Before you rent a bicycle in London....

Consider this: London's mayor narrowly injury while riding through city streets when a truck (lorry) crashed into a car next to him. To his credit, the mayor was supposedly researching potential bike routes at the time.

Lively London

Free music, entertainment, and snippets from theatre shows...they're all part of this year's West End Live on 20-21 June in Leicester Square. No tickets required, but expect large crowds at this popular event.

You're a wizard

Filming of the final film(s) in the blockbuster Harry Potter series is reportedly underway. And there have been "sightings" of the films stars on location in London and elsewhere in the UK. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows doesn't arrive in theaters for a while, but Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will open in July. Among the London sights to make a film appearance--the Millennium Bridge.

Corrective "Eye" surgery

The owners of the London Eye are planning to refurbish the 32 observation capsules on the riverside tourist attraction. The capsules suffered from inadequate heating/ventilation systems and the upgrade should improve passenger comfort. Of course, the London Eye operators are adding some things that may not do much to improve the ride: such as video screens and wi-fi connectivity. These sound like potential distractions, rather than improvements, to one of the top sightseeing venues in London. But we'll have to see what the finished product looks like.

The Eye will continue operating during the renovations.

Parks and plays

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre begins its season on May 25th with a bit 'o the Bard (Much Ado About Nothing), then a bit more of Will (The Tempest), some Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest), some Broadway (Hello Dolly) and more. One of the best things about this theatre is its location: right in the middle of beautiful Regent's Park.

A London bridge falling down

Several people were injured Monday when an elevator (lift) in the Tower Bridge Exhibition malfunctioned. Press reports vary, but the elevator dropped 10 to 30 feet, injuring six people onboard. The Exhibition is a popular tourist attraction that highlights the inner workings of the iconic London bridge near the Tower of London. The Exhibition is temporarily closed, but the bridge is open to traffic.

Unlocking Camden Market

Portions of the popular-grungy-trendy Camden Market were damaged in a fire last year. Those areas are now reopened. So come on out and join the pierced, spiked, and otherwise alternatively-hip crowds to shop for bargains, or simply people watch.

London airports see fewer passengers

Will this mean an easier trip through Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted? We can't make any promises, but there were fewer passengers in the first three months of 2009 than in the same period in 2008. Gatwick and Stansted were down nearly 15%, while Heathrow saw a more modest 8% drop in passengers.