For an understated ceremony lasting little more than thirty minutes, the annual 41-gun royal salute to mark the Queen's real birthday in Hyde Park had drama aplenty; a runaway horse, shrieking toddlers, exploding ammunition and even a celestial halo.

The Queen's real birthday is on 21st April, but is celebrated officially in June. She was born at 17 Bruton St, London on the 21st April, 1926, was christened on the 29th May, 1926 in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace and was confirmed on the 28th March, 1942 in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic collision in west London in which an elderly man was seriously injured.

The long arm of the law will soon be tapping the collars of dog-owners who refuse to clean up after their pets in all Royal Parks.

Not even noise restriction levels and irate Mayfair residents can derail Madonna's 2012 World Tour Hyde Park gig. Infact she's just added two more acts to the much-anticipated bill.

Mayfair residents have won a partial victory in their quest to have noise levels lowered during summer concerts at Hyde Park. Westminster councillors emerged from a crucial meeting and an eagerly anticipated verdict with big ramifications for concert promoters and some of the biggest performing artistes in the world. From 2013 the number of concerts  will be scaled down from 13 to nine and audiences cut down from 80,000 to 50,000.

Burglars whose modus operandi included the use of thin tree branches to unlock their victims' homes have received various jail sentences. The final three members of the gang of six who committed residential burglaries across Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Camden were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday 1 February.

The Queen has promised to dedicate herself to the service of the country on the 60th year of her reign as monarch. In a special message signed simply Elizabeth R, she thanked her subjects for 'the wonderful support and encouragement' given to her and Prince Philip.

Notting Hill Interior Designer to the stars, Kelly Hoppen (pictured below) has fallen prey to an unusual theft, the disappearance of a white fox graffiti daubed at the bottom of a black gate leading to her design practice along Chepstow Road in Notting Hill.  The distraught designer has appealed for help on micro-blogging site Twitter, she wrote: "Everyone help ... Remember my graffitti well it disappeared yesterday I am gutted who and why ???"

In Summer 2012 west London's Serpentine Gallery will present a major exhibition of the work of celebrated artist and Beatle's John Lennon widow, Yoko Ono for the London 2012 Festival, which will include SMILE, a large-scale participatory project. The Serpentine’s timely exhibition will reflect upon the enormous impact that Yoko Ono has made on contemporary art, exploring her influential role in art, music, film and performance.