Ahh, we love a good naked headline here at Londonist. Sadly, the nuns in question don't appear to in the wimple wearing habit, but when did such factual frippery slow us down? To the real story then: 18 members of Capital NUNS – a London netball club affiliated with the Nottingham University Netball Squad (NUNS) – have stripped off Calendar Girls-stlye, posing against London landmarks, creating a 2009 calendar to raise money for South......

The Frieze Art Fair in Regent's Park opens today and there is much hoo-ha elsewhere about money and art, the market, the business and the meaning of it all especially during the current financial crisis (can we still call it that or has it settled to 'being a bit awkward about money' yet?). We are drawn today to a different aspect of the art world, away from the auctions and big money bank transfers......

A special two-for-one offer on gig reviews this time. Londonist saw the slightly odd combination of Gorgoroth (old-school Norwegian black metal) at Scala on Wednesday, and former System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian the next night at the Astoria. Musically they were worlds apart, despite a shared taste for heavy riffs.Gorgoroth are not a band for the faint-hearted. Once arrested in Poland for a "blasphemous" stage show that included naked women on crucifixes and......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 26th November 1983: An armed robbery at the Brinks Mat warehouse near Heathrow Airport becomes the largest heist in British history, as £25 million worth of gold bullion is pinched. Tuesday – 27th November 2000: 10-year-old schoolboy Damilola Taylor is stabbed in the leg and dies in Peckham, south London. The following six years would see several trials and re-trials over the killing, finally culminating in the......

After an extended holiday, Saturday Cinema Summary is back, courtesy of James Bryan... This week Ridley Scott makes a bid to join the hallowed greats of gangster films with American Gangster, the naked pixelated form of Angelina Jolie drips in gold in Beowulf and Brick Lane gets the film treatment. American Gangster seems to have all the ingredients of an instant classic, even the title smacks of definitive greatness. Throw in the setting of......

This weekend, Rowan Walker wrote in the Observer of her torturous but strangely addictive experience of training at the Islington Boxing Gym to raise awareness of the fierce campaign to get female boxing recognised as an Olympic Sport for the 2012 Games in London. According to the International Olympic Committee, "Boxing ranks among the Olympic Games' most illustrious sports" yet only for men, to date. As Walker's article indicates, the number and calibre of......

Greyhound mannequin unveiled at Madame Tussauds. It can run exceptionally fast, especially when placed too close to the central heating. 19 of the 20 worst postcodes for identity fraud are in London. Or is it another town masquerading as London? Single travel fares to be frozen in new year...most commuters know how that feels. Naked rambler cleared. It wouldn't stand up in court. Image courtesy of DICKSDAILY via the Londonist flickr group.......

We’re gob-smacked we are that Brits have a bad bed rep. As far as the eye can see, quite literally, we’re about as randy as a canine on heat. Sexual sighting number one: freshers strip during freshers week – now that sure is an original way to make friends (although the residents of Kingston might argue to the contrary). Sexual sighting number two: Swedish porn at the ICA. This really qualifies as six sightings,......

Avid weekend readers of this site may be interested to know that tomorrow (Sunday) sees the annual get together to commemorate would have been Kirsty MacColl's upcoming birthday. Londonist has always had a soft spot for Kirsty that has continued after her death in 2000. We paid full tribute to her earlier this year. At noon, fans, friends and family will gather around her bench in Soho Square to celebrate her life and music.......

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......

Don't you love it when the fair comes to town? The lights, the candy floss, the 'hook a duck', the grenades, the rocket launchers, the assault rifles! Ahh, takes you back to childhood! Your father lifting you onto his shoulders, getting so full of sweets that you throw up after going on the dodgems, examining the latest in targeting technology, watching footage of fuel-air explosive destroying an Afghan town, feeling the reassuring weight of......

We said it would be unpredictable. We weren't wrong. We also hinted at nudity and, oh yes, we got the full frontal and more. However, the opening night of the "Touch Wood" new and work in progress season at The Place was strangely lacking in buzz. Unfortunate surprise number one was that Probe, who we'd been hotly anticipating, were all a bit poorly and had to pull out. So, actual programming by the seat......

Do you want to go and see some Peregrine Falcons? We were enjoying ourselves today on a leisurely stroll along the South Bank (home of London's finest avian encounters) when we stumbled upon the RSPB outside the Tate Modern. They had four telescopes pointed up at the central tower. To the naked eye nothing could be seen but with the help of the lens the beautiful creatures were a delight to watch. The birds......

"Touch Wood" can't help but make us think of that charming metaphor "touching cloth". Childish, we know, but considering it's meant to be a direct and reference to a superstitious gesture intended to ensure whatever you've just been talking about doesn't go tits up, perhaps the subtext is also appropriate for those with anxious dispositions. Touch Wood is a season of brand new dance, most of which hasn't been created at the time of......

