Great British Railway Journeys Series 7

[Altrincham]

Ah, but then they would have lost the excuse for the shots of Ashley station, with the trains in opposite directions passing each other.

A bit more "poetic licence" when he claimed to have traversed the Stockport Viaduct, after saying he was changing at Stockport from a northbound to a southbound service!

However, he would have had a 25 minute wait at Stockport for his connection to Macclesfield, since he waited for the xx:43 Virgin service rather than taking the xx:35 XC (perhaps he is a Voyager-hater?) So he would have had time to cross the viaduct twice by staying on the ex-Chester train to Heaton Chapel (arr. xx:20) then getting the Hazel Grove stopper back to Stockport (dep. xx:31, arr:34).

Indeed, and Ashley has that traditional look of the rural leafy commuter station. I'd also wondered too how he'd traversed the Stockport Viaduct after just getting off an ex-Chester train to catch the Macclesfield train.

 

[northwichcat]

A bit more "poetic licence" when he claimed to have traversed the Stockport Viaduct, after saying he was changing at Stockport from a northbound to a southbound service!

Of course in the day of his guidebook an Ashley to Macclesfield rail journey would have been via Sale not via Northenden. The line between Altrincham and Knutsford actually opened 1 year after the original Bradshaw's was produced but the one Portillo is using isn't the 1st edition. The original Bradshaw's mentions Tatton Park being near the Altrincham terminus of the Manchester to Altrincham line and Northwich as being a couple of miles from Hartford on the Crewe to Liverpool line.

However, he would have had a 25 minute wait at Stockport for his connection to Macclesfield, since he waited for the xx:43 Virgin service rather than taking the xx:35 XC (perhaps he is a Voyager-hater?) So he would have had time to cross the viaduct twice by staying on the ex-Chester train to Heaton Chapel (arr. xx:20) then getting the Hazel Grove stopper back to Stockport (dep. xx:31, arr:34).

I don't know if someone has got their dates wrong but John Oates said Portillo travelled on the first train of the day to Knutsford on a Saturday in June, yet a photographer posted a photograph of Portillo in Knutsford on Twitter on the last Saturday in May. Could Portillo have filmed the bit in Knutsford one week and then been filmed travelling on the Mid-Cheshire line to Knutsford the following week? If he was getting all the on board filming done very early on a Saturday then it wouldn't have been possible for him to go via Heaton Chapel as the early trains don't stop there.

The May Day flags being up on King Street in Knutsford gave away the time of year it was being filmed. (Although while they are put up for the first May Bank Holiday they tend to stay up until after the RHS Tatton Show.)

 

[gavin]

Week 3 Birmingham to Dartmoor

Birmingham to Worcester
Redditch to Gloucester
Stroud to Bath
Bristol to Glastonbury
TBA to Dartmoor

 

[Greybeard33]

Of course in the day of his guidebook an Ashley to Macclesfield rail journey would have been via Sale not via Northenden. The line between Altrincham and Knutsford actually opened 1 year after the original Bradshaw's was produced but the one Portillo is using isn't the 1st edition. The original Bradshaw's mentions Tatton Park being near the Altrincham terminus of the Manchester to Altrincham line and Northwich as being a couple of miles from Hartford on the Crewe to Liverpool line.

Yes, he is using the 1863 Bradshaws, which said that the Cheshire Midland line (as it was then called) had opened in 1860. Bradshaw had a whole column on Ashley, waxing lyrical about the Bollin valley, Ashley Hall and Rostherne Mere, but only gave a passing mention to Peel Causeway station (now Hale). In 1863 the Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway (later CLC) to Stockport Tiviot Dale was still under construction, so the only route from Altrincham to Macclesfield was via the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (now Metrolink), changing at London Road (now Piccadilly).

Bradshaw described the approach to Altrincham from Warrington, on the (now closed) Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway, which at that time terminated at Timperley station. He suggested walking the mile from there to Altrincham, rather than changing to the MSJ&AR - perhaps because of poor connections at Timperley?

The 1863 Bradshaws still only mentioned Tatton Park by name under the heading of Altrincham and Bowdon, although under Mobberley it said that "the fine park belonging to Lord Egerton" was just visible on the right, heading towards Knutsford.

 

[backontrack]

Watched all 5 first episodes on iPlayer tonight, and enjoyed them. I don't know if Pinky P ever reached Swinton, though - he might have just used Salford Crescent.

 

[Cletus]

The roof of my house was in today's episode!

 

[backontrack]

I wonder if Pinky P liked the Javelins.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Week 3 Birmingham to Dartmoor

Birmingham to Worcester
Redditch to Gloucester
Stroud to Bath
Bristol to Glastonbury
TBA to Dartmoor

It would be nice if the show were also to have a look at some closed lines and stations; the 4th and 5th legs of this journey look to be an ideal opportunity.

