Triathlon? Ironman? Fergeddaboutit. A stroll in the park compared to this: the Arch to Arc, a 289-mile run, swim and cycle from London's Marble Arch to Paris' Arc De Triomphe. Only five mortals have ever completed the gruelling course, and on Saturday hedge fund manager Nino Baglione set off on his own attempt to break the current record of 81 hours and 5 minutes. Sadly, having jogged the 89 miles to Dover, his plans were......

Boys - are you feeling spotty today? Are you not happy with those bags under your eyes, or wish that little red blemish just wasn't there? Do you ask to borrow your girl friend's Touch Éclat a little too often? Today, your dreams come true as Selfridges launch Touche Éclat for men. They're kicking off the 'metrosexualization of the cosmetics sector', as they put it, with a launch at 12pm featuring Stuart Pilkington from BB9......

Prepare for gridlock tomorrow when lorry drivers will be protesting rising fuel charges in the capital for the second time in a month. This time, hundreds of drivers are expected to descend on central London where they will park their lorries and present a letter to 10 Downing Street demanding a means to claim back fuel duty. Drivers are currently suffering as haulers are coming from abroad on cheaper fuel. The mass lorry protest......

Every month, the folks at Fancyapint? get together to vote for their top ten favourite pubs. These are recently visited pubs that for one reason or another (the ambience, the booze, the company) stuck in their collective memory. Kindly, these booze-savvy Fancyapinters have decided to share their latest picks with Londonist and all our readers. Cheers! Here’s the current list from Fancyapint? in no particular order of merit. They assure us that all ten......

It was a delightfully dry and bright, crisp and chilly weekend in London... except for a sudden bit of flooding along Edgware Road on Sunday morning. Not from the heavens opening in a repeat of the 2007 deluges but from what has been reported as a mechanical digger failure at the crucial junction of Sussex Gardens and Edgware Road not far from Marble Arch. This is the junction where traffic from Paddington Station comes......

The Hangar Lane Gyratory has been given the dubious honour of being named Britain’s scariest road junction. In fact London claims 3 of the 4 top adrenalin-fuelled traffic experiences in the country, with Marble Arch and the Elephant and Castle coming 3rd and 4th on the list. Londonist begs to differ, slightly. Hangar Lane is, admittedly, a teensy bit petrifying on the first or even second encounter, but once you understand what it is there......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 5th November 1605: Following a tip-off, a party of armed men led by a Justice of the Peace discover Guy Fawkes guarding a large amount of gunpowder and incendiary materials in the vaults under the House of Lords. Tuesday – 6th November 1869: Queen Victoria opens Blackfriars Bridge, and then Holborn Viaduct. Wednesday – 7th November 1783: John Austin, having been convicted for ‘cruel highway robbery’, becomes......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 30th July 1966: England defeat West Germany in the FIFA World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, claiming the Jules Rimet Trophy (and, of course, the status of Football World Champions for the next four years). Tuesday – 31st July 1962: Violence erupts at a rally of the Union Movement (formerly known as the British Union of Fascists) in Dalston, East London. Sir Oswald Mosely, leader of the......

Transport for London thinks Londoners are lazy. They're suggesting that Londoners start adding at least 2 kilometres walking each day to their journeys, rather than driving or taking the tube or bus. While we suspect they may have ulterior motives in suggesting this (perhaps reducing the strain on London's transport system?), it's actually not a bad idea. After all, it's recommended that we walk 10,000 steps per day, and walking an extra 2km every......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 18th June 1972: A British European Airways plane bound for Brussels crashes moments after taking off from Heathrow airport, killing all 118 passengers. An inquiry later concludes that the pilot had made a ‘speed error’ and stalled the plane, causing it to crash into a field in Staines. Tuesday – 19th June 1997: McDonald’s wins a libel case against two members of the ‘London Greenpeace’ campaigning group.......

A tribute to the capital’s alleys, ginnels and snickleways. 36. Marble Arch Underpass Where? It's an underpass. It passes under Marble Arch. Like, dur. What? This haphazard collection of tunnels was constructed in the early 1960s, to improve pedestrian access to Hyde Park. Ha! It’s a choice of two evils – brave the heavy traffic or plunge into the depths. We asked an aged and wise hermit on the corner of Edgware Road for advice.......

Oxford Street last night was the scene of yet more unfathomable shopping madness akin to the great Primark palava of, ooh, a month ago, as Topshop unveiled its violently hyped Kate Moss collection to adoring and seemingly psychologically imbalanced hordes. Queuing started at noon with thousands of shoppers turning up for the special 8pm opening (apparently tailing back to Marble Arch… Marble Arch!). The woman herself made an obligatory but unintentionally fleeting appearance in......

Primark opened on Oxford Street yesterday in a spectacular graduation from scummy high street obscurity to the mainstream tourist trap . Opening time was always going to be popular but in scenes reminiscent of the Ikea Edmonton crush chaos of ’05, Primark security were forced to call for police reinforcements when pressure from hundreds of overexcited bargain hunters queuing at the store broke one of the doors. Two hours later, security adopted the West......

Saturday 2nd of December has been declared Very Important Pedestrian Day: Two of the most famous shopping streets in the UK will be traffic-free for the first time to help Christmas shoppers. Both Oxford Street and Regent Street in London's West End will be free of vehicles on Saturday 2 December. Ohhhhh that sounds like a good idea. Londonist of course does all its Christmas shopping online, but we'll happily wander the car free......

