If you already received our newsletter you’ll know we’re looking forward to a fantastic year of the rat. London is celebrating over the next two months, but the biggest celebrations are this Sunday as China in London invites us all to Chinatown:

This year looks set to top that, with around 300,000 people expected to come into central London on 10 February to kick off the Year of the Rat, the first sign in the Chinese zodiac.

That’s a whole day of activities to partake in including parades, lion dances, dragons and of course fireworks…

Things got off to a rather curious start yesterday when the lanterns over Oxford Street were lit and accompanied by a series of BMX stunts. Come April and the Olympic torch will have made it to London. The relay here sees the end of the Chinese celebrations, but also acts as a reminder that once the 2008 Olympics are out of the way it’s London’s turn. But why a BMX? Seems this year the sport has finally achieved Olympic recognition.

I popped along yesterday and filmed some of what was going on: