PEDLARS, POSEURS AND PERFORMERS: MY PORTOBELLO ROAD by Brian Jaquest (Unicorn Publishing Group £50, 272pp)

For generations, the beating heart of Notting Hill has been Portobello Road. Never has the feeling of visiting been so perfectly encapsulated as in this series by Brian Jaquest. 

His photographs, jangled in their chronology, span over 50 years, and really bring forth the sense of grittiness and social change of London itself, whilst simultaneously realising the road’s impact on our sense of community.

Generations of sellers carry on their family legacy by taking over their unique stalls while the constant rumbling music plays around them. People dress in their best (or worst...) outfits full of personality to give their all to entertain, sell their trinkets or home-grown vegetables or even just to stroll.

From exotic fruit sellers to flowers to religious parades and punk band performances, each photo depicts a rich landscape of British culture and its people. Every picture tells a story of a previously untold, untapped, dysfunctional family. 

In one particular example, Tommy Shand (pictured) has caught the attention of a father and daughter; the girl is enthralled by this magical character playing a sound she might have only heard indoors. I remember being that little girl on the back of a bike, taking in all the joy around. I know you can hear the picture like I can.