One of the great Standard headlines of the year so far: Ravers seize £5 million house. Apparently David Walliams is cowering in his kitchen, afraid to leave the house. 16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education will be able to travel free on London buses and trams from tomorrow. Ken has outlined his vision for the West End: trams on Oxford Street, scrapping the Marble Arch roundabout and transforming the "tacky buildings" at the other......

A story we missed from yesterday evening: A murder victim's body has been found on the Marble Arch traffic island, one of London's busiest junctions. The man suffered head injuries and was dead when paramedics arrived at 3am this morning. By late afternoon his body was still on the island at the top end of Oxford Street as forensic scientists looked for clues. The victim is yet to be formally identified, however "a man......

This week's entry, a literal Marble Arch - comes from Paul Carstairs, who gives us a rare insight into the creative process: Got bored watching "Congo" on Film Four, started fiddling on the laptop and made this for you. Not bad for being continually distracted by Tim Curry's oscar winning Romanian accent. Think you can do better? Send your distorted or photoshopped images of the capital to Londonist – at – gmail – dot......

We've always thought there was something vespine about those new flats next to Vauxhall Bridge. So it's good to have confirmation that we're not the only ones. Reader Tanny sent in this rather disturbing image of giant wasps and mantis at St George's Wharf. Some of these flats go for over £1 million, so potential buyers can now be stung twice over. Think you can do better? Send your distorted or photoshopped images of......

This week's effort comes from an 'Andy Nomynous' (that may not be his real name). This one's just plain scary - and that's before we consider the clock. Think about the health and safety issues. If that boat hits a rock, the small child is either going to end up lodged inside the grizzly, or thrown back into the giant propellor. And given that Big Ben isn't known for its 20/20 vision and boating......

Reader Simon sends us this image of a single-scoop St Paul's. It's either an allegory for the triumph of consumerism over organised religion, or else a beautiful mirage brought on by the current heat wave. Nice concept, but consider the pigeon problems. Still, we like the idea of tourists climbing the stairs to discover the Whispering Gelaterie. Think you can do better? Send entries to Londonist – at – gmail – dot - com......

Hmmm, a macabre collection from regular reader Felix. According to whom... tower londan says: my head hurting ben says: haha i having one eye yaaaa tower um bridge is says: hello to itself cutey gherkin says he looks like a willy maybe fosters This guy is nuts. Think you can do better? Send entries to Londonist – at – gmail – dot - com Previously: A BT cactus, a robotic gherkin, an erotic gherkin,......

OK, OK, no photoshoppery to be seen here, but we thought it made a good old-school riposte to last week’s oh-so-clever London Eye/bicycle image. The photo comes courtesy of Tom Marlow (that’s him, there, look, with the bike), and Hilary Jennings (behind the shutter). Who needs Photoshop, I took this last year...and I would have gone back and improved it if my bike hadn't been nicked five minutes later. Think you can do better,......

Another anonymous reader sends us this shot of a mallet-wielding giant playing a Prescott-sized croquet course. After a succesful pass through the Marble Arch, the monstrous player fell foul of the Wellington Arch dog-leg, but regained the lead after earning a masterful bonus stroke to see her through to Admiralty Arch. Please keep sending us your photoshopped images of London. Londonist - at - gmail - dot - com......

This day in London’s History 1830: George IV dies. On the face of it, small potatoes as far as London is concerned. This is the George so memorably portrayed as the nitwit regent by Hugh Laurie in Blackadder III. And in real life, George IV was much despised for his extravagance and stubbornness. But he did leave a lasting legacy in the capital. On his death, a memorial statue was erected on a crossroads......

What could be better than going to a lovely park on a hot summer's day to listen to some nice relaxing music? Well, nothing, apart from the 'relaxing' part – this Londonista likes it LOUD. The louder, the better. So Saturday's gig in Hyde Park was right up our street – two of our favourite bands, and at least three musical legends for good measure. Add some beer and it's the recipe for a......

Just a quick heads up to say that if it weren't enough that the Central Line was down nearly all last night, it's suspended this morning too between Leytonstone and Marble Arch. Some of us have only just got into work so if you're looking to travel today check TFL before travelling. The H&C, Metropolitan & Northern line are all a bit buggered too!......

London is, of course, home to people from every country on earth and even people from nations that are not widely recognised. One moment when this comes into sharper focus than usual is every four years during the world cup when corners of the capital resound to the rejoicing and dismay of those who love London, but still retain deep ties with their homeland that come to the fore when national pride is on......

(Note to taggers: Prescott is not a keyword) Now here’s something you don’t see every day. Unless you’re Sean Ryder. A time-travelling, 42-tonne, 40-foot high mechanical elephant is coming to the streets of London. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sultan’s Elephant sounds both incredible and non-credible, but appears to be true. The mechanoid pachyderm will make slow but steady progress around Westminster’s streets for four days next month, in what is billed as......

George Clooney. Ladies love him. Men can only admire him. Actor, producer, director, heartthrob, clearly there is nothing this man cannot do. Too good to be true? Judging by his exploits last night, quite possibly. The Cloonster was out on the town last night (we're not sure where. Walthamstow Stadium? Probably not. Shepherds Bush? Maybe. Somehere flash in the West End? Almost definitely) and upon exiting his chosen venue he decided to hand all......

Did we dream this, or was there a news item on the radio this morning about a flat in the middle of Hyde Park roundabout which would be available as some sort of 'holiday home' in the near future? We've been scanning Google News all day to make sure we're not going crazy but we can't find a thing. Not even our favourite London property blog Rat and Mouse has covered the story. Has......