London's Pleasures: From Restoration to Regency

An insight into the pleasures and pastimes of Londoners between the Restoration of 1660 and the beginning of World War I. Thematically arranged chapters discuss the violent and nowadays unpalatable pleasures of the age, such as the bear-baiting spectacles of Bankside, cock-fighting in St James's Park, and the attraction of public hangings on Tower Hill. These events played alongside more innocent amusements such as the burgeoning of public pleasure gardens, exhibitions, bazaars, theatres and music halls, and the pivotal importance of the capital's coffee houses. As the 20th century dawned, the author shows what happened as society, or some sections of it at least, turned ultra-respectable and forced many of the capital's activities underground.