There's a never a dull moment in London -- the only problem is trying to keep up with it all... Here are some annual events you won't want to miss.
The Boat Race (March or April) Every year teams of eight rowers from Oxford University and Cambridge University battle it out in a six-and-a-half km race along the Thames. Around a quarter of a million people line the banks of the river from the start line at Putney Bridge to the finish at Mortlake, to watch what has become a national institution.
Chelsea Flower Show (May) If an Englishman's home is his castle then his garden is his kingdom. The British are slightly obsessed with their gardens and this event elevates horticulture to high culture, with show gardens becoming works of art.
The flower show attracts some 160,000 visitors each year to the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, with displays that range from outlandish flights of floral fancy to more practical efforts that you can recreate in your own garden.
Notting Hill Carnival (August Bank Holiday) Taking the stereotype of British reserve and dancing on its grave, while wearing a feather boa, the Notting Hill Carnival is a wild weekend of music, dancing and heaving crowds. Now more than 40 years old, this celebration of London's Caribbean community is said to be Europe's largest street festival. All the ingredients of a good street party are present in abundance: steel drums, sound systems, colorful floats, exotic costumes and spicy, spicy food. 
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