-Richly illustrated guide, with a comprehensive look at the latest in
the historic and contemporary architecture of London, including historic
buildings, streetscapes, art and sculpture, gardens and public
landscapes, cultural spaces and contemporary, and designer outlets -Will
appeal to the tourism market, architecture buffs, foodies, fashionistas,
urban aesthetes, art aficionados, armchair travelers -Showcases a
variety of projects that will hold wide-ranging appeal, including
designer fashion ateliers, sumptuous interiors of boutique hotels,
innovative art studios, galleries, as well as unique retail outlets,
cosmopolitan foodie hotspots, from trendy cafes to high-end restaurants
-A wonderful companion to IMAGES' Secrets series titles, Paris Secrets,
Rome Secrets, and the forthcoming Melbourne Secrets London Secrets
unlocks the city's most fascinating secrets. Janelle McCulloch strips
away bricks, mortar and tarmac to uncover parts of the capital that even
born and bred Londoners may never have seen. In the shadow of the
Gherkin, Cheesegrater and Walkie-Talkie skyscrapers are medieval
churches, crypts and the curios of Postman's Park - proof that altruism
can exist in the Square Mile. In St James's, a stone's throw from the
glitz and glamour of Soho are hidden squares and shops dating from a
gentler age - purveyors of fine wine, gentleman's apparel and bowler
hats. The cobbled mews of Marylebone and Hampstead Village reveal
unexpected treasures, rarely seen interiors and a rural idyll amid the
urban hum. While the esoteric collections at the Horniman, Sir John
Soane's Museum and exotica of Leighton House make you feel you are in an
entirely different country altogether. The author reveals the traditions
and quirks that have survived to this day, from the freedom of the City
of London allowing you to herd sheep through the town, to the "market
ouvert" of Bermondsey Market, original home of the London
wheeler-dealer. Lavishly photographed and researched, London Secrets
will shed a whole new light on this most vibrant - and surprising - of
cities.
