The Worst Street in London - Softcover

For most enthusiasts the Midland Region in the London area at the end of the steam era probably conjures up images of passenger services operating on the former London & North Western Railway line into and out of Euston. Hauled by glamorous express locomotives designed for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, the Princess Coronations, Princess Royals, Royal Scots, Patriots and Jubilees all epitomise this golden era. Covering British Railway's Midland Region from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, this exciting new title explores a time when steam in the London area was slowly being eliminated. Thus, although most of the pictures are of steam locomotives, some beautiful shots of diesel and electric traction from that period are also included. The important former Midland Railway line serving St Pancras is also covered in depth, as are some of the more prosaic services. Examples of the latter include inter-regional passenger and good trains, suburban electric services, branch line trains and other services for which the Midland Region provided motive power. These included those on the former Great Central main line out of Marylebone, the North London line to Richmond, the former London, Tilbury & Southend Railway from Fenchurch Street and London Transport services beyond Rickmansworth on the former Metropolitan Railway. Consequently, there are many stunning photographs of Midland Region engines in various "foreign" locations around London.This brilliant new colour portfolio has been designed as a companion volume to The Southern Around London and The Western Around London, published by Ian Allan in 2003 and 2004 respectively. It is certain to be very popular with railway enthusiasts and modellers around the country, as well as those wishing to complete the collection.

Halfway up Commercial Street, one block away from Spitalfields Market, lies an anonymous service road. The average pedestrian wouldn't even notice it existed. But unlikely though it may seem, this characterless, 400ft strip of tarmac was once Dorset Street - the most notorious thoroughfare in the Capital; the worst street in London and the resort of Protestant fire-brands, thieves, con-men, pimps, prostitutes and murderers, most notably Jack the Ripper. Spitalfields as a whole is now a vibrant and fashionable place to live, work and play; the home of artists and artisans, just as it was when the Huguenots settled there. However, as dusk falls, the seemingly indelible, sordid side of this fascinating part of London begins to emerge once again as the unknowing descendants of Mary Kelly, Mary Ann Austin and Kitty Ronan and others begin to ply their trade around the hallowed walls of Christ Church. All signs of Dorset Street, ' the worst street in London', may all but have disappeared from the map but its legacy is too powerful to ever be entirely erased. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street, from its promising beginnings at the centre of the 17th Century silk weaving industry through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence to its final demise at the hands of the demolition men. Its remarkable history gives a fascinating insight into an area of London that has, from its initial development, been a cultural melting pot - the place where many thousands of immigrants became Londoners. It also tells the story of a part of London that, until quite recently, was largely left to fend for itself, with truly horrifying results.