Michael Portillo on the West Somerset Railway

[Ian L Jamieson]

However, back to Mr Portaloo -


Tut tut, I hope that was just a slip of the keyboard?!???

Nope. An accurate description. Full of sh 1 t ... just like the rest of them, despite trying to "soften himself up" wit ha career as a (not very good) TV presenter

...........Oh!, and the colours he wears! Makes my wife wince every time he comes on.

[nickt]

Portaloo, hahaha quit apt as he performed opening ceremony on a railway a couple of weeks ago. I personaly enjoy the series, it is watchable and has some good scenery views and trains. It makes a railway program that is watchable by many. (i dont know the figures, but must be good or they would have pulled plug). If you had a railway figure ramming facts and figures down your throat it wouldnt work. we may be satisfied but not too many others i'm sure. I think Mark Williams would have done the series justice. very entertaining bloke who wears sensible cloths not comfy shoes. M.w. has done several series on industrial things and Mark williams on the rails.

[worthvalleyfitter]

However, back to Mr Portaloo -


Tut tut, I hope that was just a slip of the keyboard?!???

Nope. An accurate description. Full of sh 1 t ... just like the rest of them, despite trying to "soften himself up" wit ha career as a (not very good) TV presenter

...........Oh!, and the colours he wears! Makes my wife wince every time he comes on.

When you say some bloke is "Good with colours" it has a certain connotation in the 55F Messroom!

[jules]

When you say some bloke is "Good with colours" it has a certain connotation in the 55F Messroom!

You mean he likes to play snooker?

[carpetcone]

However, back to Mr Portaloo -


Tut tut, I hope that was just a slip of the keyboard?!???

Nope. An accurate description. Full of sh 1 t ... just like the rest of them, despite trying to "soften himself up" wit ha career as a (not very good) TV presenter

Oh dear
You clearly don't like the man. But there is no need to lower yourself to name calling though.

He is well liked by a large number of people, both rail enthusiasts and those who just like an enjoyable bit of tv viewing which I expect most people who watch the programme will consider it does well.

Constantly spouting forth anti views and name calling gets you no-where...

Sometimes when reading forum posts, it doesnt surprise me why rail enthusiasts have such bad press.

[jules]

Oh dear
You clearly don't like the man. But there is no need to lower yourself to name calling though.

Oh I don't mind him as a person. It's just his noxious politics and beliefs I don't like and I won't make any secret about it, anywhere!

His breaking out into TV has always made me think he is probably ashamed of his own past!

[nickt]

The program is purely about railway journeys and a hefty tome (Bradshaws) it isnt a party political broadcast. Does anyone say im not watching football on the box because the presenter is a raving tory or whatever ? Who knows and if they keep their political view to themselves who gives a XXXX. being a politician probably opened doors for him but there are a lot of far worse broadcasters on the box.

[Robin Summerhill]

However, back to Mr Portaloo -


Tut tut, I hope that was just a slip of the keyboard?!???

Nope. An accurate description. Full of sh 1 t ... just like the rest of them, despite trying to "soften himself up" wit ha career as a (not very good) TV presenter

Oh dear
You clearly don't like the man. But there is no need to lower yourself to name calling though.

He is well liked by a large number of people, both rail enthusiasts and those who just like an enjoyable bit of tv viewing which I expect most people who watch the programme will consider it does well.

Constantly spouting forth anti views and name calling gets you no-where...

Sometimes when reading forum posts, it doesnt surprise me why rail enthusiasts have such bad press.

Can I be Umpire?

I contribute quite a bit to a motoring-related forum (although I have to say very little on actual motoring - it's a broad church over there! http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/ ) and we have been reminded many times that these forums/ fora are in the public domain. It can be a little unwise to post insulting or inflammatory remarks on a public forum when it doesn't exactly involve rocket science to trace you, and there is always the chance of a solicitor's letter landing on your doorstep with notice of a libel action inside.

Some of you may remember the little spot of bother Sally Bercow and others got into on Twitter just lately doing exactly that.....

As you will know by now, I tend to be an opinionated old git but I am always aware that it is possible for people to read my posts that aren't necessarily simply here to read about Bristol Railways. Over on that forum I mentioned, somebody posted a "joke death threat" aimed at somebody from BRAKE and found out the hard way that that organisation keep an eye out for this sort of thing and are alleged to search Google to see what's out there about them. Somebody else who apparently is not averse to that sort of thing is George Mombiot.

(Sorry Hattie, if your bandwith bill goes up after I've mentioned BRAKE and Mombiot in the same post, but now you'll know why)

I'm sure that Mr Portillo has had worse things said about him in the past, and he is no doubt big enough to take it. But personally I would keep those views to myself. You never know who's out there reading your missives...

