What lies beneath London?

From deep-level air raid shelters to the colossal Crossrail construction, beneath London lies a labyrinth of tunnels.

I delved underground to visit some of the capital's rarely seen subterranean spots. Here's my BBC News report.

Budding Billy Elliots

Youngsters gather in a room in north London for a ballet lesson. But here there are no tutus, pirouettes - or even any traces of pink.

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rio Ferdinand and Christian Bale may not sound like your typical pink tutu-wearing ballerinas.

That's because they're not.

But all three have taken ballet classes in the past and are role models for pupils at the London Boys Ballet School, the first of its kind in the UK dedicated entirely to boys, as I find out for BBC News.

'She was an inspiration'

Cherry Groce was paralysed from the waist down after being shot during a police raid on her home in 1985. The shooting sparked rioting in Brixton. 

She died in April 2011 having spent 26 years in a wheelchair, but little else is known about Mrs Groce.

Her son Lee Lawrence spoke to me exclusively about his mother and how the family's lives were affected.

Five controversial solutions

House prices soar'. 'Fears of a housing bubble'. 'First-time buyers priced-out'. These are familiar headlines to Londoners.

Each has appeared in the press in the past month, but similar headlines have become all-too recognisable over the past couple of years.

So what alternative solutions are being put forward to address London's housing crisis?

'Fate was against him'

On a hot, late-summer evening in 1989, the Marchioness pleasure boat, packed with more than 130 partygoers, collided with the dredger Bowbelle and sank in the River Thames, killing 51 people.

Twenty-five years on, I interviewed survivors and victims' families who recalled what happened and the legacy that remains.

Up on the roof

Way up above London's bustling streets, previously neglected rooftops are being converted into flourishing wild flower, fruit and vegetable gardens.

Is London moving its gardens to the skies?

I find out for BBC News.

Old Flame

It was the most closely guarded secret of the London 2012 opening ceremony.


Two years on, the Olympic Cauldron is on display at the Museum of London.

I had an exclusive preview of the show.

John Lewis celebrates

Whether it is for its generous staff bonus or its Christmas advert, John Lewis has recently been the subject of many good-news headlines.

As the partnership celebrates 150 years since it opened its first store, in central London, how has it transformed?

I gained access to some rare photos which give a glimpse of the store's colourful history.

'Secret' Tube

Deep under the streets of London a disused railway tunnel stretches for six miles. 

After being shut for a decade, there are now plans to reopen the London Post Office Railway - known to many as Mail Rail - as a tourist ride.

But what's it like down there? I delved underground to take an exclusive look for BBC News.

Oscars 2014: As it happened

From the glitz and glamour to the shocks and selfies, I was one half of the BBC’s live online reporting team guiding you through the 2014 Oscars night. 

Here's how the night unfolded.