Secret London: An Unusual Guide (Local Guides by Local People)

Where can you peer inside Richard Burton's tent? Whatever happened to Bedlam? Where can you praise God, buy meatballs and have a sauna? What's in the House of Dreams? What's growing quietly under your feet? What's the trick to instant weight loss?

Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, London offers countless off-beat experiences and is home to any number of well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to residents and travellers who find their way off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew London well or would like to discover the other face of the city.

Secret London - An unusual guide is the original and still the best of all the many alternative London guides: accept no imitation. Authors Rachel Howard and Bill Nash have prowled the city streets, seeking out the hidden, eccentric and overlooked.

Rachel Howard is a journalist and copywriter who has lived in almost every borough in London. A regular contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveler, and The Guardian, Rachel writes mainly about travel, food, and the arts. She previously spent a decade writing speeches for the Greek foreign minister. But that's another story.

Bill Nash is an actor and writer, with family roots all across London. An obsession with the city's corners is the foundation for his contribution to this book. He lives in Brixton with his family and an ineffective cat.