The Welsh Harp Reservoir is an important lung of open space in north-west London. For those who drive around the North Circular Road it provides visual relief to the heavy flow of traffic. The stretch of water was once much larger and would have covered Brent Cross Shopping Centre. This outstanding collection of photographs traces the history of both reservoir and neighbourhood, pulling together the records of museums and local authorities.Incredibly, these pages explore the canal system, Victorian Music Hall, the first bicycle race, the first greyhound race, horse racing, angling, boating and wild life, as well as the early tests on torpedos, tanks and sea planes. In its Victorian heyday this was simply "the jolliest place that's out" and thousands of visitors flocked here to have a "good time". Join Geoffrey Hewlett in his visual celebration of this urban oasis.

This book is part of the Images of London series, which uses old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in England, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.