Populist: 23-29 November

Populist brings you a bite sized round up of the best of Londonist this week. Catch up on the coolest, quirkiest, most recommended and talked about stories and find out what's hot and what's happening for the week ahead.

In the news:

A busy week for Boris as he produced more outlandish prose, rubbed noses with a child, launched his local park popularity contest, scrapped the Western extension C-Charge and cut back step free access plans for tube stations round his manor.

It was bye, bye shopping bag ban and Ian Blair but helloooooo Obama!

There were a small good news 2012 story and the urban gardeners amongst us got a pat on the pack from the RSPB.

We spent hours poring over and geeking out in glee at hundreds of images of bygone London

Check out the news archives for more.

What's hot:

Having kids in London! We went family friendly.

Bear spotting. We're beginning to obsess.

Winter garden respite from shopping hell.

Lunch for a fiver

Reactions ranged from appalled to bemused to angry and confused regarding Mark McGowan's proposed reenactment of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes - if you were there today, please get in touch.

Check out the Arts and Events tag for more.

Images from clockwise from top left: Santa at Selfridges, Littlest Londonist, old images of London, Seizure. Keep track of our most popular posts by checking out Favourites or using the Populist tag.