Tomorrow sees London's first proper half-marathon, and this Londonista will be plodding around the new route in the east of our fair city. The capital has of course always boasted a world-beating marathon course, and earlier this year we acquired our very own dedicated 10k. So it makes sense that we get a half-marathon too. Tomorrow's 'Run To The Beat' course will snake around no less then three olympic/paralympic venues. The weather looks as......

The source of the Cutty Sark fire last year (one that we bombastically claimed had "destroyed" the clipper) has been identified: an industrial vacuum cleaner, missing its thermal regulator switch, was accidentally left switched on over the weekend. It subsequently overheated and sparked a blaze on the stern of the ship in the wee hours of Monday. Security guards, since dismissed, were tardy in reporting the fire as it spread, and investigators cited general incompetence......

Clubbers of London must be very excited about this weekend as Matter prepares to open it's doors over at The O2. The people behind the awesome Fabric have created this new bespoke space with three floors and a 2,600 capacity complete with body kinetic dancefloor and 360 degree visuals. The forthcoming line-ups are amazing and follow the Fabric model of more band-y, live stuff happening on Fridays and DJs on Saturdays. Coming up soon......

Hello Poo Head, Greenwich by LondonDave Contribute your photos of words around town to this discussion in the Londonist Flickrpool.......

With the rising cost of oil, and ergo jet fuel, it's about time we got round to establishing a permanent beach here in London. We propose Greenwich Peninsula, with its underused Tube station and impressive views. Buildings by daejn, beach and montage by M@. Do you have a vision for London that's more twisted than the Artful Dodger's DNA? Send your images to londonist - at - gmail dot com.......

The Greenwich Wheel finally starts turning in the grounds of the Royal Naval College this afternoon at 5pm, after logistical delays. The wheel is 60m high with 36 capsules each holding six people and 2 kids plus obligatory VIP pods with leather seats and a DVD player (why?). Panoramic views as far as Hampstead Heath and the Olympic Park are promised from the top and at £7 for a 12 minute ride, we bloomin'......

It's only June, but it'll take an awful lot to topple Sammy Ofer as Londonist's Person of the Year. Having already pledged £20 million for a new wing at the National Maritime Museum, the Israeli shipping magnate has now ensured the full restoration of the Cutty Sark with a £3.3 million donation. The tea clipper, which was gutted by fire last May, has slowly been put back together, but the small matter of funding......

Once a year, Canary Wharf is transformed by Dancing City. There's nothing quite like seeing aerialistes descending from the glass and steel powerhouses of corporate finance or parkour artists dashing effortlessly through the artificial garden of Cabot Square to make you look at this blue chip island quite differently. Turn up from 1pm on Sunday and be ambushed by all sorts of dance forms around Canary Wharf. See Bharata Natyam does football, a tango......

A beloved vegetarian landmark in London may be run out of business thanks to a complaint about cooking smells emanating from the 1840 listed building. With the help of loyal patron and barrister Paul Marshall, chef and partner of Greenwich-area Royal Teas café Ray Voce took his case all the way to High Court and then the Appeal Court to overturn a council ruling that barred the cafe from cooking any hot food. Supposedly,......

If you go down to the Cutty Sark tomorrow you're sure of a big surprise. Or two. The 138 year-old tea clipper, one of the most recognisable landmarks on the London Marathon course over its previous twenty-six runnings, was engulfed by a fire last May, though thankfully a good part of the ship was already elsewhere undergoing renovation. The repairs required to her are obviously even more extensive in the aftermath and currently the......

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, proud resident of the handsome World Heritage-listed site that gazes imperiously across the River at the Mammon-fuelled glazed monstrosities of Canary Wharf, today has even more reason to be puffed up with pride. An Israeli billionaire has donated £20 million to build a brand new wing. Set for completion in 2012, the £35 million total wing will comprise a large scale exhibition hall, archive centre, learning space, cafe,......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 10th March 1906: The Baker Street & Waterloo Railway opens, running between Baker Street and Elephant & Castle stations. It would soon become known as the Bakerloo Line. Tuesday – 11th March 1692: The Royal Chelsea Hospital is founded by Charles II. Designed by Christopher Wren, the hospital would also become the model for Greenwich’s Royal Navel Hospital. Wednesday – 12th March 1988: The Bank of England......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 11th February 1826: The University of London is founded. It would later be known as University College London (or UCL). Tuesday – 12th February 1554: Lady Jane Grey and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley are executed at the Tower of London. Wednesday – 13th February 1247: A major earthquake causes considerable damage to London. Curiously, it is reported that the quake was preceded for three months by......

The Germaniaxx Isn't the weather glorious? Stand in the sunshine and it's definitely spring. This makes us happy! This means that we can walk in the park and get about town and not feel miserably wintry and therefore desperate to waste our hard earned on firelit pubs and woolly accessory buying. Well, not quite so much. We are, however, saving up our cash to spend on Creme Eggs and the rebuild Camden Market fund so......

