Pea Soup off London Menu

There was a time, when London's air was regularly thick with fog, often likened to pea soup.

Thankfully, the capital's air quality has improved as emissions of sulphur dioxide (associated with the burning of fossil fuels) has reduced. “We’ve moved away from using coal and wood in the home and our industries have become much cleaner,” said David Britton, a meteorologist at the Met Office in a telephone interview with Alex Morales, a journalist from the news agency Bloomberg.

Fog forms when tiny water droplets are suspended in the lower atmosphere, which is created when moist air cools close to the ground.

There are days when fog is more likely to occur, such as around Bonfire Night on November 5, when bonfires are lit and fireworks are set off across Britain to mark the thwarting of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, which King James I was due to open that day.

The Great Smog of 1952 contributed to the death of some 4,075 people. The thick smoke filled fog first formed of London on December 5. It lingered over London for four days, as high pressure, low temperatures and very slight winds combined to keep the Smog above the capital. Most victims of the Great Smog succumbed to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Vehicles were abandoned, businesses and schools closed. A person who ventured out would hold a handkerchief to their mouth.

London's air quality has improved beyond all recognition since then. So much so that one of the best and most cost effective ways to explore the British capital is on foot.

Going Walkabout with Walk Talk Tours is an enjoyable way to see London's sights and do your bit for the environment. A Walk Talk Tour London city walking tour also offers sightseers maximum flexibility, as listeners can stop, start and listen again to any part of their commentary.

Visitors to London can hear about how Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament with the Walk Talk Tour, Palace Trail, London travel guide. Discover royal and monumental London at your own pace. To hear an audio sample from the Palace Trail please click here.

Each Walk Talk Tour London audio walking tour costs just £5.95.Customers buying two tours at once will receive a twenty per cent discount. Purchase three at the same time and get thirty per cent off. All of the Walk Talk Tour London city guides are available in English, French, German and Spanish.