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Michael Portillo at Dunrobin
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 On 3rd September
2012 Michael Portillo, presenter of Great British Railway
Journeys on BBC TV, came to film at Dunrobin station for the
fourth series of the programme. It was shown in January 2013.
Michael and the crew were on the last stage of a journey from
Stirling to Thurso/Wick which was shown on television over
the course of a week. It is expected that the series will later
be issued as a DVD.
At the station Michael Portillo received a platform ticket for
the station, issued under the authority of the Sutherland
Estate, as Dunrobin continues to be a privately owned station, and
then in an interview found out about the history of the station
and the story of the third Duke of Sutherland building his own
railway over 14 and a half miles from Golspie to Helmsdale.
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The highlight of Michael’s visit, at least for the station, was
when he officially declared open the newly restored cloakroom at
the station. Surrounded by an admiring audience of about a dozen
fans he received a pair of scissors, cut the pink ribbon at the
cloakroom entrance and saw the plaque on the wall which has been
fixed to the wall to commemorate the occasion.
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Following the ceremonial opening Michael went on to christen the
facilities - and so did most those present!
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So once again
the station has a loo and sink. The old one had fallen into
complete disrepair, probably since at least the end of World War
Two. The new cloakroom has been restored in an Edwardian style
to fit in with the rest of the building.
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The Northern
Times carried a report of the opening and, prior to that, the
news that Mr Portillo would be opening the loo during the
filming of the programmes. You can see the paper cuttings
below.
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Michael Portillo's visit
to Dunrobin station was on "Great British
Railway Journeys" in January 2013 on BBC TV.
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Photographs of
Michael Portillo's Visit |
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Michael
Portillo arrives at Dunrobin with the "Great British Railway
Journeys" crew.
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Michael
Portillo at Dunrobin.
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Daniel Brittain-Catlin
(the present lease holder) with Michael Portillo.
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Michael chats to Daniel.
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The scissors are checked
for sharpness!
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Michael is shown his
task...
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...and presented with the
necessary equipment!
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A short speech to
commemorate the opening.
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Michael inspects the
facilities!
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The two newspaper cuttings from the
Northern Times
reporting on (below) the forth-coming visit and (right) the
opening of the loo.
Clicking on either of these small images will take you to a
larger, readable image.
View
the videos of the event HERE
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