Description

‘A rich, lively and nostalgia-provoking sensory experience … this is history in its messiest, most bustling human essence’ THE TIMES

‘Like being in the company of a chatty, trusted friend’ LUCY WORSLEY

‘Impeccably researched and searingly nostalgic’ DAILY MAIL

Bustling with rich detail, historical vignettes and surprising wares, this is the story of Britain’s best-loved but ever-changing public spaces.

What makes a high street? It’s not just the shopping; these are spaces where local life and culture unfold, the beating hearts of our towns and cities. From preserved medieval marketplaces to post-war concrete precincts, our high streets are playgrounds of personal indulgence, hubs for community spirit, sites of contentious debates and public politicking.

Join historian Annie Gray on an expedition down the street and through the ages, through arcades, department stores and backstreet shopping malls. Peeping through the windows of tailors, tea rooms and grocers, Gray writes an essential reflection on how we lived in days gone by – and what the future might bring.

Publisher Review

Like being in the company of a chatty, trusted friend … wander through the fascinating backstory of the high street with a truly excellent historian as your guide — Lucy Worsley, historian and author of AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Fascinating history of a British institution in crisis. Annie Gray’s history illuminates, entertains and provides vital context for the big decisions we face about the future of the high street — Dan Snow, author and host of HISTORY HIT podcast Passionate, funny and deeply knowledgeable – Annie Gray is my favourite food historian — Greg Jenner, author and host of BBC You’re Dead To Me Annie Gray’s romp down British high streets through the centuries is a blast. She is that gossipy, shopping bestie who has the inside track and the little black book: how to spot a bogus flash-sale, what colour teapot will show your hands to best advantage, where best for street snacking (wrinkled apples, cups of salop). Properly immersive, full of juicy sensory detail and brilliant small-time characters; Gray has dug deep into the archives for the bits that other retail historians leave out — Tessa Boase, author of LONDON’S LOST DEPARTMENT STORES Praise for Annie Gray * : * Annie Gray leads the pack — Jay Rayner Dr Annie Gray is just one of the best! She brings history and food to life with humanity and her customary wry wit and attention to detail. Anything that she writes is always a joy to immerse oneself in — Andi Oliver The queen of food historians — Lucy Worsley Gray is an inventive researcher … she likes to get close up to the everyday past * Spectator * Praise for Victory in the Kitchen — : Popular history at its very best * Daily Mail * Engaging … appeals to three national obsessions: the preparation and presentation of food; the lost world of great households, above and below stairs; and the private life of a national hero, Churchill * The Times * Deliciously entertaining * Daily Mail * Full of mouthwatering detail, and punctuated with Georgina’s delicious recipes, this is below-stairs history at its most fascinating * Daily Mail *