ianVisits – News, events and what’s on in London [Unofficial]

Parliament spending £2m a week to stop crumbling palace falling down

The cost of the major repairs needed for the Houses of Parliament is rising by up to £420 million per year due to ongoing delays in starting work on it.

The London Buzz – 25th June 2026

Today’s London news round-up:

Leighton House exhibition explores how its Arab Hall was designed

In its centenary year as a public building, Leighton House is looking back at how its famous Arab Hall was designed and built.

Tickets Alert: Tours of the Aga Khan Centre in King’s Cross

An unassuming white building behind King’s Cross conceals a wonderful interior and rooftop garden. This is the Aga Khan Centre, opened in 2018 to house several divisions of the Shi‘a Ismaili charity, and its design incorporates a collection of gardens, …

Tickets Alert: Tours of the Aga Khan Centre in King’s Cross Read More »

London Transport Museum reveals plans for £26 million refurbishment

Visitors will enter through a restored original entrance as part of a major redevelopment designed to transform the museum experience before its 50th anniversary.

London’s Pocket Parks: Victoria Gardens, Old Oak Common, NW10

This small plot of land overlooks a very busy freight road and at the moment, also a large HS2 building site.

Bees, butterflies and blooming roadsides as TfL expands wildflower verges

A programme that began as a small pilot on the A40 and North Circular has grown into one of London’s largest biodiversity initiatives.

If you want to watch the sun rise or set from the top of London’s highest viewing gallery, Horizon 22 now has semi-regular early and late openings.

The London Buzz – 24th June 2026

Today’s London news round-up:

Exhibition tells the 300 year history of St Martin in the Fields

Later this year, St Martin-in-the-Fields will mark the 300th anniversary of the current church on the site - and they’ve opened a free tercentennial exhibition in its crypt.

Drones to patrol Romford railways in trespass crackdown

The railways around Romford are going to see a trial of drones to monitor the railway for trespass incidents and to identify infrastructure issues early.

Tickets Alert: The heritage tube trains are back out on the rails

Next month, a restored 1930s Art Deco tube train will return to the London Underground, offering rides along the Metropolitan line.

Visiting Our Lady of the Rosary and St Patrick, Walthamstow

This bricky mass of a Catholic church has been in this part of Walthamstow ever since the very first houses were built here.

A large ship, the Logos Hope, is visiting London for a few weeks, and you can go on board for a look around.

Tickets Alert: Tours of the Royal Institution

A grand imposing building in Mayfair occasionally opens its doors to offer tours for people who want to have a look around.

The London Buzz – 22nd June 2026

Today’s London news round-up:

LNER train gets a Sir Nigel Gresley 150th anniversary makeover

A special Azuma train carrying a commemorative livery celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sir Nigel Gresley’s birth will be seen on the LNER railway this summer.

Train companies across much of England are advising passengers that the heatwave will affect train services and could lead to delays and short-notice cancellations.

The boat, the dolphins and a disused tube tunnel under the Thames

A proposed floating Livery Hall next to London Bridge has uncovered an unusual engineering challenge involving riverside dolphins and an abandoned London Underground tunnel.

From Smash Martians to Perrier bottles and Bisto tins, the Museum of Brands celebrates the adverts, packaging and household names that filled British homes for decades.

British railway passenger journeys now exceeding pre-pandemic levels

The number of passenger journeys on British railways has exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time, with 1.836 billion journeys made between April 2025 and March 2026.

The office scheme known as The Mark has been redesigned to suit its future tenant, while retaining plans for a publicly accessible rooftop terrace.

Work starts on Thameslink upgrade to cut delays through central London

Work has begun to upgrade a signalling system on the Thameslink line as part of measures to improve reliability on one of the busiest parts of the rail network.

The London Buzz – 23rd June 2026

Today’s London news round-up:

Bedford rail crash disruption set to last most of the week

Following Friday’s serious rail accident at Bedford, passengers are being warned that services on the Midlands Main Line will be disrupted for much of the week.

The London Buzz – 19th June 2026

Today’s London news round-up:

Outlander costumes to go on display in free London exhibition

Fans can get up close to iconic outfits and props from the hit time-travel drama before they go under the hammer.

Tickets Alert: Behind the Scenes tours of the London Archive

New dates announced for roughly monthly behind-the-scenes tours of the London Archives.

Historic first as pelican chicks hatch in St James’s Park

The Royal Parks is celebrating the arrival of four pelican chicks, the first ever successfully hatched by the resident birds in St James’s Park.

TfL urged to crack down on passengers blasting music on trains and buses

The nuisance of people playing music on trains could face increased enforcement, as the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, agreed to look at what could be done.