Volume 49 Issue 7 July 1999

A.D. Harvey looks back a hundred years to the birth of modern local government in London - the launch-pad for many national political careers.

Denise Silvester-Carr looks at Art Deco places of interest in Britain.

Dave Wright and Nicholas Hill explain the failure of Britain’s post-war attempts to join the space race.

Richard Cavendish describes the maiden flight of the world's first jet-propelled airliner, on July 27th 1949.