The Secret History of Our Streets

Book excerpt: "In a modern version of a classic survey from the 19th century, where Charles Booth [(1840-1916)] spent 17 years exploring the social and economic conditions of every street in Victorian London, this ... book tells the story of six London streets and the people who lived there. The selection represents the wifdest possible picture of the city both socially and geographically; from Deptford High Street, Camberwell Grove and Reverdy Road in the south, to Caledonian Road in the north, Portland Road in the west and Arnold Circus in the east. Each has a fascinating history of its own, from the rich being pushed out by the super-rich in Notting Hill to the first public housing scheme being launched at Arnold Circus. Together, however, their stories reveal the big underlying forces that have shaped London for thye last 130 years: gentrification, migration, slum clearances, property speculation, and the rural being subsumed by a growing metropolis. ..."--Jacket.