Tribute to Sir John Betjeman CBE (28 August 1906

Tribute to Sir John Betjeman CBE (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984)

30th December 2008

Without this man St Pancras Station would have been consigned to history. Thankyou.

He is considered instrumental in helping to save the famous facade of St. Pancras railway station in London and was commemorated when it reopened as an international and domestic terminus in November 2007. He was said to have called the plan to demolish St. Pancras a "criminal folly." About the station itself he wrote:

"What [the Londoner] sees in his mind's eye is that cluster of towers and pinnacles seen from Pentonville Hill and outlined against a foggy sunset, and the great arc of Barlow's train shed gaping to devour incoming engines, and the sudden burst of exuberant Gothic of the hotel seen from gloomy Judd Street."

The newly reopened St. Pancras now features a statue of Betjeman in the station at platform level. with thanks to Wikipedia...

2008-12-29 18:02:35	The meeting point at St Pancras 2008-12-29 18:04:21	Meet you under the clock.... 2008-12-29 18:04:46	This was as close as i could get to the Eurostar trains. Taken through glass. 2008-12-29 18:05:23
Sir John Betjeman, CBE 2008-12-29 18:09:39	2008-12-29 18:10:44	2008-12-29 18:14:13	2008-12-29 18:53:24
He certainly gets many admirers - I'm sure most of them have no idea who he was. 2008-12-29 18:55:18	The glorious external hotel frontage is still being restored. 2008-12-29 19:00:30