STILL OPEN: THE GUIDE TO TRADITIONAL LONDON SHOPS

"Still Open" is an intimate and personal tour of some of the capital's best-kept secrets, the traditional shops that have managed to stay open and flourish in the face of this increasingly fierce competition. From the pie and mash shops of the East End, to the 1950s Italian delis of Soho, to James Taylor and Son's classic umbrella shop on Gower Street, "Still Open" also takes in butchers, florists, coffee shops, clothes shops, toyshops and milliners. The establishments' interiors and exteriors are beautifully photographed by renowned photographer Brian Benson; and the history of each is told by their proprietors and customers. Personal anecdotes, historical documents and the city's broader history are all invoked as "Still Open" weaves a compelling tapestry out of the many strands that make up the highways and byways of London. Accessibly divided into geographical areas, "Still Open" sketches out a portrait of the city and its history - both its well trodden routes and its hidden gems. A guide-book with a difference, "Still Open" is essential for both Londoners and tourists alike. It is at once a social history, a photographic essay on interior design through the ages and an affectionate look at the last vestiges of romance on the high street.