Portobello Road: Lives of a Neighbourhood (book review)

According to the author, Portobello Road achieved world wide fame from a movie. It’s not the same movie that makes Portobello Road attractive to me. Apparently there is a blue door and a book store that inspired a book store in the movie Notting Hill. Having never seen Notting Hill I have no idea what it’s all about.

The movie that made me want to visit Portobello Road and to read this book was Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I do realise that in the movie it was probably a set somewhere in America. However, the idea that there was this magical road where you could get anything you wanted with a catchy song was enough for me to day dream about visiting this road. 

Portobello Road has changed over the years and Julian Mash author, creative writer, journalist, musician, bookseller, manager and an events manager felt it important that these changes or history should be recorded. 

This is a book I wish I had written, the amount of people who talked to him and allowed him a glimpse into their lives is amazing. This book is more then facts or statistics on how time has changed a single road in London, it’s life. It shows the stuff beyond the gorgeous architecture and gives us a history; a history of food, fashion, music, and art! 

Portobello Road: Lives of a Neighborhood 
by Julian Mash
published by Frances Lincoln Limited (2014) 
RRP: £9.99/$15.99 

notes: the book was sent to me to review - all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information