Based on the first episodes in 2016 and a line he is covering later which is a preserved one then he might actually be focusing more towards that sort of thing this time around.

Though only in the sense of ones that were closed but then saved or reopened.

Doubt he could do much with closed lines and Julia Bradbury already did a good series of walks along ripped up lost railways (such as Matlock - Buxton) that never got a second series sadly.

Jeremy Corbyn


and Diane Abbott, obviously, or not at all obviously

He could do London route W9, as it links Enfield with Southgate!

I bet he'd find the Lincolnshire bus network especially near Skegness to be rather interesting.......

The Portillo rumour was that he had a gay affair with ex Tory minister Peter Lilley when they were in Thatcher's govt.

(he wasn't, it came about due a silly off-the-cuff comment by another Tory MP)


Portillo himself is about to placed in suspended animation, awaiting the opening of Crossrail.

It'd be nice to see Portillo walk along the entire length of the Trans Siberian railway line.

Don't knock it. The railway musings of one sad old git can be of great interest to other sad old gits like myself.

I agree. I do love to see what random pastel shades he will wear each episode. I'd never wear them but strangely they look fine on him.

I never realised he was 62 until recently. He doesn't look it, or anywhere near.

Julia Bradbury would have his balls if he did.

And I don't think the team(s) that do the BBC4 Railways/Canals/Bombay Railway type programmes would be too happy either.

Those are their territories.


As far as I know, no-one has done a series on best/worst London Nightbus Journeys.

Trafalgar Square to Dartford anyone?

They do clash at times with some of the combinations he chooses!

DS favourite threads:

Neighbour shitting in a pond.
The home colonic irrigation kit.

Seems like there's always crap involved

My neighbours once asked me to help fixing something.

I walked through our short-cut gap-in-the-hedge and forgot there was an lawn-like algae covered pond on the other side. Fortunately only two feet deep and no turds.

I posted the above 12 months ago.

Not so. A brand new series of "Great British Railway Journeys" begins at 6:30pm on Monday 2nd January 2017, on BBC2. The first 5 episodes of the 2017 series, are highlighted in the link above

My mam loves programmes about people catching trains.

the no.17, Glasgow to Govan.
By way of Syria if necessary.

Indeed. There is a clear protocol.
UK railways: Michael Portillo
Walks: Julia Bradbury
Foreign Railways: Chris Tarrant
Canals: Pru Scales & Tim West
London Underground: Geoff Marshall

We forgot Joanna Lumley. Where does she fit in the pecking order?

Odds and sods?

Michael also does the Great Continental Railway Journeys, Chris does the Extreme Railway Journeys.

don't know if I'm being thick but I can't see a link...........

Funiculars!

Series 8. Episode 1 of 15. The Flying Scotsman from London to Edinburgh. Monday 2nd January at 6.30pm on BBC2.

Yes, it's all leftie this, leftie bloody leftie that

Similar to GD really

I would have thought canals would be the obvious choice, seeing as trains replaced the canals and are often located alongside them.

Mind you, isn't there a series about canals on at the moment with Prunella Scales?

Didn't Michael Palin do Continental Railways?