The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker at Mr B’s Emporium

Historian, Annie Gray, discusses her new book looking at the surprising history and future of the high street. A historian, cook, broadcaster and writer specialising in the history of food and dining in Britain, Annie takes us down the street and through the ages, from medieval marketplaces to the purpose-built concrete precincts of the twentieth 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.

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.