Television: Nairn Across Britain

[reb0118]

Just watched this fascinating programme on the iplayer:-

Nairn Across Britain: From Leeds into Scotland (1972).

He briefly follows the S&C and the Waverley route from Leeds via Carlisle to Edinburgh. This is the third & final episode of the series that charts his route from London to Edinburgh - all worth a gander. I remembered the scene at the disused signal box at Longtown from long ago but couldn't place it - now I can.

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks for posting that.

It's fascinating seeing a few of these places that I frequent now, back in the 70's.

I should have a wander down to Dent one of these days !

 

[Busaholic]

Ian Nairn was a fascinating, complex character. All of his books are worth reading, but particularly 'Nairn's London'. He was always a fish out of water and would have hated and been unable to cope the inanities of our age.

 

[ian1944]

Indeed. He certainly said it as he saw it. I remember the journeys around the country in his Morris Minor, where frequently he became almost apoplectic when describing some local desecration to the townscape. The demolition of a fine old church in Bolton, and the brutal development (i.e erasure) of the centre of Northampton come particularly to mind.

 

[aylesbury]

Interesting programme I noticed how run down and neglected everything looked ,the best bit was the buses in Carlisle a real variety of types.

 

[davetheguard]

Interesting stuff. I don't remember the 70's looking that grim at the time; but it certainly looks it now i.e. compared to today.

And the railway looks so run down - that opening shot with Leeds station in the background, he does a long piece to camera, but not a single train to be seen the whole time! There would be two or three departures/arrivals in that time today. Same at Skipton, no wires of course, just a single first generation DMU. Battleship grey station, dirty canopies, no flowers in planters. Looks so much better cared for today: lots of trains, lots of passengers.

Good to be reminded that things weren't always better in the olden days!

 

[yorksrob]

Trying to watch the first episode on iplayer with great difficulty.

I wonder what the late Mr Nairn would have made of our useless crappy modern technology, none of which seems to work.

 

[IanD]

How things change - lots of trains to Morecambe, just 2 a day to Carlisle.

 

[Busaholic]

Trying to watch the first episode on iplayer with great difficulty.

I wonder what the late Mr Nairn would have made of our useless crappy modern technology, none of which seems to work.

Th e Morris Minor was unsophisticated and, unlike the iplayer etc was built to last. I'm using Microsoft XP and know the next time it malfunctions it'll be on the scrapheap/

 

[muddythefish]

Interesting stuff. I don't remember the 70's looking that grim at the time; but it certainly looks it now i.e. compared to today.

And the railway looks so run down - that opening shot with Leeds station in the background, he does a long piece to camera, but not a single train to be seen the whole time! There would be two or three departures/arrivals in that time today. Same at Skipton, no wires of course, just a single first generation DMU. Battleship grey station, dirty canopies, no flowers in planters. Looks so much better cared for today: lots of trains, lots of passengers.

Good to be reminded that things weren't always better in the olden days!

If you are a railway enthusiast it was much better then. The railways were still fantastically busy with freight, parcels, oil, newspapers, sleeper trains - you name it. Trains were pulled by a whole variety of locomotives. Stations still had their (working) goods yards. Yes, alot of it was run down and most of was still steam-age infrastructure but it was a wonderful to travel on the railways because there was always so much to see. It was an adventure. A train journey today is dull by comparison.

 

[yorksrob]

Th e Morris Minor was unsophisticated and, unlike the iplayer etc was built to last. I'm using Microsoft XP and know the next time it malfunctions it'll be on the scrapheap/

Windows 7 has actually made me come to miss XP!

 

[jamesontheroad]

Ian Nairn was a fascinating, complex character. All of his books are worth reading, but particularly 'Nairn's London'. He was always a fish out of water and would have hated and been unable to cope the inanities of our age.

Nairn's books have had a bit of a renaissance lately. Jonathan Meades presented some of his original films when they were re-broadcast by the BBC in the eighties and nineties. More recently, Owen Hatherley has written a number of books and articles that pay homage to Meades, including A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain and A New Kind of Bleak. Both are explorations of how generally mediocre our built environment has become in the last ten to twenty years, and are written as travelogues much in the style of Nairn. Hatherley has also written an introduction to a new edition of Nairn's Towns - which is a hoot to read. In addition, last year Ian Nairn: Words in Place was published by Gillian Darley and David McKie. It's an excellent biography of the man.

Nairn was a writer first and foremost, so I strongly recommend those books if you like his films. He was not a natural on camera. Darley & McKie's biography describe how shambolic he was when they were filming on location. They usually got all they were going get in the can by the time the pubs opened, when Nairn would start drinking. He died just short of his 53rd birthday of cirrhosis of the liver from his chronic alcoholism.

Finally, if you liked that film, you might like his trip on the Orient Express, which was almost a complete disaster (lots of logistical problems with equipment, visas, passports and Nairn's drinking and depression). The scene of Nairn battling his way through the Munich Beer Festival is, however, a delight.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_uqoHZk4R4&list=PLubff1ybNFeW9ujChyjm55S1mEZN1nlSS

 

[Busaholic]

Nairn's books have had a bit of a renaissance lately. Jonathan Meades presented some of his original films when they were re-broadcast by the BBC in the eighties and nineties. More recently, Owen Hatherley has written a number of books and articles that pay homage to Meades, including A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain and A New Kind of Bleak. Both are explorations of how generally mediocre our built environment has become in the last ten to twenty years, and are written as travelogues much in the style of Nairn. Hatherley has also written an introduction to a new edition of Nairn's Towns - which is a hoot to read. In addition, last year Ian Nairn: Words in Place was published by Gillian Darley and David McKie. It's an excellent biography of the man.

Nairn was a writer first and foremost, so I strongly recommend those books if you like his films. He was not a natural on camera. Darley & McKie's biography describe how shambolic he was when they were filming on location. They usually got all they were going get in the can by the time the pubs opened, when Nairn would start drinking. He died just short of his 53rd birthday of cirrhosis of the liver from his chronic alcoholism.

Finally, if you liked that film, you might like his trip on the Orient Express, which was almost a complete disaster (lots of logistical problems with equipment, visas, passports and Nairn's drinking and depression). The scene of Nairn battling his way through the Munich Beer Festival is, however, a delight.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_uqoHZk4R4&list=PLubff1ybNFeW9ujChyjm55S1mEZN1nlSS

When I finished working for London Transport in the 1970s I got a job working for Camden Council in North London helping private tenants. The 'case' I remember best involved an old lady of imperial Russian origins who had had a large house in the Hampstead area which she had shared with her 'waifs and strays' as she called them who all seemed to live rent-free etc. Although I never met him, Ian Nairn was one such and I heard a lot about him including his depression and drinking. Both are long dead and I'm not revealing any confidences here, but I sought out his writings afterwards and always found his newspaper articles and television programmes to be full of insights. A more recent example of such a person, also now, sadly, dead, would be Ray Gosling. Sorry to stray off the rail theme, but it puts his TV programmes into context.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I thought this was familiar - just found the last time it was brought to our attention. Enjoyed watching it again.

 

[ian1944]

Another brief non-rail observation - all of the (to me, anyway) instantly-recognisable British cars in 1972, with the only significant foreigner being the Beetle. Lower density and freedom to park, too.

 

[fsmr]

Brilliant thanks for posting just watched it while the rain stops play outside.

The amazing thing is that many of the shots in Settle and Appleby etc look similar to today as the road signs had all started to change over to the current modern designs, but of course we still had classic British cars back then so its like someone's having a great big classic vehicle rally in the middle of town!!
I was 10 in 72 so remember it with fondness