OTHER NEWS - Two new TV shows focus on York

A new TV documentary series starts this week following a hotel chain and its staff at a York-based head office.

A Very British Hotel Chain: Inside Best Western comes to Channel 4 this Tuesday.

Made by Plum Pictures, it takes us behind the scenes of what is one of Britain’s oldest and largest hotel groups.

The three-part series follows Best Western’s York HQ team “and its quirky collection of hoteliers as they battle to win over customers from the rival hotel chains”.

It’s going to be compulsive viewing, according to the television editor of Radio Times Alison Graham.

She writes:

The meeting rooms at the Best Western hotel chain’s head office in York all have go-get-‘em names, including “Challenge” and “Own It”. Yes, it’s that kind of workplace.

Somewhere, you can’t help but feel, there must be a sign saying “You don’t have to be mad to work here, but it helps!”

This knowing, often excruciating in a David Brent/The Office kind of way documentary series was filmed in the months before the coronavirus pandemic flattened the hospitality industry.

The latest episode of a new television series, The Architecture The Railways Built, examines York railway station and its amazing history that helped to change the face of the city forever. 

At one time, the biggest station in the world, the programme talks about the fact that the station that serves York today wasn't the city’s original one.

With the helpful insight of the National Railway Museum’s Head Curator, Andrew McLean, viewers are informed that an original stone station was first built in 1841 on the site of what is now the City of York Council Headquarters.

The Architecture The Railways Built presenter, Tim Dunn says:

“I visit York regularly to experience the rich history of the railways that are in the area - including the National Railway Museum - who were incredibly helpful to us in filming this series for Yesterday.

We hope everyone enjoys the episode and can see what an important role York has had to play in the history of the railways.”

Also, in the episode, Tim visits the stunning Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire - part of the historic Settle-Carlisle Railway. Here he takes part in the restoration of the Midland Railway’s station at Settle and visits an original signal box. 

The episode of The Architecture The Railways Built can be seen on Tuesday 19th May at 8pm on Yesterday or on catch-up via UKTV Play. Presenter Tim Dunn will be online to answer viewer questions during the broadcast.

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