Ladies and Gents, set your status to "moist anticipation," cultivate those stomach-fluttery butterflies, and start thinking of some health hiccups you can turn into sickies; there's seven, just SEVEN days to go until the amazing Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival kicks off! Unlike Cannes, and Venice, and those other high profile film festivals you hear about, the beauty of the London Film Festival is that it's a public film festival. So you, yes,......

The art world is currently buzzing about one of the biggest and least publicised shows of the year. Bucking the tradition of going through galleries, Damien Hirst, he of the diamond encrusted skull, has decided to put his new works up for sale through Sotheby's. Over 200 works will be going under the hammer Monday and Tuesday, but until then Sotheby's is hosting the biggest ever Hirst show. The works are mostly more of......

A likeness of Kate Moss cast in gold and potentially weighing more than Kate Moss is just one of the figures that will be featured at the British Museum from 4 October. The statue by Marc Quinn (who famously created a bust of himself from eight pints of his own blood) is for the exhibition Statuephilia. Weighing in at 50kg, the British Museum has only released an extreme close-up shot of the statue, so......

Aware as ever of the world's trouble spots, Madonna recently showed solidarity with the blighted residents of Georgia by describing herself as "living in a siege situation". Is her home being bombarded with military ordnance as the Russian army advances? No, things are much worse. The fifty-year old singer has been forced to abandon her gym due to the ruckus brought by nearby workmen. The former Georgian house in Mayfair, which Madge converted into......

Misbehaving footballers, irritating paparazzi, one hardly knows who to feel sorry for… perhaps Colleen was the only innocent party when Wayne Rooney allegedly spat at a photographer on a recent London night out. Footballers have never been too shy of a well-aimed dollop of gob on the pitch, but this fracas occurred outside a restaurant in Hanway Street on Tuesday evening. Before clamoring for Rooney’s punishment, however, it should be pointed out that said......

"Ashton Kutcher hits London", scream the headlines. If London knows what's good for it, we'll wallop the wearily handsome waster back just as hard. To what do we owe the pleasure of Demi Moore's toyboy's visit? Yes, it's the premiere of What Happens In Vegas, yet another rom-com vehicle designed by the overlords in Hollywood to whet our grimy little lives with a touch of romantic intrigue. You know the sort of thing -......

Paris Hilton arrives at a nightclub, then leaves. The end. Yes, you can all go home now. Class dismissed. Oh, you want more? Fine. That's right folks, London be a lucky place this week. Paris is in town, and the hacks are getting excited at reports she was paid £70,000 to roll up at Kensington's own Mahiki with her rocker boyf and waddle lethargically around, a look of bored insouciance dolled onto her kisser,......

The arrival of two Hollywood heavyweights in our fair city has given the local media the perfect opportunity to do what they do best: namely, sneer at the lady while swooning over the gent. Renee Zellweger and George Clooney have been in town this week for the UK premier of the Clooney-directed film, Leatherheads. And the differing reactions to the pair from the ranks of Fleet Street's finest couldn't be more illustrative. Gushing journalists......

We don't want to get burned again by a false rumour, like the sadly inaccurate story that Madonna was buying a London pub so take the following with a shtickl of salt: Kate Moss has apparently solved her transport woes by snapping up a black cab. The shy, retiring supermodel and occasional moral crusadee has parted company with £45,000 to get her hands on one of LTI's taxi cabs - a LTI-TX4, for those......

If Sun Hill were a real 'burb of London, then Londonist would want to live there, if only to have plucky PC Reg Hollis as our neighbourhood bobby. So it was with some distress that we heard Jeff Stewart, the actor who has played Hollis in The Bill for over two decades, apparently slashed his wrists after being informed his contract on the ITV show would not be renewed. Stewart was rushed to hospital,......

The Taser may have turned a Flordia student into an unwitting celebrity earlier in the year, but on the streets of London it's a serious business. As we reported a few weeks ago, the Met has recently increased Taser deployment for a trial period. Barely a fortnight in, and the IPCC are already investigating allegations that an unarmed and innocent man was shocked repeatedly with the weapon. As part of anti-gun crime initiative Operation......

Last full week before Christmas, we expect your bank account's feeling the strain. All that Christmas shopping and partying taking its toll? If you want to make the most of being out and about before Christmas cabin fever and complete exhaustion set in then we're here to help. Monday: Keep the braincells going through silly season. Go to the free lecture at Gresham College about why our society rewards celebrities, fads and fashions and......

The fashion world has been in a glitzy hooha this week as Karl Lagerfeld, AKA The Count (cue: one, one supermodel; AH HA HA HA HA!") jetted in to much celebrity fawning for a posh nosh ding dong at Nobu and the first ever Chanel show in London. Those who know are hailing the Brit chic collection as beautiful, sumptuous and decadent and intimating design influences from the original Duke of Westminster, the Tudor......

Londonist was rapped on the nose the other week for cocking a snooty snook at the unending, Tube-clogging newspaper coverage of the travails of Ms. Winehouse, while - yes - covering the story ourselves. Cowed and humbled, we bring you the latest from Chez Amy without any further editorial pawmarks. With her hubby incarcerated and her private life a whorl of drug-taking and rumours of ill health, Amy has wisely decided a change of......

We were trying to wait till December but it's just no good. It's Christmas, folks and you'd better get your festive shopping pants on. What better way to start than at Old Spitalfields Market this Thursday evening for the launch of "A Merry Different Christmas". Firmly heathen and hedonistic there will be an alternative Christmas service with a helium choir and Reverend Duncan Pritchard, from the Big Love Inflatable Church will sermonise on the......

