British Railways Nairn Across Britain 1972

A TV documentary show from 1972. Lots of nice shots from happier days on Britains railways. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!

[@borderlands6606]

It's impossible to imagine Ian Nairn on television today. Opinionated, off message, passionate, not camera friendly, a faltering high pitched delivery, openly belligerent at times and with an unquenchable thirst. And fantastically watchable.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Quality telly, back then it was worth the TV license!

[@classicartfoundation639]

Yes he'd upset the lefties now, they wouldn't entertain him. Life is finished now. Devoid of imagination and opinion

[@zenbudhism]

He doesn't upset me

[@mickeydodds1]

Perhaps Jonathan Meades comes close.

[@paulmuller2124]

@@classicartfoundation639 lol calm down mate. I'm a "leftie" and I think he's great.

[@vulgivagu]

Sitting on a bench in an old country station listening to the birds and sounds of the country was one of the great pleasures of life. Eventually the steam train would appear slowly in the distance and as it approached you could hear the wonderful sounds of steam and smell of smoke and oil.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Times long past sadly.....

[@adaptandsucceed6875]

Adlestrop

[@terrywright3577]

Loved him. Met him when I worked a while at Architectural Review in 1969/70. When he came into the office with his wife, he always liked several pints at lunchtime in a pub I forget the name of.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

You get the feeling he was a real down to earth sort of bloke. No poncy ideas or drink poncy wine for him, just wanted a decent pint!

[@garychurchward1704]

A sensible and fascinating film. If only documentaries could be made like this today. Plus I love seeing these early 70s films,it takes me back to my childhood.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Same here, this is a time when i was growing up. By about 1973 or 74 we had our first colour telly!

[@MrDaiseymay]

A man of his time, knowledgeable, emotional, and unafraid to speak his mind, regardless.Out of the Betjeman mold. I'm sure that all these current TV Railway / Canal series we see now, were inspired by this series, only without the biting criticism.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I know what you mean, people on telly then were (generally) real, down to earth people who said things as they were, not trying to please a vocal minority all the time.....

[@smac4749]

How beautifully melancholic, but infused with passion, anger, frustration and intelligence. A wonderful programme from the year of my birth (imagine what Ian would have made of the soulless out of town shopping malls and business parks we now have littering the country!), thank you so much for uploading.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

My pleasure..... I found it a fascinating snapshot of the times ......

[@classicartfoundation639]

Thanks to the terrible controlled culture of today we will never see the like of this kind of show again. What a great host I really dig him.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

A lot of TV was like this, quality entertainment without a 'message' to convey from the 'great & the good elites' that we tend to get today.....

[@oldgit4260]

What a fantastic programme, is perfect for a nostalgia addict like me. Sad too, seeing how times have changed. Not for the better either, I'd rather live in Nairn's Britain

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, life was more fun yeras ago that's for sure!

[@user-sc9mm4wx9b]

Lovely stuff. Cameraman Bob Sleigh. Lovely.

[@390h8er]

Fascinating genteel old programme. It's sad seeing the Waverley line in dereliction after only 3 years since it closed. Here's hoping that one day, the full line will re-open and the Borders can have a proper North-South railway again.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I like to think so too. When you consider how popular the northern half of the line is, it's a no brainer not to re-open it in full, fingers crossed!

[@mathewgreen4099]

Many thanks for posting. I first discovered this film & Ian Nairn’s trip on the Orient Express to Istanbul (also worth watching) about 7 years ago. I keep going back to each, along with John Betjeman’s film, There’s Something About Diss. Both men where passionate about keeping the architecture that Britain had & still has (in some cases). Thanks again.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

This was something my late father videod off the telly. He liked the more unusual and offbeat railway films, as do i.

[@srfurley]

Convert the signal leavers to beer pumps? That would have to be a Nairn suggestion, wouldn’t it.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Sounds like a good idea to me!.....lol

[@martinbitter4162]

A very melancholic man

[@marclayne9261]

Love his car.......Scot-Irish here......

[@lukejameshayes]

Great to hear someone talking with real emotion about architecture and infrastructure on tv. very watchable and uniquely simple camera work too..

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

We had quality programmes back then. I doubt he'd get anywhere if around today.....

