'[Go] behind the glamorous shop fronts and the glitzy shop floors of Britain's department stores... Here the hidden history is revealed.' Saga Magazine

Meet the shopgirls and hear their incredible true stories of life behind the counter.

In this lively and colourful history, we join shopgirl Chili Bouchier on her journey from the small ladies' department at Harrods to star of the silver screen, and experience the raw courage of John Lewis' Miss Austin during the Blitz in the West End. We follow Margaret Bondfield as she goes undercover, fiercely championing the rights of her fellow shopgirls; and stand alongside the impoverished interwar chain store assistants who stole stockings to supplement their meagre wages. And we celebrate with the art school entrepreneurs who kick-started the boutique movement of the swinging '60s and made the shop floor their own.

Here, these wonderful tales of friendship, hardship and triumph are revealed as never before.

For fans of nostalgic history and memoir, including Call the Midwife; Mollie Moran's Aprons and Silver Spoons; and The Sugar Girls

'As packed with good things as the Peter Jones sale' Daily Telegraph True stories of friendship, triumph and hardship from behind the counter.

About the Author

Pamela Cox is a social historian at the University of Essex. She has presented two major history series for BBC Two - 'Shopgirls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter' (2014) and 'Servants: The True Story of Life Below Stairs' (2012), both produced by Annabel Hobley. Her previous books include Bad Girls (2012) and Becoming Delinquent (2002).

Annabel Hobley is a television producer and writer. Her credits for the BBC, ITV and More4 include Shopgirls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter; Servants: The True Story of Life Below Stairs; McQueen & I, a documentary on fashion icons Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow; and The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon, about an extraordinary treasure trove of Edwardian films.

Reviews
Packed with riveting detail, a more absorbing collection of tales from the spirited shopgirls of the Victorian era to the present day would be hard to find. * Daily Mail *
Rich in surprising insight and human detail . . . endless[ly] fascinating . . highly readable -- Lucy Lethbridge * Observer *
Fascinating and addictive... A profusion of lively material includes the Wodehousian yarn of future Hollywood star "Chilli" Bouchier. * Independent *
[Go] behind the glamorous shop fronts and the glitzy shop floors of Britain's department stores . . . Here the hidden history of the unsung heroines of the retail trade is revealed. * Saga Magazine *
As packed with good things as the Peter Jones sale * Daily Telegraph *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099594680
Author Dr Pamela Cox
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Arrow Books Ltd
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 311g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 23mm