PS - note the use of the words "alleged" and "apparently" in appropriate places

[the green mile]

Wise words indeed! This interweb thingy can be a dangerous tool in careless hands and I can think of at least two ex-colleagues who's careers came to a very sudden end as a result, with one of them serving time at Her Majesty's pleasure for being a very naughty boy in the public domain.

On a lighter note, this thing about colourful clothes. Do we think that colour television is all it's cracked up to be? Worth the extra licence fee?

[Robin Summerhill]

On a lighter note, this thing about colourful clothes. Do we think that colour television is all it's cracked up to be? Worth the extra licence fee?

Its quite useful if you like snooker

[jules]

It can be a little unwise to post insulting or inflammatory remarks on a public forum when it doesn't exactly involve rocket science to trace you, and there is always the chance of a solicitor's letter landing on your doorstep with notice of a libel action inside.

It's a very sad world when one cannot disagree with a public figure's politics in public. It is our absolute right to do so. If I want to call Portaloo Portaloo, then I'll damn well call him Portaloo.

I for one will say what I like, about who I like, whenever I like and wherever I like. If I disagree with their political views, it is a democracy we live in and I am just as permitted to point out my perceived error of their ways as they are to hit back, should they choose. Solicitor's letters or not.

If people don't speak out for what they believe, we will end up living in a police state, controlled by the "government".

The last solicitor's letter I got received a rather terse response - along the lines of "Dear Sirs, F Off". I never heard anything more about it, as these weak knee'd pen pushers just keel over when they realize their bit of paper is going to have no effect.

Maybe the BRA is not the forum for this, but my beliefs state that ANY forum is valid when you are dealing with over-privileged, out of date in-bred, corrupt, dinosaurs ...

If Hattie throws me off for spouting off, then so be it (but I hope not and somehow doubt it!)

Richard III found buried under a council car park? Bring on the next one I say!!

Bring back BR!!

[buxton4472]

Now, talking about railway TV programmes, does anybody remember a series narrated by John Peel, from what I remember once again fairly factual and talking of late BR steam days? Must have been back in the early 1990s or even before, probably on Channel 4?

I'd love to get a copy of that series ...

Was this the series in which, amongst a number of still shots in the title sequence, there was a nice view of a short goods train on the curving viaduct bringing the Sedbergh branch into the WCML at Low Gill? Also a shot of the Abercwmboi smokeless fuel plant, Aberaman? If so, although I can't remember the name of the series, I've got them on VHS tape (somewhere!) and eventually will get round to digitising them if the tapes are still viewable. But I agree that they were pretty accurate in their depiction of a lost era.

So too were the couple of excellent programmes produced by BBC Wales/Cymru and aired recently in the slot after Portillo, with wonderful footage and reminiscences from the South Wales valleys and in particular on the N&B and Pontypool - Neath lines.These were little gems of programmes which let the archive material speak for itself and when the makers did cut to a heritage line they made it quite clear where the audience were being taken.

I, like Robin, get annoyed by the non-sequitur nature and countless clip repetition of much of today's programme making and it DOES smack of sloppiness in the production department. What also annoys me in particular is the way in which presenters (Portillo in particular) are 'asked' to try their hand at opening a regulator / withdrawing a token / opening the crossing gates / punching a ticket and then remarking how exhausting / difficult / dirty the experience had been. But then most things in a working day would be compared with sitting for hours on green leather!

[jules]

Was this the series in which, amongst a number of still shots in the title sequence, there was a nice view of a short goods train on the curving viaduct bringing the Sedbergh branch into the WCML at Low Gill? Also a shot of the Abercwmboi smokeless fuel plant, Aberaman?

I'm pretty sure that's the one - it was excellent and Mr Peel was a brilliant commentator if I recall correctly.

I'd love a copy of it if you get round to digitizing, or even just the title if you get a chance to look it out.

There was a bit of it where an 8F or similar was working a night freight, accompanied by a folk song about work on the railway. Along the lines of the driver doesn't speak to his fireman because "he is an ASLEF man and the other is in the NUR". Or something along those lines. Priceless

[the green mile]

Wasn't it the late Ted Lowe who once famously said "for those of you watching in black and white, the red ball is the one behind the brown"? Didn't have much trouble watching Pot Black years ago. Probably because it was perceived as an old man's game and my father hadn't taught me how to play at that point. Strange how it's dominated by youngsters these days with all the big money on the table.

[buxton4472]

Was this the series in which, amongst a number of still shots in the title sequence, there was a nice view of a short goods train on the curving viaduct bringing the Sedbergh branch into the WCML at Low Gill? Also a shot of the Abercwmboi smokeless fuel plant, Aberaman? If so, although I can't remember the name of the series

I've just remembered the name of the programme - it was 'The Train Now Departing' and it was 1988. But I don't think it was the one with John Peel narrating. There are a number of YouTube clips from the series.