Michael Portillo

Vienna - Trieste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz2Eu_NOP_Y" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Pisa - Lake Garda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN_TNttn_28" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sofia - Istanbul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gxD2oY ... c8u109Lhdp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Portillo was very unpopular as a right wing politician, but surprisingly good at these railway videos. He's found his true niche in life!

johnthefireman wrote:Portillo was very unpopular as a right wing politician, but surprisingly good at these railway videos. He's found his true niche in life!

I will be happy if he doesn't return to politics. I wish his rail programmes had more rail info in them and fewer encounters with farmers and tradesmen.

Many rail programs suffer from that. I suspect it's necessary to attract a large enough number of viewers to justify its production, just as in North America in order to finance a rail excursion it's usually necessary to include some attraction that will appeal to "civilians" sufficiently to induce enough of them to buy tickets. In the case of the Vienna-Trieste video I think the historical background is absolutely necessary to place the railway over the Semmering in context.

For me the country the rail line is going through is often more interesting than the railroad itself, especially on this worldwide forum.

Yes , everything seems generalised these days. Perhaps they expect viewers to google any details they may wish to know.

Just finished Vienna-Trieste; some interesting shots of the tram/funicular from Villa Opicina to Trieste beginning about 50 minutes in.

ExCon90 wrote:Many rail programs suffer from that. I suspect it's necessary to attract a large enough number of viewers to justify its production, just as in North America in order to finance a rail excursion it's usually necessary to include some attraction that will appeal to "civilians" sufficiently to induce enough of them to buy tickets. In the case of the Vienna-Trieste video I think the historical background is absolutely necessary to place the railway over the Semmering in context.

He is a strange person in some ways. His father was a Spanish exile - and leftwing politician - and Portillo himself speaks Spanish fluently. I think the oddest thing about him is that at university he attached himself to the Tory party, and then served as a Tory MP. He is also rumoured to be gay and has a wife who apparently lives separately.

george matthews wrote: He is a strange person in some ways. His father was a Spanish exile - and leftwing politician - and Portillo himself speaks Spanish fluently. I think the oddest thing about him is that at university he attached himself to the Tory party, and then served as a Tory MP.

There's nothing strange about that. Many normal people have Spanish fathers and speak Spanish fluently, and many are Tories.

philipmartin wrote:

george matthews wrote: He is a strange person in some ways. His father was a Spanish exile - and leftwing politician - and Portillo himself speaks Spanish fluently. I think the oddest thing about him is that at university he attached himself to the Tory party, and then served as a Tory MP.

There's nothing strange about that. Many normal people have Spanish fathers and speak Spanish fluently, and many are Tories.

The refugees from Spain - from the Civil War period, and opponents of Franco - tend to be leftwing, as was his father. What is odd is that Michael Portillo, the son, is notoriously rightwing.

george matthews wrote: notoriously rightwing.

"Notorious" is a peculiar word to use here.

David Benton wrote: Perhaps they expect viewers to google any details they may wish to know.

Hmmm...I wonder whom you have in mind?

From an online dictionary: Notorious = widely and unfavorably known; publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait; well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous.

I think it can be fairly said that Portillo fits these definitions. His private life has had some colourful incidents (all of which were seized upon by the great British media), and his political career included a failed leadership bid and the unexpected loss of his "safe" parliamentary seat.

I think George is entitled to say that his background is unusual. While there are, as Phillip says, many people who have Spanish fathers, there were not so many who were exiled Spanish republicans. And George notes the incongruity of a left-wing father and a fairly extreme right-wing son. It's not unheard of, of course, but it's worth a second glance.

johnthefireman wrote:And George notes the incongruity of a left-wing father and a fairly extreme right-wing son. It's not unheard of, of course, but it's worth a second glance.

It just means that the son became aware of a better way to go.

I tend to agree with George Matthews that the oddest thing about him is that he attached himself to the Tory party while at university; that doesn't seem to have happened to very many people.