The overall winning photograph, taken by Celeste Katz from Richmond, shows a ring-necked parakeet tucked inside a tree trunk. Judges praised the image for its creativity and technical skill.

The photo will now be displayed at South Kensington tube station.

Londoners were invited to photograph wildlife they encountered while exploring the city on Santander Cycles’ two nature-themed Side Quest cycling routes. The competition attracted a wide range of entries showcasing animals thriving across London’s parks, waterways and streets.

A judging panel from Transport for London (TfL), Santander Cycles and the Natural History Museum selected five winning photographers.

The other winners were Faujdar Vipul, Erika Keenlyside, Olivia Nicolaou and Jon Pitman. Their photographs included a deer silhouetted at dusk, a fox basking in the sunshine in West Hampstead, a dramatic portrait of a pigeon at Boxpark Wembley, and a charming image of a mouse travelling on the London Underground.

Not a bad exhibition or particularly amazing, just sort of unmemorably acceptable.

That’s Japan House London’s first-ever photography exhibition, which shows off works by two Japanese photographers: Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai. It’s mainly a mix of fairly abstract work by Kawada Kikuji and portraiture by Iwane Ai.

If you’ve been to Japan House before, the exhibition space is usually a large white box, but this time they’ve broken it up into dark rooms to show off the photography, which is either wall-mounted or towards the end, free hanging.

The conceptual abstract photography is arguably more interesting as it’s somewhat more artistic in style, even if accompanied by some maddeningly unfocused quotations that probably mean something to the photos, but what?

Japan House exhibitions are usually really interesting insights into local culture, but this exhibition lacks an overtly Japanese sense to it. They could be any two artist photographers from anywhere.

It’s a nice exhibition to visit, but it just lacks a bit of spice to make it memorable.

The exhibition, Kyotographie, is at Japan House London on Kensington High Street until 18th October 2026 and is free to visit.

Details here.

The individual pleaded guilty at court in February following an investigation by TfL’s dedicated fare evasion team and was ordered to pay £2,131 in costs and compensation, most of which will be returned to TfL.

The case comes as newly released figures from TfL show that it significantly increased fare-evasion enforcement during 2025/26 as part of its strategy to reduce fare evasion to below 1.5% by 2030/31. In the year to March 2026, TfL says it increased the number of card checks by over 50%, to 6.9 million inspections. They also checked 3.3 million bus passengers, around 400,000 more than the previous year

As a result, just over 69,000 penalty fares were issued – up by 9% on the previous year, and 21,522 reports for possible prosecution. TfL also secured 14,406 fare evasion convictions during the year, 955 more than in 2024/25, helping to increase court awards by 24.6% to £2.6 million.

TfL says that contactless payment fraud has become a major focus for its enforcement teams, with investigators increasingly targeting repeat offenders and identifying suspicious travel patterns through data analysis.

The transport authority is also continuing its efforts to tackle more visible forms of fare evasion. During the past year, enforcement officers reported 4,428 people for possible prosecution for gate-pushing, where passengers force their way through ticket barriers without paying.

For safety reasons, barriers need to be able to be pushed open. Although TfL has been trialling a design that might be more resistant to this, it is still necessary to ensure that they can be easily pushed open.

Staff are explicitly told not to stop people from doing that, as it can put them in danger of assault. Revenue disputes are linked to around 40% of all reported incidents of work-related violence and aggression towards frontline staff. It’s safer and more effective to pass CCTV footage to the enforcement teams.

To support increased enforcement, TfL is expanding its Transport Support Enforcement team by 50 officers, including 36 dedicated to night-time duties.

TfL estimates that fare evasion in London now stands at 3.5% of journeys, down from 3.9% in 2022/23. The authority says London’s rate remains lower than that of many comparable cities worldwide.

The figures are the first full-year results since TfL launched its fare evasion strategy in April 2025, introducing a more intelligence-led approach combining targeted investigations, expanded enforcement activity and data-driven analysis to identify repeat offenders.