Hey you there! Pay attention at the back! The latest episode of the sub-EastEnders drama that is Amy Winehouse's life is here, and you don't want to miss out, do you? Ready? Okay, well, the plot around Camden's royal couple has well and truly thickened. It seems that a Carshalton man has appeared in court, accused of bribing a publican whom he allegedly assaulted with dear Amy's incarcerated husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, last year. The......

Paul McCartney's ex was in London yesterday for a photo shoot for the charity Viva!. Along with Heather Mills, Viva! would like us all to please eat less meat, dairy and other animal products in order to reduce global warming. We fully applaud Viva!'s commitment to the environment, and thoroughly enjoy names that feature punctuation, but we wonder how effective this campaign really is going to be. While we can't personally see switching to......

It is pretty cool and rather rare when an almost A-list celeb truly proves their worth, rolls up their sleeves and gets their hands dirty. Jemimah Khan has in the last day or two shown herself to be a woman of astonishing integrity and courage, and Londonist is feeling like a right bitch for previously thinking anything less of her. The press call her a ‘former socialite’, but once a socialite, always thus: it is......

Oh, that Jude Law! Grown women swoon and keel over at the mere mention of his name. Men grind their teeth and glower with untrammeled jealousy when glimpsing his visage on a magazine cover or film poster. Such is his star quality. Those brooding yet boyish eyes. That elegantly receding hairline. He really is quite something. While he's a big Hollywood movie star these days, Our Jude does love to hang out in his......

Due to earlier technical vexations of a non-Stratford-related variety, Monday Miscellanea is a bit later than usual today... This Week In London’s History Monday – 12th November 1974: A 9lb salmon is caught in the Thames – the first time that such a fish has been caught in the dirty old river since 1834 – and sent to the British Museum for identification. Improvements in the water quality are hailed. Tuesday – 13th November......

It’s cold outside this week, so it seems like the best plan is to cozy up on the couch and watch some telly. Why would you want to risk frostbite? On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 12 November I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here (ITV1, 21:00-22:30) It’s off to the jungle yet again with Ant & Dec as they guide a new group of “celebs” through as many disgusting tasks as you’d......

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with lots of fun things to do this week from the comfort of your own home. Get cozy on the couch with a cup of tea, because there are lots of things to watch this week. On TV, Londonist likes: Tuesday, 16 October Britain's Biggest Storm (ITV1, 21:00-22:30) If your interest was piqued by this week’s Monday Miscellanea, you’ll want to catch this documentary on the 20th anniversary......

Londonist knows at least 2 people who've admitted they've started their Christmas shopping. We're not even thinking about it until we at least get past our birthday but, hot on the heels of Davro's Dick, here's our second slice of upcoming panto season. The Barbican's full of beans on its 25th birthday this year with "singer, actress, dancer and celebrity" Suzanne Shaw taking the part of Princess Melody in Jack and the Beanstalk (whatever......

As we noted yesterday, art fair season is upon us in full force this weekend. With so many events happening around the capital, it would be hard work to take it all in, and the best advice one can offer is to try to see as much as you can without making it all a rushed annoyance of cab rides. Possibly even better advice, however, would be to make a point to check out......

Well, not quite. But in a bit. On 25 October, it'll be three years since we started posting. And we're throwing a massive party to celebrate. Well, again, not quite. We're having a friendly gathering in a pub, to which you're all invited. Some, but not all, of the following will be available: beer, monkey acrobats, celebrity mud wrestling, ninja bar staff, celebrity ninja monkey beer wrestling, cupcakes, dignity. Where: Grafton Arms, 72 Grafton......

Man gets 'stiff sentence' for 'accidentally' sending people pictures of his penis. He thought it would never stand up in court. Great train robber Ronnie Biggs says his life has been wasted. Not at all. Without him, we wouldn't have had that superlative 'Buster' film with Phil Collins. Grandmother dies after being disorientated my mirrors in a shop. Ramsay's treat. Celebrity chef attains his 12th Michelin star. Shortly before being shot, de Menezes alighted......

Yesterday saw St Martin-in-the-Fields reopen its revamped and expanded crypt cafe hot on the heels of Sunday's first church service for 90 weeks following a multi-million pound renewal and restoration project. The 18th century landmark church, which opens onto Trafalgar Square, is dearly loved in London not only for just being there but for its fantastic concert programme. This includes jazz nights, classical evenings, free lunchtime concerts and the famous and atmospheric Concerts by......

It's entirely in the nature of ducks that they can fly under the radar, but only in fairy tales do kings arrive unannounced. Nevertheless, even those who would count themselves fans of ice hockey may be surprised to learn that the O2 Arena this weekend hosts not just one, but two clashes between a pair of North American professional teams. And not just a pre-season slapabout, mind you. These are the opening fixtures of......

Film maker extraordinaire Quentin Tarantino has arrived in the UK to promote the DVD release of his latest film, Death Proof. Nothing newsworthy in that per se. But the whens, whos and wherefores of this publicity event are nothing short of astonishing. Londonist has learnt that the movie icon snucked (or was dragged) along to Wimbledon Dog Stadium on Monday evening where he watched the likes of Shayne Ward, Charlie Simpson (from Busted) and a......

As befits a truly global capital, London has established itself as a hub in the important international trade of tourist-attracting human reproductions, importing Chinese warriors and exporting waxwork celebrities. While the first crowds were taking a gander at 20 members of the Emperor Ying’s terracotta court at the British Museum, 51 waxworks produced by Madame Tussauds arrived in Washington DC, naked and apparently ready to party. The likes of Beyonce, George Clooney, Tom Cruise......