Great British Railway Journeys Ep 20/20
In the last leg of Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys, he reaches London, as he continues to discover what remains of George Bradshaw’s Britain.
In Bradshaw’s time, London was the heart of the Empire. Arriving at St Pancras, Michael finds out about the station’s troubled history and the recent £800m makeover that has transformed it into an international terminus. He also gains a sneak preview of the St Pancras Hotel with former security guard Roydon Stock. Roydon looked after the building for over 30 years before it began to be renovated and knows all its secrets.
Michael continues his journey along the world’s first underground line from King’s Cross to Farringdon. The early hours of the morning find him at Smithfield Market, which had its own underground station in Bradshaw’s day. Talking to trader Alan Eland, Michael discovers how the market’s success was linked to the railways and how it has changed over the years.
Following Bradshaw’s recommended route past St Paul’s and along the Thames, Michael takes a walk through London back to a place he knows well, the Houses of Parliament. Here he climbs the famous clock tower to meet the men responsible for keeping the timepiece in order – Ian Westworth and Paul Roberson – and has a go at winding up the clock. Big Ben is now in its 150th anniversary year and Michael gets right up close to the famous bell as he discover the secrets of accurate time keeping and the origins of standard London time.
Comment from Keith Grafton
Time January 30, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I have just watched episode 20, the last in the series, it is sad to reflect it has all ended. Can the BBC get Michael Portillo to do another series, his presentational skills are first class, the BBC has found a new talent in him, he added so much to this series without being over intrusive. His special talents got you hooked as he enthused over all aspects of the subject. Even though I’m a professional railwayman of 40 years I loved every minute of the whole series of programmes.
Is it possible for the BBC produce a DVD set of the whole series and what about a book to support the series, I wonder?
Is it possible for Michael Portillo to receive all the complimentary comments on these programmes that people have submitted he deserves every plaudit.
Well done BBC, and Very Well done Michael Portillo!