Hopefully by witnessing how breathtaking these birds are we can encourage visitors to help protect them. We’re bringing penguin biology to the masses.”

At feeding time, you get a real taste (sorry!) for just how gorgeous these animals are as they dive and swim and splash after fish. Check out this slightly wobbly video for a sample of the new Penguin Beach:

Visit the London Zoo page on our main site to book tickets to the zoo. And check out the rest of my pictures from the day in the Visit London Flickrpool.