London, it has been said, is a collection of villages and small towns absorbed into a great city. Londoners give their allegiance to specific localities: Chiswick, Islington, Highgate, Hampstead or Muswell Hill for example.

The heart of London is, of course, the City and the West End. We travel into the centre to work or to enjoy ourselves, but we come back to our own district to make our homes. We find the local shops we like and seek out the local pubs, clubs, restaurants, libraries, churches and the open greenery to enjoy at the weekends. These places are the key to London life and in the right house or flat we are at home, in our own "village" environment.

People find that the more they understand the history and the secrets of their chosen locale, the more they come to enjoy it. As the years pass, those living in Muswell Hill for example, call themselves Muswell Hillians, Muesli Hillians or Muswell Thrillians - depending on their age and outlook!!

It means so much more than being "just" a Londoner. In these pages the past of Muswell Hill is explored and the story of how it became such a unique Edwardian suburb is told.