BRANCH LINE - 1 - Sir John Betjeman

A delight to watch. I highly recommend an evening dining train experience now offered on many preserved steam railways. It'll take you right back to those days and help keep them going too!

Thanks for uploading this. Betjeman was a man well ahead of his time. This has inspired my latest poem:

NOTE TO DR. BEECHING
Oh but that you could see it now
This mess that you have made
It matters not for on my life
Ill have our lines re-laid
Our stations built and staffed again
In these congested times
A railway renaissance
For our long-abandoned lines
And by my tenure Ill restore
Rebuild, remake, replenish
Until our lines lay proud and strong
So naught but greed may perish.

The porter in the last scene is pulling a cart load of Airfix boxes. (railway kits perhaps!)

Lovely film, lovely man, lovely times.

This man was so right wasent he.

This is fantastic.

Am I the only person struck by Sir John's comentary? His knowledge, the cadence and seductive language are identical to 'Metroland'.




Put it on DVD and I'll buy it tomorrow

totally agree.....both wonderful :)

It's quite depressing to watch.  England has lost so much.

Is there any way of getting this series on dvd ? wonderful stuff.

they did a video back in 1987 i think

You're absolutely right and I have managed to get hold of one . Don't believe it is up for sale by BBC in DVD format. Vid contains excellent bonus material on production of 7 series locomotives and all is intorduced by a still very young Michael Palin ....