Don't panic! Seeing London can still be affordable

Shoppers are feeling the pinch as a survey reveals that basic foodstuffs have rocketed in price over the past twelve months. Butter and eggs have climbed by more than thirty per cent according to figures forming part of the Consumer Price Index. Food costs have not increased so quickly since 1980.

Last month the headline rate of inflation hit 4.7%, which represented the greatest rise in living costs for sixteen years.

Many workers in the City are increasingly nervous about their job security. Employees of Merrill Lynch and many City banks will be concerned about their short-term future. The loss of up to 4,500 jobs at Lehman Brothers' European Headquarters in London will be keenly felt by retailers in the City of London.

Shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) tumbled for a second consecutive day in the wake of Lehman Brothers' collapse. HBOS is the largest mortgage lender in Britain.

Getting value money as a consumer has never been more important. Visitors to London can reign in on their sightseeing expenses by undertaking a Walk Talk Tour audio walking tour of the British capital.

There are five Walk Talk Tour London travel guides, which are all available in English, French, German and Spanish. Each Walk Talk Tour London city walking tour costs just £5.95. Customers purchasing two tours simultaneously will receive a twenty per cent discount. Buy three at the same time and get thirty per cent off.

All of the Walk Talk Tours of London - with the exception of the longer City & South Bank Circular audio walking tour - can be completed in two hours.

Hear about the history of royal and monumental London with the Palace Trail, London city guide. Hear about gunpowder, treason and plot at the Houses of Parliament. Hear about great statesmen of the past and present who are commemorated in Parliament Square.

Put the prevailing sense of economic gloom to one side by embarking on the Museums, Galleries & Performing Arts London walking tour. Follow in the footsteps of the stars in Leicester Square and enjoy the atmosphere and history of Covent Garden, the capital's Mecca of street theatre. To hear a short audio extract from the Museums, Galleries & Performing Arts tour please click here.

Many of the top visitor attractions along the routes of the five Walk Talk Tour London travel guides are free. Take a look at our Where & When pages, which provide information about the opening times and admission charges of attraction along each tour's routes.