New Series of Michael Portillo's Railway Journeys

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Michael was being filmed on Sunday 28-4-2013 in Wolverhampton Low level station and Bantock Park ........... why Bantock Park I ask myself ? Theres no railway there .
Dave1954 .

Bantock Park in its 43 acres of parkland includes Bantock House Museum that was fully restored in 1999 and covers many aspects of Edwardian life.

Michael Portillo has been known to visit premises that may have an indirect link to the subject of his programmes.
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The "rabies" building....as you travel towards Manchester it's on your left, and looks just like what it is, sheds converted into kennels to house (mainly) dogs that are either suspected of being rabid, or have been imported and are subject to quarantine.The animals have to go somewhere! Of course these days there are pet passports and all sorts of microchips, meaning such animals don't require quarantine, but in "my day" an imported pet had to be quarantined for 6 months before release. Poor things. Hope conditions are warm and comfy for them!

I think the place is well worth a wee slot on Portillo's prog, many thousands pass each day and won't have a clue what goes on inside. I'm assuming the place is still running...anyone?

The original company was Mayfield Kennels Limited, which is now part of Dogs 4 Us, which also has premises in Leeds. It offers:-
A boarding kennels and a boarding cattery
Puppy sales
Pet supplies and dog wash.
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Is it HMP Forest Bank, run by Sodexo?

Indeed it is. It is a Category B prison that was constructed in 2000 on the site of the former Agecroft Power Station.

 

[Howardh]

The original company was Mayfield Kennels Limited, which is now part of Dogs 4 Us, which also has premises in Leeds. It offers:-
A boarding kennels and a boarding cattery
Puppy sales
Pet supplies and dog wash.
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Indeed it is. It is a Category B prison that was constructed in 2000 on the site of the former Agecroft Power Station.

Ta for the info on the kennels! *Thinks* if the prison was built on the site of an old power station, then wouldn't the best thing be to have the inmates spending their time riding fixed bicycles and generate electricity back into the National Grid for free ? OK, not much electricity would be produced...but every little helps

 

[Beveridges]

Don't think he's ever done the God's Own Railway - AKA the most boring, depressing line in the world, Manchester to Bolton, where the most fascinating points are (not in any batting order) the bridge under the M60, the prison and the warehouse on the left where Nodel are/were based. It must be something when arriving in Bolton is something to be pleased about, the line makes reading The Metro pleasurable.

Really? Ever tried the alternative line into Manchester on a 142 or 150 all stops - the Atherton line?
The Bolton-Manchester line is great compared to that.
It's 75mph and theres usually no stops until Salford, sometimes even misses that out.
Theres also the open views over the valley.
The Atherton line is very very boring and slow in comparison with nothing to look at as most of it is in an embankment.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The Atherton line is very very boring and slow in comparison with nothing to look at as most of it is in an embankment.

Ah yes, but what other line offers a rail visitor to the area the opportunity to call at a station with the most dramatic name of Hag Fold which could mentally conjure up a myriad of possibilities to new visitors to that area having the courage to disembark there...

 

[high camera]

A little off topic but my favorite change of scenery is passing through Chinley into the tunnel and emerging into the stunning Edale valley.

On the subject of the Bolton line, I actually think its quite interesting in addition to the previous mentioned, there is the GM Waste siding which if you time it right there is the possibility of a Binliner, almost opposite there is the stone depot, just a little further there is cash / bullion transfer depot, then the landfill sites, overgrown sidings the tile factory, Irwell valley etc, etc Boring it isn't.

 

[callum112233]

The "rabies" building....as you travel towards Manchester it's on your left, and looks just like what it is, sheds converted into kennels to house (mainly) dogs that are either suspected of being rabid, or have been imported and are subject to quarantine.

The animals have to go somewhere! Of course these days there are pet passports and all sorts of microchips, meaning such animals don't require quarantine, but in "my day" an imported pet had to be quarantined for 6 months before release. Poor things. Hope conditions are warm and comfy for them!

I think the place is well worth a wee slot on Portillo's prog, many thousands pass each day and won't have a clue what goes on inside.

I'm assuming the place is still running...anyone?

I'll keep my eye out for that next time I go by. Learn something new everyday

 

[YorkshireBear]

Filming at the KWVR today.

 

[GNERman]

Walked past him in Bradford this evening...

 

[Tulyar]

Still wearing those ghastly jackets I see

Looking forward to any new series as I really enjoyed the last one.

 

[northwichcat]

Apparently he's been filming at Huddersfield this afternoon.

 

[Cletus]

Spotted in Dover yesterday (not by me).

 

[tom1681]

He was also in Norwich (again) earlier in the week:

He has travelled the length and breadth of the country in his quest to follow in the footsteps of 19th century cartographer George Bradshaw, and Michael Portillo’s latest trip for his television series saw him given a lesson on Norfolk’s agricultural past and present....

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/michael_portillo_visits_norwich_livestock_market_for_his_great_british_railway_journeys_tv_series_1_2317569

 

[Captain Chaos]

Not sure if this is the right section so please feel free to move!

