Michael Portillo at Tooley's

FORMER Cabinet minister,  Michael Portillo, who is at present filming the television series  Great British Railway Journeys, paid a visit to Tooley's Boatyard.

The BBC2 documentary series is of Michael Portillo travelling the rail network by following George Bradshaw's 1863 guide to Britain's railways, and visiting historic places along the way, Alan Tilbury tells us.

Bradshaw visited

He called at the Banbury boatyard on the Oxford Canal on his journey from High Wycombe to Aberystwyth, as Bradshaw had visited the original boatyard.

As well as the railway guide, Bradshaw made maps of railways and canals, the visit focused on the boatyard's history with Tom Rolt, co-founder of the Inland Waterways Association.

Cressy

Tom Rolt had his boat Cressy refitted at Tooley's Boatyard prior to starting his journey around Britain's waterways that prompted his book Narrow Boat.

Series four of Great Railway Journeys is expected to be broadcast in January 2013.