TfL recently revealed that it is running a trial where it can revoke the “implied permission” to use public transport from people who are arrested for violent behaviour but are still waiting for trial.

A formal ban from public transport usually requires a court conviction, but TfL can revoke the implied permission on its own and has been working with the British Transport Police (BTP) to see whether this can act as a deterrent. The 12-month trial is being conducted at several stations in west London.

TIMEWALK, created by DEM Museums, will open at Immerse LDN at the Excel Waterfront in July 2026. Rather than presenting artefacts in a traditional gallery setting, the exhibition uses large-scale audio-visual installations and walk-through environments to recreate ancient societies and the worlds they inhabited.

The experience begins at Göbeklitepe, often described as one of the earliest known ritual gathering sites, before moving through a series of civilisations including Babylon, Ancient Egypt, the Maya and Rapa Nui.

The organisers say visitors will be able to move through reconstructed environments designed to evoke everyday life as well as monumental architecture, with scenes ranging from the Nile at sunset to the gates of Babylon. The exhibition will use a mix of projected imagery, soundscapes and narration to present these cultures as living societies rather than distant ruins.

TIMEWALK opens in July 2026 at Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront.

General admission tickets start at £28.50, with children’s tickets from £22.70.

The waitlist for tickets is here.

The area of the Hackney Marshes was purchased by the London County Council in 1894 to preserve it for the public at a time when industry was spreading up the River Lee.

What is today the woodland was later separated from the rest of the marshes in the 1920s when a small bridge was built over the River Lee, and a road was built to cut through the marshes. At the time, it was a fairly small road, but today it’s the busy Homerton Road. While slicing off a chunk of land could have doomed it to development, in fact, it probably gave it its modern character.

A badly corroded sign in the woodland says that the land was used for WWII gun emplacements and bunkers, and that later it was laid out with football pitches. I suggest the football pitches were returning, as you can just about see what looks like a football pitch in the bottom left corner of this 1933 photo.

Following WWII, the land was raised a bit by being used as a dumping ground for post-war clearance rubble, but it was left flat enough for the football pitches to return. In the 1990s, it was eyed for housing development, but campaigning saved the plot, and 30 years ago — in 1996, the Wick Community Woodland was created with the express purpose of turning the open space into a forest.

Planting was interrupted by serious flooding caused by a burst water main, but work on that was completed by 2000, and the trees were left to do what they do – which is grow upwards.

Today, the woodland is a cool oasis of calm in an area dominated by open spaces to the north or housing to the south.

Even though the busy Homerton Road runs along the northern edge, it’s surprisingly quiet in the woods. According to a helpful sign, I learned that the planking is a mix of Ash and Black Poplar in most of the woods, with London Plane trees lining the Lea Navigation channels.

The paths are compressed soil, so be weather aware on a visit, as they could be quite muddy after heavy rain, but that’s part of the appeal of a woodland walk – to get away from formal pavements.

There are some patches of open land in the middle of the woods, and showing signs of recent coppicing on my visit.

The woodland wasn’t always as quiet as it is today, as it seemed to become very popular with late-night revellers in the late 2010s, resulting in a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) being imposed on the woods to deter raves from taking place in the woods.

If you’re in the area, especially on a hot day, it’s a very enjoyable space to wander around for a little while and get away from the busy streets.

Today’s London news round-up:

China accused of ‘snubbing’ judicial review over controversial London mega-embassy Jurist News

First Putney gym to win community protection now battling TfL over rent Putney News

Brent Council has been ordered to pay out £2,500 for the “distress and difficulties” it caused a mum and her three children after they were left in unsuitable housing for 10 months. Harrow Online

New powers should be used to seize control of empty homes in London and allow councils to use them for social housing, say MPs. Standard

New Green Assembly member vows to hold Mayor of London to account on housing record Fitzrovia News

A black woman-led community group has launched a crowdfund to deliver more life changing workshops in south London. The Voice

A hidden camera has been discovered in a ceiling panel in a government building. Independent

A fifth person has been charged in connection with the arson attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green in March. Barnet Post

