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Has anyone been watching his programme each night on BBC2 about railway journeys? I keep missing it because it’s on at 6.30, a strange time for such a gem of a programme. This is it’s second week, and it’s on next week as well. I did catch part of the programme about Eccles, thankfully, because I lived there a long time ago, and it explained why the canal up the road at Worsley was orange. I always thought it was something to do with iron, but it was due to coal mining. Hope they bring out a dvd of it, because I really want to see all of it. I’ve loved Michael Portillo ever since he did a programme about Santiago de Compostela . The other night it was all about when he saved the Settle to Carlisle railway, which he says is his greatest political achievement; the sight of a steam train going across the viaduct was wonderful..it was so ‘Railway Children’..people just stand and wave to it as it goes by….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 … _Garsdale/
bottom of the page has other episodes… i dunno when they will dissapear. There appears to be a download option at the bottom right corner below the screen. Looks like they have all 10 episodes.
Saw the one tonight about the Forth Bridge and his grandfather’s home in Kirkcaldy and it was a pleasant little programme. May have a gander at the others on iPlayer
I like Portillo too: a decent, thoughtful chap considering he is (or was) a Conservative
though to be fair the majority of politicians are nicer and more interesting once they’ve left the confines of Westminster and cease their demeaning practice of uttering lie-through-your-teeth-and-toe-the-party-line weasel words.The journey along the Settle-Carlisle line is well worth making. Splendid views of the Dales as would be expected but it’s the renovated stations that are the real jewels – very Victorian, very railway children. All paid for and maintained by local clubs and ‘friends’ so I believe.
The downloads from the Beeb are only available for a set time, normally 7 days – then somehow they wipe them off your computer.
The only time I’ve used the Download thing was when wanting to watch a programme that was only available in HD and the laptop couldn’t stream it properly.
It was a Silent Witness episode and took about 40 mins to download.
I always stay up all night when the election results come through, and I have never forgotten how dignified Portillo was when he lost his seat to Stephen Twigg; I think it was the same night that Mandelson went on a complete rant about back stabbing. Since that day I have tried to judge polititians as individuals not party members, but I agree, they’re all nicer when they join the real world and don’t have to talk in a ‘yes, no’ interlude sort of way. Half watched Question Time last night thinking what a great Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke would have been; surely one of the best and most respected MP’s of the modern era. [however, always felt he should be in the Labour Party; perhaps the best Prime Minister The Labour Party never had?]. Have problems with iplayer; the sound is fine but the picture is stoppy starty; annoying because I used to watch a lot of stuff on it; as for Silent Witness, saw it for the first time last night..it was a bit Madam Tussauds; has it always been like that?
Slightly frustrating thing here in Scotland is that come Friday we are one episode behind the rest of the UK. It’s ‘Gaelic programme time’ on Thursday, so we have to watch Thursday’s episode on Friday and Friday’s on Saturday.
I’m looking forward to seeing Portillo’s visit to the Forth Bridge, a stunning construction that I look at in awe every time I see it. We are lucky enough to have the Forth Bridge in view from the front window of our house.
Rob
I have never forgotten how dignified Portillo was when he lost his seat to Stephen Twigg
Agreed; that’s when I began to like him
what a great Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke would have been; surely one of the best and most respected MP’s of the modern era. [however, always felt he should be in the Labour Party; perhaps the best Prime Minister The Labour Party never had?].
Agreed again. Likes a drink, likes a smoke and likes jazz, he’ll do me
Certainly the best leader the Conservatives never had. Duncan-Smith, Howard, Hague, Major…dear oh dear what on earth possessed them?
I always stay up all night when the election results come through, and I have never forgotten how dignified Portillo was when he lost his seat to Stephen Twigg;
(NAP)
Certainly a Conservative possessive of more of the common touch than most, and of compassion enough to undertake (and evidently be affected by) programmes such as "When Michael Portillo Became a Single Mum" and "Death of a School Friend".
Spoke volumes, however, for the arguably unbridgeable ideological expanse in the Conservative Party, when Norman Tebbit claimed Iain Duncan-Smith was the logical choice over Mr Portillo in the Tory leadership race as the former was "a nice, NORMAL, family man" (his emphasis, not mine). A clear, barbed nod to details of the latter’s earlier real or imagined personal life, and sadly almost certainly not a view held by him alone.
Very much enjoyed the railway programme the other night. Always good to see Scarborough, my beloved former home of five years, get a televisual airing.
Half watched Question Time last night thinking what a great Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke would have been; surely one of the best and most respected MP’s of the modern era. [however, always felt he should be in the Labour Party; perhaps the best Prime Minister The Labour Party never had?].
You could have watched the other half as well and still not witnessed Peter Hain give a straight answer to anything. Labour could have used rather more Clarkes than Hains in the last decade.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Mr. P. is one of my favourite presenters at the moment. He reminds me a little of Russell Harty and Richard Whiteley combined but less frivolous. I’d like to see him in the role of a serious interviewer, perhaps an intelligent replacement for Ross.
I can’t stand Peter Hain; he’s slimy. Saw a programme on BBC4 the other night about diaries, and a lot of it was about Alan Clark. I must find time to read his diaries..it said he was the only person in politics to actually write things down as they happened. It compared his diary to Edwina’s [no comparison]. One of my proudest moments in life is walking out on a talk that Edwina gave at our vicars. She was so rude to him and everyone else that I actually stood up to her and left. [she was annoyed that there were only a few people in the room and no press, I would imagine]. The mouse that roared; never before and never since!
Duncan-Smith, Howard, Hague, Major…dear oh dear what on earth possessed them?
Certainly agree with you re Duncan-Smith and Howard.
Major was the right person at the time.
Hague is an excellent politician – if he was leader I would actually be out actively campaigning for the Conservatives again.
Cameron is a waste of space and like too many modern politicians wouldn’t recognise a principle if it turned round and slapped him in the face.
Hague was the wrong person at the wrong time and they tried to create the wrong image of him, young and funky; I mean, get real! Again, I started to like him when there was a series about books and he spoke very movingly about ‘Birdsong’. Maybe polititians when campaigning should be made to give a talk on something other than politics; that way we might get to see the ‘real’ person behind the spin. Wonder what ‘Dave’ would talk about?
Can’t disagree with either of the above – for all that his politics sits some way removed from mine, at his best William Hague is an incredible orator.
Divorce him from the "I drink 16 pints of Theakstons, me!" schtick which seemed to dog him early in his leadership tenure, and he’s by all accounts a treasured constituency MP as well.
Tony Blair was doubtless a relieved man when the jousting with the more verbally agile Hague over PMQs came to an abrupt end in 2001.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Are there any eloquent polititians left; or even passionate ones [other than Dennis Skinner]? Why has politics become so bland and soulless?
Are there any eloquent polititians left; or even passionate ones [other than Dennis Skinner]? Why has politics become so bland and soulless?
It has turned into the 30 second sound bite sadly Mo – even with 24 Hour news most people now have the attention span of a gnat and will not sit through a set piece political speech.
I remember years ago I used to watch all three leaders speeches at the party conferences – I’m not even sure if they are still shown nowadays.
I have no doubt in the upcoming election we will be faced with the "140 Character Quote" as "policy" is condensed into Twitter size feeds.
I have no doubt in the upcoming election we will be faced with the "140 Character Quote" as "policy" is condensed into Twitter size feeds.
"OMG da electr8 say Iz bin voted there noo MP. Yay! LOL"
etc.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
though to be fair the majority of politicians are nicer and more interesting once they’ve left the confines of Westminster and cease their demeaning practice of uttering lie-through-your-teeth-and-toe-the-party-line weasel words.
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