Main content

Marble Arch to Edgware

First transmitted in 1968, John Betjeman takes a journey from Marble Arch to Edgware talking about buildings of interest and reciting four specially written poems along the way.

First transmitted in 1968, the poet John Betjeman goes on a journey from Marble Arch to Edgware reciting four specially written poems: 'How beautiful the London air,' 'Ho for the Kilburn High Road,' 'The sisters Progress and Destruction dwell' and 'One after one rise these empty consecutives'. Along the way he pauses at places of interest such as the hidden Marble Arch police station from where, since 1851, a hundred policemen could lie in wait ready to emerge at the first hint of trouble. After bemoaning the loss of the Metropolitan Theatre of Variety to make way for a car park and reminiscing about the 1920s air pageants from Hendon Aerodrome, Betjeman arrives "at Edgware, a Middlesex small town that was."

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Wed 31 Jan 1968 22:45
大象传媒 One

More episodes

Next

Coming soon

See all episodes from Contrasts

Clip

大象传媒 Four London Collection

大象传媒 Four London Collection
This programme is part of a collection of 大象传媒 programmes celebrating the people and places of London. Available online now.聽

大象传媒 Four Betjeman Collection

大象传媒 Four Betjeman Collection
Rediscover the documentaries that made Betjeman a much-loved figure on British television.


About 大象传媒 Four Collection programmes

Programmes are selected, in part, for their historical context and reflect the broadcast standards and attitudes of their time, which may not accord to some current 大象传媒 editorial guidelines. We aim to select programmes which can be shown in their entirety but in some cases edits are required.

Broadcast

Featured in...

  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles

    Planes, Trains and Automobiles

  • Sir John Betjeman

    Join Sir John Betjeman on his poetic journey to discover the essence of England's soul.

  • London

    A collection of 大象传媒 programmes celebrating the people, places and spaces of London.

Gallery