Remember the Wobbly Bridge?

London's first new river crossing for 100 years was forced to close eight years ago today. The Millennium Bridge linking St Paul's Cathedral and the Tate Modern Gallery on the South Bank opened amid great a fanfare by the Queen in June, 2000, but it quickly began to show the strain when large numbers of pedestrians stepped on the bridge in time. The Bridge visibly swayed, leading it to be dubbed the 'Wobbly Bridge'.

The regular step of the thousands of walkers caused the Bridge to oscillate slightly, in order to keep their balance pedestrians would step down as one, thus exacerbating the wobble, in a process called ‘excitation’. Sir Norman Foster, Sir Anthony Caro and engineering firm Arup had not foreseen such a problem, but they acted quickly to rectify it.

Thankfully, the £18 million Millennium Bridge did not go the way of some other big Millennium projects, like the Millennium Dome, and turn out to be a costly disaster. Essential modifications were carried out at a cost of £5 million. The 'Wobbly Bridge' reopened in February 2002. The Millennium Bridge has not wobbled since!

Independent travellers in London can head across the Millennium Bridge on one of two Walk Talk Tour London travel guides. The Ride & Stride audio walking tour begins with a bus journey (on an iconic Routemaster red double-decker, if you time it right) from a bus stop on the Strand, close to Trafalgar Square, to St Paul's Cathedral. Walk Talk Tourists then cross the Thames via the Millennium Bridge to the South Bank. To hear an audio sample from the Ride & Stride audio downloadable walking tour please click here.

Tour users are free to stop and start as they wish. With a Walk Talk Tour downloadable travel guide you're in charge. No need to feel conspicuous with a guidebook in your hands, follow the man with an umbrella or struggle to hear a guide.

Each of the five Walk Talk Tours mp3 guided tours of London are available in English, French, German and Spanish. In addition, each tour comes complete with an easy to follow downloadable map, so you won't miss a thing!

Tourists or interested Londoners can enjoy some of Sir Norman Foster's finest piece of architecture in the capital on the South Bank & Circular London city guide. The tour is a combination of the best of the Ride & Stride mp3 guided tour and the City & The Tower podcast guided tour. Foster designed buildings featured on the tour include the Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe), City Hall (which also feature on the Ride & Stride tour) and the Millennium Bridge. The South Bank & Circular iPod travel guide concludes by St Paul's Cathedral, where it began.

Each Walk Talk Tour of London costs £5.95. Customers purchasing two tours simultaneously will receive a twenty per cent discount. Walk Talk Tours represent excellent value for people travelling in groups and parties. For more information please click here.