The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker cover art

The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker

A History of the High Street

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker

By: Annie Gray
Narrated by: Annie Gray
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £15.14

Buy Now for £15.14

About this listen

Bustling with rich detail, historical vignettes and surprising wares, this is the story of Britain's best-loved but ever-changing public spaces.

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.

Historian Annie Gray takes us down the street and through the ages, from medieval marketplaces to the purpose-built concrete precincts of the 20th 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.

©2024 Annie Gray (P)2025 Soundings Architecture
All stars
Most relevant
I was lucky enough to meet Dr Annie Gray at Ipswich Book Festival and she was as charming and interesting and she sounds in this book. Highly recommended

Fabulous book and great reading

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This should have been good an interesting topic. But the narration is awful, it’s really bad with the narrator trying numerous voices and well she’s not an actor. The accents are dreadful. I can’t listen to it, it’s like Lucy Worsley on speed.

Awful acting please stop

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An interesting journey down the High Street throughout history bringing back memories of long forgotten shops ( weren’t Home and Colonial's cold meats the best?)
This book is a very easy listen, excellently narrated by the author, Dr. Annie Gray in her own enthusiastic way.

A walk down memory lane.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I found the book very interesting - learnt a lot, and may buy it on kindle if it is available.

Extremely Interesting Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the history, the wonderful detail, amusing delivery, clever evocation of each era. Excellent

excellent, fascinating book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews