Remember those hedonistic parties during the economic boom, with guests swinging on chandeliers, bathing in champagne and diving into dollar-shaped swimming pools while £50 notes fluttered from the ceiling? No? Really? Well those days are far from over for some folk, as Mr Nicky Haslam, ex-Etonian interior decorator and all-round ridiculous dresser aims to prove with his lavish 'anti-recession' party tonight. These decadent events were popular during the Depression, to cheer people up while......

Here's a rap sheet to be proud of: Earl Petrie has been charged with (deep breath) grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without an appropriate licence, failing to stop at an accident, cruelty to animals, and having a dog dangerously out of control. The 33-year old was charged with this orgy of offences after he attacked a cop in Richmond Park when the officer intervened in a row over a disabled parking......

As if we needed anything other than the indecisive weather to spoil our springtime picnics, the oak processionary moths are back for a third year, damaging oak trees and spreading around their toxic hairs. If you didn't get the memo last year, these little critters, which emerge as caterpillars from silky, writhing nests in oak trees, produce a toxin that can cause itching, rashes, conjunctivitis and sore throats. Some people may also experience asthma-like symptoms.......

Animal lovers, we have a new cause for you. While we understand that wildlife has to be managed on small preserves, we don't like to hear that about 1,200 deer have been shot in the Richmond Park cull over the past six years to keep the population at 650. This year's cull, ending Thursday, will rid the park of about 237 deer, up from 168 who were put down in the name of population control......

Bug bites of all kinds are annoying. We can't think that anyone actually likes the itchiness and general uncomfortableness that comes with being bitten by an insect. And we're all aware that bites received on holiday can be potentially deadly. However, we don't usually think that bug bites here at home anything to get worried about. Diseases caught through bug bites aren't just for holidays though. Peter Kemp of Teddington noticed three tick bites......

Pentonville Prison - not getting good reviews. Amy Winehouse in and out of UCL hospital. Publicans campaigning to Mayor to save London's pubs. Richmond Park could be closed if foot and mouth spreads. Oh deer. Elton John could be closed if foot in mouth spreads. Old dear. Image 'low tide on the Thames' courtesy of Ben30 via the Londonist flickr group.......

The dog ate it. The best excuse ever. In this case, however, the cheesy whole truth. Fitz is a dog that stops at nothing for his nosh. Owner Adam Curtis, Assistant Manager at Richmond Park, should have known better than to leave his hungry hound in snuffling distance of a 1.5kg Duddleswell sheep’s cheese destined for Sir David’s buffet plate at the Thames Landscape Strategy’s Summer Event. The German shorthaired pointer is known to......

What's your name and which part of London do you live in? My name is Stephen Mainstone, I'm 29 and I live in East Dulwich. How long have you been running for? I have been running (seriously) since September last year so 8 months. Is this your first Marathon? If not, what others have you run? Yes, this is my first marathon. What inspired you to enter the Marathon? Last year I went along......

Tonight in Richmond, Portillo is bringing democracy to the people as he hosts an event modelled on the American primary in which three candidates will compete to become the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park. The candidates will compete "in an X Factor-style contest". Early rumours suggest that ecological megamillionaire and hot tip to win even though he was once quoted as saying that he would only vote Conservative if he was drugged,......

This Day in London's History Best stay at home today. 16 October seems to be a date of doom and/or gloom for the capital. (And, incidentally, it's also Davina MaCall's birthday.) 1834: Disastrous fire at Westminster. What Guy Fawkes et al. had failed to do 200 years earlier, a bundle of old tally sticks managed in 1834. The outmoded accounting tools were set for disposal. Dickens sums up what happened next: It came to......

I'm a country lad at heart, and I find summer in the city somewhat depressing. I'd like to be more outdoorsy and fit, but I'm not really one for organised sport. Do you have any suggestions for nearby summer weekend activities? Don't despair! London is the greenest of all the world's large cities and there are ample opportunities for outdoor fun. Look no further than Hyde Park, which has served as an urban respite......