North London

Barnet by John Heathfield, Percy Reboul

Synopsis This volume recalls the varied history of Finchley, Hendon, Totteridge, Edgware, the Hadleys and Barnet during a period of momentous national events and unprecedented local change. The authors demonstrate the differences between the Barnet area today and the Barnet of 100 years ago. The rapid development that took place in the first part of the 20th century is portrayed, as are the houses, shops, businesses and entertainments of the time. The book goes on to remember the impact of two world wars, and of constant redevelopment, and to describe the changing character of the local community. The pictures of more recent times show the austere post-war years and the 1950s, the coming of carparks, shopping centres and supermarkets, and the fads and fashions of successive generations. They also record schools, public services, transport, sports and pastimes as they evolved into the forms that are familiar today.

Barnet and Hadley by Gillian Gear.

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

Barnet at War by Percy Reboul, John Heathfield

Synopsis At the height of the Blitz, the London Borough of Barnet was under attack from the air with high-explosive and incendiary bombs. Later it was one of the targets for the V1 flying bombs and the V2 rockets. Barnet, like the rest of Britain, was fighting for its survival against the power of Hitler's Germany. This history of Barnet at war begins by describing the build-up of civil defence in the months immediately preceding World War II, and shows how the new organization coped with the casualties and damage caused by German bombing. It pays particular attention to air raid precautions, rescue services, the activities of the fire brigade and the police, the Women's Voluntary Service and the efforts of the hospitals to deal with the dead and injured. The story ends with an account of the last Nazi bombing campaign - the missile attacks of 1944 and 1945 - and records the euphoria of victory celebrations on VE and VJ days. The authors have drawn upon wartime newspaper reports, graphic personal recollections and official records in order to recreate the atmosphere of the time and show how ordinary people reacted to the challenge represented by this period in London's past.

Barnet Past and Present by Heathfield.

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

Discovering Country Walks in North London by Merry Lundow

London 4: North by Nikolaus Pevsner, Bridget Cherry.

Synopsis This volume gives a view of London's expansion northward from formal Georgian squares, to the hill towns of Hampstead and Highgate, from the regenerated industrial areas of Shoreditch and Clerkenwell to the little-known rural enclaves in Barnet and Enfield. The British museum, the new British Library and St Pancras Station appear beside a fascinating range of lesser buildings which give character to London's many distinctive villages.

Hampstead to Primrose Hill. by M. Holmes.

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

Heathrow by Philip Sherwood.

Synopsis This illustrated history of Heathrow tells the story of the district from the earliest times, recalling the earliest recorded human activity in the area over 2000 years ago and showing the district's slow development from medieval times. It also looks at the controversy surrounding the building of the airport and the obliteration of the landscape of farmhouses, cottages, fields and gardens by hangars, runways and hotels. The impact of the airport's continuous development upon the lives of the local people is explored.

London 3: North West by Nikolaus Pevsner, Bridget Cherry.

Synopsis An architectural guide that encompasses three centuries of metropolitan growth, spanning an area from Georgian St Marylebone and the riverside terraces of Chelsea and Chiswick to Heathrow Airport and the outer fringes of Middlesex. Individual buildings to be explored range from homely medieval churches and farmhouses of once rural Middlesex villages to the stately Victorian cultural institutions. Country mansions - Burlington's Chiswick House, Soane's Pitshanger - still grace the outer areas, while from the last 50 years the selection ranges from art deco factory and cinema to progressive social housing and the late 20th-century business park. This volume also contains introductory sections outlining the historical development of each borough, whilst a general introduction and over 100 photographs provide an architectural overview.

Wembley by A. Spencer

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

Wembley by Tom Watt, Kevin Palmer.

Synopsis Officially endorsed, this text tells the story of Wembley Stadium, through the memories and pictures of those who've played, worked or watched since 1923. The footballers featured include Sir Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, as well as Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

Willesden by A. Spencer.

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

Hammersmith and Fulham by Christine Bayliss, Jane Kimber.

Synopsis This selection of photographs documents the dramatic transformation of Hammersmith and Fulham over the 20th century. It offers an impression of the streets and districts as they developed during a century of unprecedented change and offers an insight into the daily lives of local people. Well-known sites are shown and famous events recalled - the Boat Race and Chelsea Football Club, the Hammersmith Palais and the Granville Theatre, Olympia, White City and Earls Court, Fulham Power Station and the Fulham Pottery, polo at Hurlingham and the 1908 Olympic Games. Every aspect of the recent history of the borough is covered from schools, shopping, work, transport, the river, the roads, special occasions and the two world wars.

New to Kew? by Jane Cox.

Synopsis: This is a first-time guide for anyone wishing to research their family history at the Public Record Office at Kew. It provides clear and helpful advice on finding one's way around the newly reorganized PRO, using the finding aids and beginning research. It also includes a comprehensive A-Z index of useful sources, from apprenticeship records to wills, case studies of individuals and illustrations of some of the most commonly found documents. The book is a revision of the relevant chapters from the first edition of "Never Been Here Before?".

Southall: a Home from Home by Dennis Morris.

Synopsis This is a beautiful publication of about 80-90 black and white photographs taken between 1972-1975 in Southall by a photographer called Dennis Morris. Accompanying the photos is an evocatively written narrative by Satinder Kaur Chohan. Southall has numerous ethnic groups living and working there, the Sikhs are the most visible and have had the greatest impact on Southall economically, culturally and politically. Dennis Morris has captured the Sikhs of Southall specifically in this book. I was surprised to see that the has photographed Sikhs almost exclusively and has created for us a vital photographic documentary. He has captured wonderful memories for those of us that were born, grew up or just visited Southall Broadway in the 1970s. The Southall here is that of the first generation, our parents, who turned Southall from a west London suburb into a "chota Punjab". Satinder Chohan's words trace the building of a new community and she sheds light so evocatively on the lives of those early Southall pioneers. I really treasure this book - and the pictures never fail to bring a smile to anyone who sees them.

Travelcard Walks in West London by Margaret Sharp.

Synopsis The author of this guide has been exploring and rambling in West London for 20 years; here, she shares her extensive knowledge of the wealth of rural-type landscapes still situated within London's sprawling surbubia. Starting from the centre, these 25 walks take the reader further and further out, to places like Crane River Park, Barn Hill, Harmondsworth Moor and Yeading Brook Meadows, unknown to most Londoners yet always beginning and ending within the boundaries of the London Travelcard. Particularly aimed at newcomers to walking, the basic routes covered here are short, mostly 3-5 miles. Further suggestions are made for the more energetic, and each walk has full route directions, public transport details and a sketch map. Notes on historic sites and buildings are also provided to add interest for the tourist.

Uxbridge People by K.R. Pearce.

Synopsis This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.