The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker

A History of the High Street

By: Annie Gray

Narrated by: Annie Gray

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 certainly not just about the shopping; these thoroughfares are often the beating heart of our towns and cities and, by extension, of the people who use them. As spaces where local life and culture unfolds, our high streets can be playgrounds of personal indulgence and community spirit, or sites of contentious debate and politicking.

Historian Annie Gray takes us down the street and through the ages, from medieval marketplaces to the purpose-built concrete precincts of the 20th century. Peeping through the windows of tailors, tearooms and grocers, we explore everything from the toyshops of yesteryear - where curiosities were sold for adults, not children - to the birth of brands we shop at today.

©2024 Annie Gray (P)2025 Soundings

Enthusiastic storyteller

Annie brings her stories to life with vivid descriptions of events. I enjoyed walking along with her through the decades.

Fascinating

What a delightful book—interesting, well-researched, and lively. The author/narrator has provided a riveting account of the evolution of the high street through the past several centuries, including types of retailers and services, as well as specific retailers both extant and long gone. As a historian of the 18th and 19th centuries, I had not expected to find the changes of the 20th and 21st centuries as fascinating as Annie Gray makes them. Really excellent!

Perfect level of detail

Loved the narrator/author’s style. I liked the way she divided the book into different towns and eras to provide perspective. Learned a lot without it being overwhelming. If you like history and/or you’re a reader of novels set in England, you’ll enjoy this.