The past few years haven't been kind to Brighton's finest Goth punk psychobilly exports, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. In the years since 2004's phenomenal "The Royal Society" album, they were scandalously dropped by their record label, parted with guitarist and founding member Andy Huxley and witnessed The Horrors steal the hearts of the nations Goth youth. They have a lot to prove tonight. Within 30 seconds of taking to the stage lead singer Guy......

The Health Professions Council is a statutory body set up to regulate 13 health professions including dieticians, radiographers, paramedics and arts therapists. As they say, when you need one of these people, You need to know that they meet professional standards. You also need to know that someone will take action if things go wrong. Unfortunately, the farcical nature of such regulation has been highlighted today by the case of Derek Gale, working out......

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic......

Shoppers in Wimbledon certainly got a shock when they popped into wholesome chainstore Lush for their smellies. Greeted only with a smile and an apron to protect their modesty as the shop workers took a novel stand on protesting. So what are they on about? Well, it appears they're none to pleased about, ahem, excessive packages. Environment wise. According to store manager Wendy Reiding, they're all about the recycling and they want to be......

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their......

Try as he might, Pete Doherty just can't stay out of the headlines. Last time we wrote about him, he was getting his wrist slapped by the police for being a naughty boy. Now, it's long suffering girlfriend (or fiance? who can keep up?) Kate who's giving him the grilling. The news comes just after pretty pants designer Agent Provacateur left Ms Moss on the shelf for their next campaign (yes, even after that......

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on. In Gothamist's neck of the woods, they found out that many things are possible: A man caught a 40+ pound fish off the Rockaways and took it home on the subway. Graffiti......

It all began with the London Burlesque Festival. Then there was a naked bike ride of all things (we don't even want to think about 'saddle rash'). And just when you thought it was safe to go out again, along comes the event you've all been waiting for: London Fetish Fair. And oh Lord, it's not going to be quiet as this one is celebrating their 10th Anniversary. We imagine it's going to be......

London's blatantly getting on its bike. Next month, the world's largest annual sporting event, the Tour de France, freewheels into the capital for the first time in the race's 104-year history. You won't be able to avoid this juggernaut of an event, which will "see London turned into a huge cycling stadium" - so you may as well let out a deep sigh and throw yourself into it. The festival planned around the Grand......

Kirsty MacColl's final album was the rather wonderfully Cuban-influenced Tropical Brainstorm which included the 2000 hit 'In these Shoes'. Her career had always had its fair share of ups and downs, but a disproportionate amount of her seminal work (either her own songs or cover versions) seems to tap directly into our own feelings and memories at the time - Walking Down Madison, collaboration with the Pogues, A New England, Days. After the success......

Protestors and police never seem to be bosom buddies, especially when there is an anarchic flavour to their activity. London is no exception, where the Met police really aren't fond of the capital's monthly 'Critical Mass' bike protest rides.Each one starts off at Waterloo, and each time the destination is deliberately not agreed in advance. As big fans of order and discipline, it's no surprise that this kind of free-wheeling attitude unsettles your average......

Chan Marshall, the enchanting enigma otherwise known as Cat Power, bravely strides onto the stage of the Kentish Town Forum, to play her London comeback gig, following a well publicized breakdown last year. It is immediately obvious that the life-saving short spell spent on a Miami psychiatric ward has transformed the woman once famous for a crippling shyness and an ongoing battle with her demons. Firstly, she's hardly recognizable. Her hair is pulled back......

Speaking of accessibility, one scheme offering a (sadly non-literal) hand to the differently abled is a new porn site for the blind. (Yes, yes, the gags are obvious.) Metro describe how this cavalcade of aural sex can be enjoyed: The X-rated site features erotic stories read out by scantily-clad women. Users can also listen to graphic descriptions of saucy photos. For those who are not blind but are visually-impaired, a ‘zoom’ button lets them......

Can the new Fantastic Four movie possibly not suck? Maybe... the emphasis seems to have shifted from the Four to the Silver Dude so it depends on how you feel about shiny naked guys. The film seems to take in a few iconic locations (only to blow chunks out of them) and that includes London: Ohhhhhh a hole in the Thames! Ohhhhhh a bigger hole in the Thames! A leaning Eye! And a naked silver......

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed. For LAist, strong winds attacked LA on the same day the Feds raided the Crips. Not to fear, though: the Japanese version......

The Spill festival continues to pour out around us with performances in the Barbican, Shunt Vaults, Toynbee Studios and Soho Theatre. We've mentioned one piece in the programme so far, Raimond Hoghe's Sacre - The Rite of Spring and there's more coverage of the pieces we missed on the SpillOverSpill blog - click through for reviews and interviews and more musing about this festival of experimental theatre. It's been challenging, difficult, invigorating and exciting:......