A train passenger who grabbed a young woman’s hair and asked “can I kiss you?” has been sentenced in the first-ever conviction for harassment based on a person’s sex. Standard (he had also been stalking other women)

Goldsmiths, University of London could enter a cash crisis by August 2027, interim vice-chancellor David Oswell has warned in a letter to all staff, as workers prepare to begin indefinite strike action The Tab

And from ianVisits:

Tickets Alert: Backstage tours of the Eventim Apollo

Blue plaque honours East End anti-racism pioneer Kamal Chunchie

Pride Month on the move with new TfL art trail and audio tour

The many faces of Marilyn Monroe on display in London exhibition

Tickets Alert: Explore miniature worlds at London’s Bonsai treehouses exhibition

What phantom traffic jams can teach us about crowded Tube escalators

Things to do in London tomorrow

Monthly release of tickets to visit Big Ben
Whitehall
Tickets to climb the 334 steps to the top of the Elizabeth Tower and stand next to Big Ben when it bongs will be released for sale today.

London Concours luxury car exhibition
Moorgate
Around 80 of the world’s most expensive cars will be displayed on the cricket lawn and practice grounds of the territorial army just around the corner from Old Street.

An evening with the bees at Bell House
Dulwich
An evening exploring the fascinating world of bees, including doning beekeeping gear to get up close to the hives.

Read, Make, Play
Clerkenwell
Hekayyatna presents a night of Egyptian craft, zines, and games at the Egypt Exploration Society.

Zone29 Insights Event and Building Guided Tour
Camden
An event showcasing the University of Westminster’s Zone 29 building including insights into its purpose, design, construction, and project outcomes.

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Originally opened in 1932 and renowned for its Art Deco architecture, the Grade II*-listed venue has hosted generations of legendary music, comedy, theatre and cultural events.

There are three events – one for performers, a stage show, and one offering the backstage tours.

Centre Stage – Saturday 8th August

A rare chance for music fans to perform on the Eventim Apollo stage themselves, following in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in music. Groups of up to six can book a “headliner for a day” experience, including a soundcheck, a 45-minute live set, up to 30 guests and a post-show celebration in the VIP bar.

Very expensive tickets here.

H+F Spotlight – Sunday 9th August

A community celebration in partnership with H&F Giving, showcasing local talent, grassroots organisations and the cultural diversity of Hammersmith & Fulham. The event will feature performances from local groups and artists, with all profits from ticket sales going directly to H&F Giving and its community grant programmes.

Tickets here.

Venue Tours – Sunday 23rd August

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look with access to rarely seen backstage spaces, dressing rooms, hidden corners and the corridors where decades of music and comedy history have unfolded. Visitors will also get a complimentary drink and photo opportunity on the famous stage.

Tickets here.

Installed by English Heritage on the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest in Jeremiah Street, the plaque marks the building where Chunchie’s mission first took shape. Working there between 1922 and 1924, he encountered Black and Asian seamen and their families facing poverty, racial discrimination and exclusion from employment and housing in the aftermath of the First World War.

Chunchie used his time at the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest to develop an approach that combined Christian ministry with practical support.

The experience would shape more than three decades of work in East London.

In 1926, he founded the Coloured Men’s Institute in Canning Town, a social and religious centre that provided meals, accommodation and community support for seamen and local families. Chunchie argued that faith alone was not enough, famously observing that there was little point preaching to “a man with cold feet and an empty stomach”.

Over the following years, he continued his work independently, helping hundreds of people through initiatives ranging from accommodation for stranded seamen to clothing distributions and Christmas meals for families in need. His efforts attracted support from leading campaigners of the day, including Dr Harold Moody, founder of the League of Coloured Peoples.

Today, Chunchie is recognised as an important early advocate for racial equality in Britain. The new plaque at the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest commemorates the place where his life’s work began and highlights a significant but often overlooked chapter in the history of London’s East End.

He is also commemorated nearby at London City Hall, as the road on which it sits was named after him.

The Blue Plaques scheme is administered by English Heritage.

