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Staying in this Easter? Never fear, you needn't be short of chocolate - try these weird and wonderful recipes

Chocolate London

If it's chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate that you're looking forward to this weekend, fear not. We have tracked down London's best.

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Londoner raises £300 in 6 hours to fund flight

Joshua Preston on the street
Joshua Preston raised £300 in six hours Credit: Viewers Picture/Joshua Preston

A computer engineer from Peckham has raised over £300 in just six hours to help pay for his flight to visit his sister in Australia, who is suffering from a life threatening condition.

Joshua Preston took to the streets of London after receiving around £700 from friends and family, but donations helped him reach the £984 he needed.

Joshua's 14-year-old sister, who lives in Melbourne, suffers from a life threatening diabetic condition.

A tale of two ducks

Many of you might remember the 50-foot high rubber duck that travelled upriver in December - a stunt with the simple aim of trying to encourage Londoners to be daft. Everything hunky-dorey.

The giant 50 foot rubber duck floating down the Thames last year. Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Wire

But what happens when big ducks become a let-down? Hong Kong knows.

Hong Kong's deflated duck. Credit: AP

It welcomed a 54-foot high duck - created by a Dutch artist - and which has been on a world tour since 2007, spreading a message of peace and harmony.

But sightseers were left disappointed when it deflated.

Organisers denied it was sunk by wind and rain, saying it the duck was flattened simply to allow maintenance to be carried out.

Hong Kong's deflated duck. Credit: AP

WATCH: VIDEO OF THE LONDON DUCK

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Cockerel on fourth plinth

Previous residents of the fourth plinth

"Alison Lapper Pregnant" by Marc Quinn. Credit: John Stillwell/PA

Marc Quinn's sculpture of the disabled artist Alison Lapper was displayed from September 2005 until October 2007.

Lapper, who was born with no arms and shortened legs due to a congenital disorder, posed naked for Quinn when she was eight months pregnant.

Thomas Schutte's "Model for a Hotel 2007". Credit: Ian Nicholson/PA Wire.

"Alison Lapper Pregnant" was replaced with a very different artwork - an architectural model of a 21-story building.

The coloured glass sculpture by German artist Thomas Schutte, "Model for a Hotel 2007" was unveiled in November 2007 and occupied the plinth until the end of May 2009.

Steve Pratt, 54, from London, stands on the Fourth Plinth as part of Anthony Gormley's "One & Other". Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Next came Anthony Gormley's "One and Other" - a "living monument" which involved members of the public taking to the plinth.

The space was occupied by different people - chosen by ballot - every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days.

Yinka Shonibare's "Nelson's Ship In A Bottle". Credit: Ian Nicholson/PA Wire

From 2010 to 2012, the plinth was home to Yinka Shonibare's "Nelson's ship in a bottle" which commemorated the Battle of Trafalgar.

"Powerless Structures Fig 101" by Scandinavian duo Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

And currently in position is a giant bronze sculpture of a boy astride a rocking horse. It is called "Powerless Structures Fig 101".

Romford 'UK's luckiest' town

Where the winners live: top 10 lottery postcodes

The top 10 postcodes for big-money National Lottery wins are:

  • 1. RM – Romford
  • 2. SR – Sunderland
  • 3. NE – Newcastle Upon Tyne
  • 4. L – Liverpool
  • 5. EN – Enfield
  • 6. WA – Warrington
  • 7. BR – Bromley
  • 8. WV – Wolverhampton
  • 9. DA – Dartford
  • 10. DD - Dundee

These areas have more "top-tier" winners, per head of population, than anywhere else in the UK. High tier prizes refer to prizes of over £50,000 across all National Lottery games.

Romford 'UK's luckiest' town

Romford flies flag as 'UK's luckiest town'

The flag declares Romford 'the UK’s luckiest postcode’. Credit: Camelot

The National Lottery has presented Romford with a ceremonial flag, to honour its status as "the UK's luckiest town".

Since the National Lottery launched in 1994, 40 millionaires have been created in the RM postcode, and 317 prizes of at least £50,000 have been banked.

That means there are more big-money prize-winners, per head of population, in Romford than anywhere else in the country.

The flag will fly in front of Havering Town Hall. Credit: Camelot.

A spokesman said:

"Romford is the first postcode to ever fly The National Lottery ceremonial flag, let’s hope it brings a further dose of luck for RM residents in the year to come."

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