 

[backontrack]

Aw! No Newhaven Marine! :P

It was a good episode this week, he does seem genuinely interested in what he does, which is refreshing. I'm a big fan of his programmes.

 

[fgwrich]

Don't want to give too much away but... Spoiler Alert. Portillo travels on an XC Voyager!

 

[backontrack]

I saw the 442 at Balcombe yesterday...had a little joke about it.

Now doubt that piece of film will be preserved by enthusiasts for years to come. :P

 

[Crossover]

Don't want to give too much away but... Spoiler Alert. Portillo travels on an XC Voyager!

I was surprised to see Romsey - I was only there a few weeks ago myself!

 

[gavin]

Final week is Ashford to Henley-on-Thames

Ashford to Sevenoaks
East Grinstead to Guildford
Woking to Walton-on-Thames
TBA to TBA
TBA to Henley-on-Thames

 

[Rapidash]

I did have a chuckle at the lack of beauty shot coming out of Plymouth station. I don't blame em, as I'm fairly certain it's impossible to make it look pretty!

Also how did his Sprinter keep transforming into a 3 car 158?! Normally they get hit by high winds around the Weston area and lose a carriage by the time they get to Devon!

 

[Crossover]

Interesting to see Devon and Cornwall as I'm there in March - some interesting looking places shown on the program which I may have to keep in mind when planning my trip

 

[Parallel]

Just watched the Lymington Town - Exmouth episode. Hope Michael enjoyed the last part of his journey on a pacer! :P

 

[Hophead]

It would not, by any means, be his first experience

 

[gavin]

Final week is Ashford to Henley-on-Thames

Ashford to Sevenoaks
East Grinstead to Guildford
Woking to Walton-on-Thames
Hampton Court to Teddington
Egham to Henley-on-Thames

3 out of the 4 routes this series have covered the south his trip through part of London keeps up the run where he's visited the capital every series

 

[harri2626]

You can't accuse Portillo of being London-centric as he has visited many northern and Scottish locations from the early days of the series. London has more lines to ride on, therefore more Bradshaw-reference places to visit.

 

[birchesgreen]

What was the station at the end where he got on the train, it was on the Cross City line. Barnt Green?

 

[6Gman]

What was the station at the end where he got on the train, it was on the Cross City line. Barnt Green?

Surely it was Worcester

Which has been wired without any of us noticing.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes it wasn't Worcester would have been nice to have had direct trains from the xc line from Brum down to there when i worked there.

 

[PHILIPE]

In tonight's program Michael didn't comment on the fact that the unit he traveled on on a GWR train from Gloucester to Stroud was a SWT Unit !!!
(The daily borrowed one which works on his route)

 

[markydh]

Probably because it is totally irrelevant to the purpose of the programme...

 

[PHILIPE]

Probably because it is totally irrelevant to the purpose of the programme...

Bound to be. More of an off the cuff post.

 

[northwichcat]

Probably because it is totally irrelevant to the purpose of the programme...

Indeed. In his Bradshaw's Guide there's no mention of rail franchises operated by First Group or Stagecoach so one loaning a unit to another is irrelevant.

 

[Requeststop]

In tonight's program Michael didn't comment on the fact that the unit he traveled on on a GWR train from Gloucester to Stroud was a SWT Unit !!!
(The daily borrowed one which works on his route)

Is it really part of the remit of the programme to state what class of train, direction and/or route he takes? Surely the programme is about social history and the effect railways had on each location at the time of his Bradshaws Guide! Personally I couldn't care a toss if he was riding a Scotrail train from Gloucester to Stroud!

 

[PHILIPE]

Is it really part of the remit of the programme to state what class of train, direction and/or route he takes? Surely the programme is about social history and the effect railways had on each location at the time of his Bradshaws Guide! Personally I couldn't care a toss if he was riding a Scotrail train from Gloucester to Stroud!

There's a lot of people posting about what was just a casual remark (humour meant) rather than a suggestion he should have mentioned it.

 

[backontrack]

Surely it was Worcester

Which has been wired without any of us noticing.

My guess is that he was travelling to Redditch, his first stop on the next leg.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I am intrigued, however, as to why the Stroud to Bath episode started with an EC HST over the Forth Bridge. :P

 

[PhilipF]

My guess is that he was travelling to Redditch, his first stop on the next leg.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I am intrigued, however, as to why the Stroud to Bath episode started with an EC HST over the Forth Bridge. :P

Struck me that Michael got well 'out of kilter', as regards his visit to Redditch - should have com directly following his opening visit to Birmingham. But for some extraordinary reason, he "claimed" to require road transport to reach, of all places Ashchurch to catch a train to Cheltenham. Ashchurch being the next station up the line north from Cheltenham. Absolutely nowhere near Redditch. Makes (to me) a complete nonsense of the programmes :roll: