The Secret History of Our Streets: London

Joseph Bullman , Brian Hill , Neil Hegarty

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Published by BBC Books, part of Ebury Publishing

Format: Hardback

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Details

EAN: 9781849904506
Published: 10 May 2012

About the book

Synopsis

The Secret History of Our Streets explores one of the great forces shaping our lives: property. Why we live where we live, and how that choice informs the lives we lead.

In a modern version of Charles Booth's 1886 Survey of London, this remarkable book tells the story of six London streets, representing the widest possible picture of the city both socially and geographically. Each has a fascinating story of its own. Together, their stories reveal the big underlying forces that have shaped Britain for the last 120 years: gentrification, migration, slum clearance, property speculation and the urban sprawl.

The six streets and larger themes they address are Deptford High Street - the mania for re-development, slum clearances; Portland Road - gentrification and 'super-gentrification' (the rich being pushed out by the super-rich); Reverdy Road - the white working class, the Blitz and redevelopment; Caledonian Road - ownership and landlords, the prison; Arnold Circus - public housing; Camberwell Grove - the disappearance of rural idyll, the rise of the suburbs.

By this author

About the Authors

Joseph Bullman is a documentary writer and director. His documentaries include The Crime Scene Cleaner, the award-winnning The Man Who Bought Mustique and his Lars von Trier collaboration, England is Mine. He
received a BAFTA nomination for Best Director for his The Seven Sins of England.

Neil Hegarty is the author of Story of Ireland, which accompanied the BBC series, and Dublin: A View from the Ground. His journalism has appeared in the Irish Times and Daily Telegraph and he has written radio documentaries for RTE.

Brian Hill is a triple BAFTA-winning film maker who works in both drama and documentary for cinema and television. He pioneered the documentary musical with films such as Feltham Sings. Hill is also Managing Director of acclaimed production company, Century Films.

Joseph Bullman