Great British Railway Journeys: East Malling to Rye
06:35 am - 07:10 am, Saturday, March 28 on U&Yesterday (27)
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About this Broadcast
East Malling to Rye
Season 10, Episode 15
Michael Portillo heads from Warwick to Rye in East Sussex. In the orchards of East Malling, Kent, Michael discovers how the Edwardians' serious attitude towards cultivation bears fruit even now. In Folkestone, he hears how the town coped with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees fleeing the German invasion in 1914. In the High Weald, Michael heads for Tenterden Town and the light railway that opened in 1900. His final stop is the medieval Cinque Port of Rye, where he tours the home and garden of author Henry James
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Education/Science/Factual Topics
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Did You Know..
Michael Portillo
(Presenter)
Born:
May 26, 1953
in
Bushey, Hertfordshire
Best Known For:
Losing his parliamentary seat in 1997.
Early-life:
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo was born in north London on May 26, 1953. He is the son of Luis (an exiled Spanish republican) and Scotland-born teacher Cora. As a child he wanted to become an actor, and appeared in a TV advert for Ribena. After attending Harrow County School for Boys, Michael went on to graduate from Cambridge with a first class degree in history and worked at a shipping company for a year. In 1976, he moved to the Conservative Research Department, where he spent three years. He worked for various government ministers until 1983.
Career:
Portillo entered the House of Commons in 1984 as the MP for Enfield Southgate following the murder of the previous incumbent, Sir Anthony Berry, in the IRA bombing of Brighton's Grand Hotel. He was a minister for 11 years and held three positions in the Cabinet, including Secretary of State for Defence. In 1997, he was one of many Tory MPs who lost their seats at the general election that saw Labour sweep to power. He returned to the Commons between 2000 and 2005, becoming Shadow Chancellor. However, his decision to leave politics led to a new career as a political pundit and a TV presenter, fronting documentaries on subjects as diverse as the death penalty, the railways and composer Wagner.
Quote:
On losing his Enfield seat in 1997: 'Well it was certainly a great opportunity to return to normal life.'
Trivia:
Portillo has been married to Carolyn Eadie since 1982.
Cassie Farrell
(Director)
Alison Kreps
(Series editor)
