'Vauxhall' crash lands in London Park
A strange crater appeared in Potters Fields Park on Saturday 19th July 2008. Men in dark glasses were guarding the crash site and refusing to explain to passers-by what was happening.

In fact Potters Fields Park had been hired for a stunt to promote the launch of the Vauxhall Insignia car (sold under the Opel brand outside the UK).

Architecture Festival is Fun for All
Lots of fun things going on during the London Festival of Architecture in June and July, events, exhibitions, public space installations, walks, river rides even half price Pimms.

Look out for jelly models of well known public buildings (by Bompas and Parr - the jellymongers) and portable pavilions and viewing towers appearing around London in public places. More details on the LFA website - follow the link to the right.

Virtual tunnel links London and New York
From late May 2008 New Yorkers could see their English cousins across the pond Thursday without benefit of cable TV or video conferencing, courtesy of an unusual live optical hookup created by Paul St George, a conceptual artist with a fanciful tale of a long-lost tunnel.

The telectroscope device has been installed alongside Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Tower Bridge in London and its inventor claims it is either end of a giant tunnel linking the two cities.

It will stay open until June 15 2008.

Sealed with a Marmite Kiss
Following on the success of last year’s Guinness flavoured Marmite, the company brought out a limited edition “I Love You” Champagne flavoured Marmite for Valentine’s day on February 14th 2008.

To mark the launch, a Marmite statue was commissioned by the company, a copy of Rodin's "The Kiss", covered in Marmite. It was ‘unveiled’ in London’s Greenwich Park on Valentine's Day.

Massive Fire at Camden Market
A fire tore through London's world famous Camden market on Saturday evening causing widespread damage. It is thought to have started in some gas cylinders stored in the market.

More than 100 firefighters fought the blaze in the crowded area, with flames shooting up to 30 feet high. The main area of the market is thought to be safe but many of the market traders are concerned for their livelihoods as stock and stalls have been destroyed.

Restored St Pancras a dazzling monument to Victorian design
On Tuesday 6th November 2007 one thousand of the great and good congratulated themselves at the marvel of Barlow's engine shed and the detailing of Gilbert Scott's great hotel, at his gargoyles of drivers and engineers, his majestic brick arches, his great ticket hall like a cathedral confessional, his towers, gables, dormers, fireplaces, swirling staircase and celestial ceiling.

Old Masters hung in the Street
Londoners in the West End on 12 June were greeted by 44 of the Nation’s greatest works of art adorning their city’s streets.

Caravaggio's highly sensuous Salome Receives the Head of John the Baptist, was found hanging on the outside of a Soho sex shop.

Pigeons turfed off Trafalgar Square
Nelson's Column looked down on a sea of green today after the London tourist board pulled off the ultimate 'guerrilla gardening' stunt, laying down 2,000 square metres of turf overnight around the city's famous landmark.

Spring is Sprung
Wisteria drips from house walls, clematis climbs along garden walls and in my backgarden the first roses of summer have blossomed.

Their powdery sugary aroma fills the house as the west winds blow the scent in through the open windows.

Spring steals softly into London
The first balmy days of spring wafted across on  London on Friday 16th March 2007 as Spring stole softly into the capital.

Although the trees are still bare, the daffodils are out and magnolias are blooming and the warmest day of the year so far lured Londoners out onto the streets in shirts and teeshirts to enjoy the spring sunshine.

First snow of winter hits London
After one of the warmest winters on record for a century, Londoners awoke to a winter wonderland with the first snow of winter on 24 January 2007. The snow was however short lived and had melted away by the end of the day.  

London Hit by Ferocious Storms
In 1987 London and the South East was devastated by a monster storm.  Last week the storms returned and this time the whole country was hit.  

And the The Naked Reader team wasn't spared either.....

Tornado strikes London
The UK has the highest number of reported tornadoes for its land area of any country in the world, experts say.

Recently a tornado appeared out on nowhere on a December morning in London and tore down a suburban street, ripping the side off a house and leaving over 100 families homeless.

The Day A Tornado Came to London
It was Thursday morning, 7th December 2006.  I was at home in my first floor office in Twickenham in south west London typing away. Suddenly I heard the crack and roll of thunder bolts and looked out of the window to see a darkening slate coloured sky overhead.