Just had Michael Portillo on my Gatwick to Reading service filming with his crew. North Downs line will be featured and should be airing January next year.

 

[chuckles1066]

Not sure if this is the right section so please feel free to move!

Just had Michael Portillo on my Gatwick to Reading service filming with his crew. North Downs line will be featured and should be airing January next year.

Put him on any Patchway - Bristol rush hour train (if he and his camera crew can actually get aboard the shortformed service which I doubt) and then I'll start to believe his output has any merit.

 

[swt_passenger]

Put him on any Patchway - Bristol rush hour train (if he and his camera crew can actually get aboard the shortformed service which I doubt) and then I'll start to believe his output has any merit.

His 'output' is not, (and never has been), intended to be a commentary on the state of the current railway though.

That's the purpose of various other rail documentaries that have been on, or are about to be shown, for instance there's a Channel 5 documentary on the GW currently in production.

 

[colchesterken]

It is more of a travel show than a railway series
Wish we had a regular programme about trains
Football & guardening seem to do well as does house renovation

 

[Bungle73]

Put him on any Patchway - Bristol rush hour train (if he and his camera crew can actually get aboard the shortformed service which I doubt) and then I'll start to believe his output has any merit.

You've never actually watched this excellent series have you? If you had then you might realise how ridiculous that comment is.

 

[northwichcat]

Put him on any Patchway - Bristol rush hour train (if he and his camera crew can actually get aboard the shortformed service which I doubt) and then I'll start to believe his output has any merit.

You've never actually watched this excellent series have you? If you had then you might realise how ridiculous that comment is.

Michael Portillo was spotted on a peak time Northern Rail service in the Manchester area but not when he was doing any filming, so busy peak time trains and the risk of travelling on Pacers doesn't put him off rail travel when he's not on camera.

 

[colchesterken]

Hi Bungle, I can confirm I have watched every programme except the europian series
What I would like to see is some more detailed history about the line, and the train used in the past,and now rather than the places and people on the way
Also some detail about the trains

 

[markydh]

That sort of detail would not appeal to the masses. The reason it has been such a successful show is the fact it is aimed at everyone who might be interested in social hsitory or human geography or travel. What you would like to see may appeal to the odd enthusiast but would get no more than a a couple of thousand viewers at most!

 

[Muzer]

I see it as a British history programme neatly tied together by railways, rather than a rail programme.

 

[Aictos]

I was lucky enought o have a chat with him yesterday. We had been given advance notice he was coming. Anyway firstly would like to say what a thoroughly nice chap he was to speak to, he took time to greet and talk to anyone who approached him and did some photographs for the station.

He told me he was filming in the manchester/cheshire area for the next ten days as he was focussing on the cotton trade and manchesters dominance in the market at the time.

he also told me he is doing another european series based on Bradshaws covering Germany as at least one country.

Like I said a really nice chap and came across as he does on the programmes, a pleasure to meet him.

A series based on German Railways by Portillo? woohoo

 

[mb]

It's far too short as a programme. There must be loads of footage going unused. I'm surprised the BBC don't do an hour long version for BBC Four.

What a great programme to brighten up the horror of January.

 

[Bungle73]

Hi Bungle, I can confirm I have watched every programme except the europian series

Then what's all this business of his "output" having no "merit"?

What I would like to see is some more detailed history about the line, and the train used in the past,and now rather than the places and people on the way
Also some detail about the trains

You seem to be wanting a programme completely different from that which this one sets out to be. This isn't really a programme about it trains per se, it is more a programme about the places that trains pass through, aided by the Bradshaw guide.

It's far too short as a programme. There must be loads of footage going unused. I'm surprised the BBC don't do an hour long version for BBC Four.

What a great programme to brighten up the horror of January.

Each route gets 5 half hour programmes dedicated to it - that's two and a half hours of air-time in total. You don't think it's enough?

 

[swt_passenger]

Then what's all this business of his "output" having no "merit"?

That comment was from a different poster, chuckles1066. There looks to have been some crossed wires earlier when colchesterken replied to you, but you'd just commented about the former post?

 

[Bungle73]

That comment was from a different poster, chuckles1066. There looks to have been some crossed wires earlier when colchesterken replied to you, but you'd just commented about the former post?

Ah, I see.

 

[Butts]

Surprised no one has mentioned his Continental Great Railway Journeys which is a few episodes in.

Enjoyed the latest episode about Germany.

Great Model Railway featured in Hamburg.

Far better than that EC crap on Sky !!!

 

[Blaahh]

Must admit i do wish british was longer, but continental shorter, agree more footage should be used but Portillo is a good bloke.

 

[Cletus]

There's a thread in the International Transport section for his European series.

 

[mb]

Must admit i do wish british was longer, but continental shorter, agree more footage should be used but Portillo is a good bloke.

I emailed the main scheduler for BBC Two about making a longer version and he told me that they do make an hour long version (but didn't say why it never gets shown). I suggested this would be great on BBC Four the same evening as the shorter one goes out, so you could choose which one you wanted to watch (or maybe both!).