An imprint of Portobello Publishing
Inside Notting Hill
Rachman, Profumo, Bob Marley, Malcolm X… oh, and Hugh Grant. They’ve all left their mark on London’s Trustafarian suburb says the author of a guide.
I’d been nagged for years to do an update of Inside Notting Hill – a book I’d first published under the imprint Portobello Publishing in 2001. The first edition had been an instant success and had much positive press coverage – but it had been hard work.
Inside Notting Hill has a personal insight and human touch that guidebooks rarely, if ever, achieve. The Hill
Enough instant cognoscenti history to make you feel you’ve lived there since long before Julia Roberts ever heard of the place. The Times
Far from exacerbating the smugness of an area already far too pleased with itself, Davies and Anderson have made a breakthrough in tourist marketing. Evening Standard
Wonderful book . . . something I can recommend at last! Michael Moorcock
An entertaining read . . . and you won’t find a more comprehensive listing of restaurants, shops and bars. The Observer
A welcome guide to a glamorous, seedy, funky neighbourhood – the place I love in all her diversity. Heather Small
Inside Notting Hill is an illuminating guide to W11 . . . this textual appreciation is the real deal because it was compiled by experts. The Paddington Times
There is no better place to live in London and no better guide. Sebastian Faulks
In this unique work . . . alongside these short evocative narratives sit the practicalities, the lists of shops, bars, hotels and restaurants. Everything, in fact, both resident and visitor could need. The Sunday Times
For Immediate Release
Inside Notting Hill: New Edition
Publication date: 12 June 2007
“An essential guide for residents and visitors alike.â€
Mariella Frostrup
“Inside Notting Hill is the perfect combination of 99 per cent accurate information and hair-raising stories . . . detailed and fascinating.†Literary Review
Following the huge success of the first book, Umbrella Books is delighted to announce the publication of the new, fully revised edition of Inside Notting Hill, the only guide to this enduringly popular corner of London.
Our new edition has:
• More landmarks and legends – including Muhammad Ali, Banksy, Charles Dickens, Joe Strummer, Ossie Clark, Cardinal Manning, Michael X, Bill Clinton and heroes of the Spanish resistance, now commemorated under the Westway
• Fully updated recommendations for where to stay, eat, drink, shop, and a whole lot more, whatever your budget
• Music stories – Carnival, steel bands, shebeens, pop and rock history, and how punk met reggae in the Grove
• Film locations – including A Hard Day’s Night, The Italian Job, Performance, Withnail and I, Kidulthood, Match Point and, of course, Notting Hill
• History – from the failure of the Hippodrome racecourse, the Notting Hill riots, Rachman’s property empire and the birth of the underground press, to concern about current development plans for Portobello market.
In addition, new writings by Tim Lott, Michael Horovitz, Virginia Ironside and Rachel Johnson join contributions by Colin MacInnes, Michael Moorcock, Mustapha Matura, John Michell, Nicky Gemmell and other writers connected with Notting Hill, past and present.
Continue reading ‘Press Release: Inside Notting Hill - New Edition’
Tim Lott has written a piece called My Notting Hill. He was born in 1956 in Southall, Middlesex and studied Politics and History at the London School of Economics.
Click here to read more about Tim Lott
Virginia Ironside has been a writer and journalist all her life and now has a weekly column on the Independent newspaper.
Click here to read more about Virginia Ironside
We include an extract from Jonathan Raban’s book Soft City.
Click here to read more about Jonathan Raban
Nikki Gemmell has written four novels, Shiver, Cleave, Lovesong and The Bride Stripped Bare, as well as a work of non-fiction, Pleasure: An Almanac for the Heart.
Click here to read more about Nikki Gemmell
Lady Mary Coke was born on 2 February 1726, the youngest daughter of John, Duke of Argyll and Greenwich. In 1747 she married Edward, Viscount Coke, only son of Thomas, Earl of Leicester. After two years of constant disagreement they separated, after which he died in 1753.
