Great British Railway Journeys: Canterbury to Alexandra Palace
06:10 am - 06:35 am, Tuesday, March 31 on U&Yesterday (27)
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About this Broadcast
Canterbury to Alexandra Palace
Season 11, Episode 11
Michael Portillo explores the east of England in the inter-war period, starting in Canterbury, Kent, where he treads the boards as he uncovers the political message behind a 1936 play, inspired by the 12th-century murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket. In Maidstone, he learns of the international origins of the most British symbol of remembrance. Outside Sevenoaks, Michael visits the country home of Winston Churchill, and discovers how the 1930s were wilderness years at Chartwell, as Churchill warned against Nazi appeasement. Once in the capital, he heads to Alexandra Palace, the birthplace of television
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subtitles
16x9
Education/Science/Factual Topics
General
Leisure Hobbies
Tourism/Travel
Cast & Crew
Michael Portillo
(Presenter)
Titus Ogilvy
(Director)
Alison Kreps
(Series editor)
John Comerford
(Executive producer)
More Information
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.
Titus Ogilvy
(Director)
Alison Kreps
(Series editor)
John Comerford
(Executive producer)