The Stephen Lawrence Centre will be offically opened by the Mayor in Deptford today. In what is bound to an emotive event, the living memorial has been designed to reflect Stephen Lawrence's own aspirations to become an architect. Not only is it a handsome building but its in-house curriculum will provide education and outreach activities focused around design, architecture, science and engineering for 14-25 year olds living in poverty. It will encourage them to......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 4th February 1915: Norman Wisdom is born in Marylebone. He would become a very successful entertainer, as well as (bizarrely) a cult film icon in Albania. Tuesday – 5th February 1924: The Greenwich Time Signal pips are broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time. (Lots more geeky detail on this is available in our post from this time last year.) Wednesday – 6th February 1875: The......

Met police reception staff are mighty miffed Shooters get shirty about Olympic venue choice Ken bribes the student vote with 100 days till election While Gordon attempts to inspire the world about 2012 with his unique charm and zest Image of the doomed Flying Duck Enterprises in Greenwich courtesy of Mondoagogo via the Londonist flickr group.......

Mere days after warning us about 'white flight' and the perils of living in modern London, scribes at the Telegraph have had a volte-face, and declared their love for our flawed yet fantastic city with a special report on the top 10 property hotspots for 2008. First up on the list: well, colour us a shade of surprised blue - the Telegraph's only singled out the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, home to Notting......

The only music star to be his only Cockney rhyming slang, James Blunt is playing Hammersmith Apollo on Monday night and also Tuesday night, though unsurprisingly tickets are all gone for now. Meanwhile, if you like something a bit more country-fied and American, then Texan Ryan Bingham plays the Borderline. Tickets are £12.50 from See Tickets. Tuesday sees The Kills grace the Soho Revue Bar, though tickets are sold out. New Indie-pop scenesters The Voom......

35. London UFOs Part One When the new millennium dawned, many UFO buffs, researchers and spotters packed up their binoculars and disposed of their files because UFOs weren’t ‘in’ anymore. Sightings had allegedly dissipated and the sceptics were rubbing their hands. However, whilst no strange craft appeared to be crashing in the deserts of the U.S. or buzzing witnesses in Mexico with any frequency, the millennium still offered much in the way of alleged......

Firefighters rank pretty highly in our list of bona fide, real life heroes. So, news that a fire crew in Deptford rescued and resucitated a 9 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier from a fire that started in the basement of a Chinese Restaurant yesterday, just makes us go all moist at the edges. Four people were also led to safety by firefighters from Deptford, Greenwich and East Greenwich firestations but it's the image of......

Some cops are robbers Some caesareans are 'natural' Some disruption due: airport strikes are on for 7 and 14 January Anti-slavery monuments get listed status for Christmas Pedicabs get licences and Greenwich gets its own Eye Image taken in Borough Market courtesy of Tim Bradshaw via the Londonist flickr group.......

Lasers, screens, explosions, giant mutant zombie mummies (hmm, we may have inadvertently made a cruel pun there), apparently the latest gig gizmo is to parade your offspring, as opposed to The Offspring, which in this case might actually have been better. Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz Posh, Baby Beau, Barbabelle, and Scary Phoenix and Angel Scary Murphy all joined their famous Mums onstage at the O2 this week, during the track Mama. Surely these people......

There are plans afootie to make clubs pay for match policing…. …the funds reaped from which will no doubt be a help when the police do really silly things like stealing someone’s wheelchair. Either the BNP is going soft, or ballet is showing its harder side - an unlikely liaison is announced. There are doubts about a lot of Russian things at the mo – the latest being a will they/won’t they situation over......

Every day this month the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won't already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we'll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings... How do you get people to cycle more? Ken would like to know I'm sure. Well, let's hope someone buys him some Green Knickers......

Today, in the evening, Led Zeppelin are showing us a whole lotta love by bringing it on home. Instead of going to California, or even over the hills and far away to Kashmir, their first reunion rock and roll concert for 27 years is happening at the 02 venue on the Greenwich peninsular. In real heartbreaker news, Londonist read the physical graffiti (OK, bit weak that one, we know) a bit too late – there......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 10th December 1907: Anti-vivisectionists march through central London to protest at the dissection of a brown terrier dog several years earlier. The ‘anti-doggers’ clash with police at Trafalgar Square, in what would become known as the Brown Dog Riots. Tuesday – 11th December 2005: Much of London is covered by a vast plume of smoke, following a series of massive explosions at Buncefield Oil Depot in Hertfordshire.......

It's tempting to bask in the success of the re-branded O2 and write off the building's seven year existence as useless white elephant de nos jours as a bad dream. Unfortunately, that was no nightmare, and it seems that financially the Millennium Dome never stood a chance. The assembled politicians and VIPs had barely clunked their awkward way through Auld Lang Syne on December 31st, 1999, before the whole project was skint. Newly released......

Here’s what we’ve learned this weekend Pedestrianisation is very popular But so is shopping online Olympic building ambitions are being scaled down due to spiralling costs. Potential 2012 Olympians, though, will be sent to Beijing to soak up the Games and fire London ambitions. Greenwich Old Royal Naval College wasn't quite grand enough for Northern Lights film But the late, great, Tony Wilson gets photograph of the month at the NPG Picture of the......

& BOO for the City. The former has just come top of the class for the least amount of waste sent to landfill (just 7% - the lowest in the country), whilst the latter has apparently buried a whopping 93% of its refuse (which is the highest in the country). Tower Hamlets is also featured in the league of shame as it is home to the smallest percentage of households who recycle (11.8%). Councils need......