Glass Roofed Routemaster for London?

An eye catching new design for the replacement Routemaster bus was unveiled on Friday, October 3. The design put forward by Fosters & Partners features a curved glass roof, which would give passengers a different view of London.

The first of the capital's controversial 390 plus bend buses will be put out to pasture next year. The new Routemaster in whatever form it takes will take to London's streets in 2012.

The original Routemaster was an icon of London. Visitors to London can still enjoy a ride on a Routemaster on Heritage Route 15.

Independent minded visitors can hear about the history of the Routemaster with the Ride & Stride, London city walking tour.

When, in 1954, the prototype Routemaster first appeared it was hailed “the most modern double deck bus in the world”. Five years the first Routemasters entered service. The buses quickly became a hit with Londoners and visitors alike. The buses were withdrawn from service - except on two Heritage routes - in 2005 because of concerns about access for disabled passengers.

Listeners to the Ride & Stride mp3 guided tour climb aboard at Bus Stop F on the Strand, near to Trafalgar Square. (The cost of the ticket is not included in the tour's price). The route from the Strand to St Paul's Cathedral is one of London's oldest thoroughfares linking the City of Westminster with the City of London.

Listeners to the Ride & Stride alight by St Paul's Cathedral. Walk Talk Tourists then cross the Thames via the Millennium Bridge. Enjoy a stroll along the South Bank. Hear about attractions including Tate Modern, the new Globe Theatre, the Clink and remains of Winchester Palace, HMS Belfast and City Hall.

There are five Walk Talk Tour London travel guides. All of the Walk Talk Tour London iPod travel guides can be completed in two hours - with the exception of the longer City & South Bank podcast guided tour. The five Walk Talk Tour London city walking tours are available in English, French, German and Spanish.

Listeners to the Ride & Stride London mp3 guided tour and City & South Bank Circular walking tour can hear how a quick-thinking bus driving averted disaster on Tower Bridge in 1952. To hear an audio sample which mentions the incident please click here.

The Ride & Stride podcast guided tour concludes outside the Tower of London.

A Walk Talk Tour London walking tour represents excellent value. Each professionally produced Walk Talk Tour London travel guide costs just £5.95 and comes with a free downloadable map of the tour's route for you to print off. Customers purchasing two tours simultaneously will get twenty per cent off. But three simultaneously and receive a thirty per cent discount.