The UK is a nation of diehard shoppers. Retail therapy is the country`s favourite leisure activity
- an all-consuming passion
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London Best-Kept Secrets brings together the `greatest hits` from our London`s Secrets series. We take you off the beaten tourist path to seek out the more unusual (`hidden`) places that often fail to register on the radar of both visitors & residents alike. Nimbly sidestepping the chaos & queues of London`s tourist-clogged attractions, we visit its quirkier
- but no less fascinating
- side. London Best-Kept Secrets takes in some of the city`s loveliest hidden gardens & parks, absorbing & poignant museums, great art & architecture, beautiful ancient buildings, magnificent Victorian cemeteries, historic pubs, fascinating markets & much more. Entries range from the enchanting Hill Garden to the magical canals of Little Venice, from the home of Britain`s greatest naturalist to atmospheric Dennis Severs House, from the moving Foundling Museum to the spiritual home of Big Ben, the splendour of some of Wren`s greatest churches to a stunning house designed by William Morris, & from the spectacular treasures of Syon House to atmospheric Kensal Green cemetery. With a copy of London`s Best-Kept Secrets to guide you, you`ll never be bored of London (or life). We hope that you enjoy discovering the city`s secrets as much as we did.

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June 2013 sees the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Queen`s Coronation, only the second time in British history a monarch has reached this remarkable milestone. As the event was famously the first of its kind to be televised images from the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey are instantly recognisable & have become iconic. Far less familiar are the scenes in the streets outside, however, where huge crowds assembled to see a procession of state coaches & historic regiments marching past public buildings festooned with patriotic banners & colourful grandstands erected outside many famous landmarks. At the core of the book is a hitherto private collection of more than 200 images showing London`s West End on the day. None has been published before, & together they provide a unique & precious record of this historic occasion
- the day of the Coronation as it was seen by ordinary members of the public.
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Oft-overshadowed by the imposing buildings that line the River Thames, the bridges of London are an intriguing part of the capital, past & present. This book traces the history of all 33 Thames bridges within Greater London, exploring the fascinating architecture & unique stories from Hampton Court Bridge in the west to the iconic Tower Bridge in the east. Accompanied throughout by colour photographs of the present bridges, as well as detailed paintings & engravings of the earlier structures that once stood in their place, this is a fully illustrated & absorbing narrative for anyone with an interest in the history of London. ...

This book is a celebration of London`s ever-growing legion of independent cafes, coffee shops & tearooms
- as well as places specialising
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This remarkable book presents a modern photographic panorama of the River Thames by Charles Craig, Graham Diprose & Mike Seaborne, alongside one created by the Port of London Authority in 1937. Thames Panorama is a fascinating study of how the twentieth century has changed the face of the Thames. First published in 1988 & updated for the Millennium, this book is again being brought up to date, a sign of how rapid the pace of change has been for London`s river. & yet amid the sparkling new developments & brash architectural statements that have sprung up, a sense of continuity is apparent when the two panoramas, albeit separated by more than seventy years, are shown side by side. ...

This visually stunning book covers many of the best-known & most historic churches & cathedrals within the Greater London area. ...

London`s City Churches include some of the Capital`s finest architecture. The sanctity of the church has prevented London`s churches from being redeveloped or altered in any significant way & so they remain historical islands while the environment around them has changed beyond recognition. This pocket guide means that you can explore & understand the history of these remarkable buildings from the earliest medieval remains to the handful of churches rebuilt after 1945. This guide is packed with information about the history & architecture of these fascinating churches & for those wanting to walk in the footsteps Wren, Pepys, & Shakespeare there are details of opening times, church events as well as three detailed City walks. Over 70 photographs & four maps are included to help you enjoy exploring London’s City churches. ...

London`s diverse restaurant scene is constantly changing as establishments come & go, but some restaurants stand the test of time & continue to attract diners year after year, & often decade after decade. This book will include a selection of these well-established restaurants, covering their history, interesting facts & the reasons why they have survived while so many others have failed, along with signature dishes & lovely photography to catch the atmosphere of each. Restaurants covered will include Rowleys, Rules, Veeraswamy, Simpsons on the Strand & The Wolseley. This title is suitable for visitors to London looking for a unique guide to the city`s finest restaurants; & Londoners wishing to learn more about their city`s restaurants. This is a great gift for foodies everywhere. ...

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath your feet when you walk into an ancient church or through a graveyard? The mystery of what lies beneath. Did you know that some of London`s most famous cemeteries have catacombs? This book explores some of the most intriguing vaults, crypts & catacombs of London & where you can still find some of them. Some are even open to public view. Crypts were often built by rich & powerful families to lay to rest their family remains. Many of London`s church crypts have been converted into cafes & restaurants to meet London`s twentieth- & twenty-first-century needs, but others still retain their occupants. Authors Dr Robert Bard & Adrian Miles, an expert in the field of post-medieval burials & funerary archaeology, take the reader on an intriguing journey of discovery through London`s vaults, crypts & catacombs. London`s Crypts & Catacombs contains many unique photographs & is a haunting insight into the process & burial of our ancestors. ...