In The Blue Riband, Peter York, chronicler of London's elites, looks at the 'uptown top-ranking' relationship between the grand - but still accessible via the Tube - locations of central London and humbler Londoners. He considers how aspirant Londoners were drawn to the centre and how in the 21st Century hopeful new Londoners from practically everywhere filter through Heathrow and the outer suburbs, and end Up West, wanting to be part of it. He looks at Piccadilly, the entertainment hub of the Edwardian empire, through the eyes of that eternally resonant figure Burlington Bertie from Bow.

Author Biography

Peter York is one of the UK's leading strategic researchers. As Peter York, the writer, author and broadcaster on social styles and trends, he writes regularly for the Independent and other broadsheets. His books include co-authoring the 80s bestseller The Sloane Ranger Handbook and Dictators' Homes. His latest BBC documentary, 'The Rise and Fall of the Ad-Man', was shown on BBC2 in 2011. He is a Visiting Professor of the University of the Arts London. His latest book Jim Lee: Arrested will be published in May 2012.