Held each August  since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe’s biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and 1 million carnival revellers.

The Notting Hill Carnival dates for 2010 are August 29th and 30th.  The main event will be on Sunday, while Monday is more a family day.

When? Sat 21st Aug

Where? Royal Festival Hall, South Bank LONDON

Today  we all want to say THANK YOU to Ana Maria, who did a great job for Answer English and always helped us, as well as our students, with her positive attitude!

We are going to miss you… but we wish you all the best in your studies and hope you are going to bring back here in the office your smile very soon!

Well… today the weather is not very lenient but we hope to enjoy many other summer days in London and what’s better than environmental-friendly sport and transport?

Pick up a bat and play at one of 100 ping pong tables popping up across London this summer.

Ping! has installed table tennis tables at some surprising locations in the capital. Bats and balls are included so all you need to do is show up and have a go!

London’s newest public transport system goes live with 315 docking stations and 5000 bikes available!

On 30 July 2010 The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, launched the jewel in the crown of his cycling revolution.  Docking one of thousands of new bicycles at a Barclays Cycle Hire stations. It has never been so easy to hire a bicycle in London!

Every year, a different architect is commissioned to produce a temporary structure outside the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens.

This year it’s the turn of French architect Jean Nouvel.

Nouvel has designed more than 200 buildings across the world but (as the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion brief requires) this is his first in the UK.

So, if you are up to a walk in the green, go and check this spectacular red spot in Hyde Park: ideal place for a coffee, a ping-pong match or just relaxing.

To mark its 30th birthday on August 10, tkts will be giving away a free theatre ticket to the first 30 people in the queue that day, as well as giving everyone the chance to win some great theatrical prizes. Just pick up one of the tkts scratchcards being handed out in Leicester Square on August 10 and 11 for a chance to win!

Best of luck!

Arctic Circle presents: The Lovers, The Dreamers and Me
Friday 6 August at Tate Britain. 6 – 10pm. FREE ENTRY.

A musical journey into a lost world. Look out for dinosaurs, rainbows, mountains and rivers as a cast of musicians, puppeteers and artists bring the galleries to life.

Another way to enjoy art and museums while studying in London.

In its 12th year Carnaval del Pueblo starts with a spectacular and colourful float procession from Elephant Road (Elephant & Castle) at 12 pm making its way through Walworth Road and Albany Road to finish at Burgess Park at 3pm where the party begins until 10pm.

This display of vibrant costumes and dances is inspired on the famous carnivals of Rio de Janeiro, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and others. This year´s theme is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Independence of many countries from the Latin American Region, and it will be a show not to be missed.

Lessons are suitable for all levels and are run weekly on wednesday from 7.30 to 8.30 am until 25th August.

The Scoop, London, SE1 2DB