Produced by Art on the Underground in partnership with OUTbound, TfL’s LGBTQIA+ staff network, the free Pride Audio Tour invites Londoners to explore five artworks across the network while listening to personal reflections from people connected to them.

Contributors include TfL staff, artists and members of the LGBTQIA+ community whose experiences have shaped or been inspired by the works. Each stop combines public art with first-hand stories, offering a different perspective on LGBTQIA+ life, identity and creativity in London.

The launch coincides with the 10th anniversary of the diversity traffic signals installed around Trafalgar Square in June 2016. Around 50 pedestrian crossings had their traditional green walking figure replaced with symbols celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities, including same-sex couples holding hands and transgender symbols.

Originally introduced as part of Pride celebrations, the signals were retained permanently and have been a long-running source of complaints from gammons sent to TfL via its Freedom of Information portal.

Later this month, TfL will also display portrait posters across its network highlighting staff who have made significant contributions to LGBTQIA+ inclusion within TfL and the wider transport industry. The campaign will also feature community groups, organisations and individuals who have championed LGBTQIA+ visibility and equality in London.

Emma Strain, TfL’s Customer Director, said: “London’s transport network reflects the city’s diversity, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate Pride Month by bringing these wonderful LGBTQIA+ stories to our customers. The new Art on the Underground audio tour offers a way to connect with public art, bridging the gap between the brilliant creativity on our network and the lived experiences of our staff and the wider community.

“As we also celebrate a decade of our iconic diversity traffic signals in Trafalgar Square, we reiterate our commitment to ensuring London’s transport network remains an inclusive, welcoming, and safe space for everyone and we hope those attending enjoy this year’s Pride in London parade.”

The Pride Audio Tour will be available on the Art on the Underground website shortly and will run until the end of the month.

The exhibition opens with two images, one instantly recognisable as an Andy Warhol print, but opposite something small and easy to overlook – an early, untouched photo of a young lady. That’s the Norma Jeane who would become Marilyn Monroe.

Then there’s room after room of Marilyn. A smorgasbord of Marylins posing, lounging, in swimwear, and other less revealing clothing, in colour and in monochrome. It’s a feast of Marilyn for the fans.

That does’ slightly dent it as an exhibition, as so many of the photos were taken by professional photographers and are set pieces, so you rarely get to see past the glamour to the Norma Jeane underneath. But of course, the entire point of Marilyn Monroe is the glamour, and there’s a sense that the curtain shouldn’t be pulled back too much to reveal the person within.

The exhibition does look at the darker side, her death, and how other people reacted to it. Curiously reminiscent of an older time when a major news story would not just be plastered on the front pages of newspapers, but everyone would be seeing those headlines all around them as people sat on trains and in parks, reading their newspapers, holding up those front covers as a collective image of the day.

It’s a shared urban landscape we will never experience today with news being shared singularly on phones.

As an exhibition, it’s a huge collection of photos of one very famous person, and the main texts on display are about the photographer who took them.

But of course, there’s that iconic photo – the one with the dress. But much more interesting is the photo taken a bit further back, of the people all around her watching the moment. What many of us probably assumed was a closed film set with just a few people around was a public spectacle, and so much so that they had to rerecord the sound again in private to drown out the crowds.

In a way, what the exhibition left me wondering is the great unknown – what if she had lived? Our image of her is that of a young sultry actress more famous for looks than skills. But many lauded actresses today went through a youthful phase as they built up their skills. Could Marilyn Monroe have gone on to become a much-admired actress, for whom the decade or so of early life is almost forgotten, buried under awards for the great work done later?

A mystery that will never be solved – and we’re left with the young woman fixed in our memories forever.

The exhibition, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait, is at the National Portrait Gallery until September 2026.

• Standard Ticket: £27
• Concessions: £24.30
• National Art Pass: £13.50
• Income Support Or Named Benefits: £13.50
• Aged 12-15: £5
• Aged Under 12: Free

Strongly recommend booking tickets in advance as they’re selling out – details here.