Light up London's landmarks

It may have been dark, raining and the start of winter but sunflowers bloomed from one of London's landmark buildings.

Last night, the Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, was illuminated to launch a project brightening up the capital for Christmas.

The project will culminate in the illumination of Buckingham Palace on Christmas Eve using the latest projection techniques. The Queen gave permission only yesterday and is said now to be deciding on an appropriate image.

Evening Standard readers can join in by choosing the image to be beamed on to the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square.

Sponsored by mobile phone company Orange and backed by the Standard, the Brightening Up London campaign will see images chosen or designed by celebrities beamed onto landmarks also to include the Imperial War Museum, Tate Britain and the Royal Exchange.

Bob Geldof, whose production company is overseeing the project for Mayor Ken Livingstone, personally chose the sunflowers design for the Wellington Arch.

"It's not really festive but it's really cheery," he told the Standard. "It makes you feel better. We always put coloured lights on a Christmas tree and I thought, let's do it for the whole city.

"I'm watching all the people on the buses. They expect one thing and then see another. I hope it's a beautiful surprise. I hope they go home saying 'I just saw something weird'. It's just a little more fun."

The arch will also feature the Peter Blake cover of the Band Aid single Do They Know It's Christmas and a sketch by Geldof.

Clutching a letter from the Queen, he said: "She is saying she would be happy to let us have the Palace from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day, which is fantastic."

Each landmark will be lit one by one, with all 10 adorned with different images by Christmas Eve. Then they will all be made to look like wrapped Christmas presents.