[@iang1119]

11.30 on... "the lowest common denominator... materialism" and this is an insight as why to this glorious, beautiful, sensitive man... drank himself to death

[@classicartfoundation639]

Very true, imagine what he'd make of it now!? Sweet guy, RIP Ian

[@housemaidandthefear507]

🖤

[@orielkolnai6548]

'Happier days?' Are you serious? Four years after this film, I worked the Bingley 'box. There was very little traffic, and all the talk was of the railways going for good. The film accurately captures the empty feeling in all the towns shown, a result of a countryside under pressure from government to automate or die (this was the age of technology worship). Later still, a massive new motorway was planned to drive all the way through to Carlisle, which would have finished off the Settle-Carlisle. A man called John Tyme saved the dale. So later, Portillo could claim credit for the rescue of the railway. Visiting Keighley by rail last summer, I found a bustling railway utterly transformed since those dark days, though admittedly Keighley itself looked to be on its uppers

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I agree railway useage has gone up all over. But there are approx 10 million more people in the country now, the roads are glogged and young people don't want to drive as they can't do their social media on the move, not to mention the cost! A busier world now but happier?.......

[@Keithbarber]

Interesting video

[@marclayne9261]

i love Quirky videos!

[@servicecrew6813]

The Waverley route will return.. Hawick is now only 8 miles from the railway...

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I live in hope the whole route is re-opened before too long. Considering how successful the re-opened section is, going back to Carlisle is a no-brainer!

[@servicecrew6813]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus... I don't think in reality we'll get to Carlisle in the near future... one day maybe.

[@nanba25]

Very sad, very sad… I must remark that this show made in 72 was kind of rare in that time, when people thought only of hi-tech transportation, although these beautyful towns and stations along the defunct line are still wonderful places. But maybe nowadays, this line is open again ? A. from Paris, France

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

The northern part of the Waverley Line has already been reopened, from Edinburgh to Tweedbank......

[@31lengths11]

" happier days on Britain's railways " you say. Not on the S&C or nearly anywhere else. Only stop then was Appleby. Many stations now. But the line only just survived and Nairn was the right guy for the show at the time. But he must have had a few shandies before suggesting Dent needs a by-pass. That was and is insane.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

The car was still king in those days, and promoted even more in the 1980s. At least in the 70s there was still some great BR diesel traction at work.....

[@carriageofnoreturn.1881]

It's the housewife at 05:30 that makes it for me!

[@PerthMRC]

An enjoyable watch, a 1970 version of Michael Portilo!! Although found the shots of the rear of freight trains without seeing the loco a bit frustrating. Tried to work out what was crossing the Ribblehead viaduct in the first section of the film with the ballast train, looks too long but sounded like a 31. A 50 perhaps? The angle meant I could not see if it had a nose like a 40 of a Peak.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

This was from an old video (remember them? lol) of my Dad's that he had copied off the television. I found it quite a good watch as well especially the bit over the Waverley route, so sad to see the reamins of a good working railway. At least part of it is reopened, lets hope it once again run through to Carlise and be restored to a modern day glory!

[@MrStephenDando]

A few years later this line was threatened with closure. Michael Portillo persuaded Margaret Thatcher to keep it open.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Too long to be a 31, I'd say it is a 50.

[@paulfisher2038]

Looked like a 25 to me..?

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Nice to see a couple of "Logs" going over Ribblehead!

[@robertwilloughby8050]

And the class 45 is either D121 (45 069) or D123 (45 125). 45 125 still survives. Not sure what the other one is, D67? (45 118)

[@willswheels283]

Interesting documentary, it must have been pretty depressing at the beginning of the ‘70’s to see all these derelict station buildings on this line and tracks ripped up.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, and just after the end of steam as well, rail enthusiast's must have thought the end of civilisation had come!

[@OlanKenny]

Interesting to note the differences now. Morecambe has the less frequent service

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Almost 50 yaears back now.....amazing the changes that have happened.

[@snubby4624]

5:14 I can see you! 😂

[@marclayne9261]

I haven't understood anything since 1979....

[@noyoureafuckintube]

No sound.

[@itkapatanka]

Bring back British Rail! (and how DARE private companies steal the BR logo)

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Well, the BR double arrow sign was taken over by the Department of Transport and is the official sign for a National Rail station...... well, apart from those that TfL run, they seem to think that London Overground and Crossrail aren't National rail services!

[@SuperGrimupnorth]

Do wonder what this man would of said about Britain today 💩

[@billpugh58]

Miserable Albert being miserable about them modern times😂