Politician

As the sign behind his head says, we were spending an evening with Michael Portillo last night. And very entertaining it was too. He speaks extremely well, and took us through his life, from his father escaping the Spanish Civil War, all the way up to the most recent series of Great British Railway Journeys via his career as a Conservative MP. Some great insights into the Thatcher era from a man who was actually there on the inside. A very wide ranging Q&A followed where he answered questions as diverse as “what is your favourite railway station?” (York or Kings Cross) and “how do you think the war in Ukraine will end?” His main worry was not Putin but Trump. He feared that if the latter becomes President again in 2024, he would more than likely cut back, or even withdraw, support for Ukraine. Despite his career as an “entertainer” now, it would seem he still has an interest in - and good grasp of - the current political climate.
He was also very polite and gracious to the man (me!) who joined the queue of people getting books signed and asked him to sign something I’d brought with me. But I think he appreciated that what I had brought - a slip cover for a Bradshaw’s Guide - was a piece of railway related ephemera. And, as you can see, it’s not just any old cover as it bears the crest of the Duke of Westminster. Probably not his personal one, more likely just belonged to the Grosvenor Estate, as we found a couple of them when clearing out the in-law’s house.
Shock admission from Mr Portillo at the end of the evening though - he doesn’t actually like trains! What he likes is the history of the places the trains take him to, and the stories he hears from the people he meets there. I get that, but I still love the sight of a steam train at speed!