For me, John Betjeman represents an age distantly remembered and perhaps now only populated by people who have drawing rooms. He often wrote about London, where he lived, and Cornwall where he always holidayed, but he also penned some quite passionate and dark poems which I have not included here but can easily be located on YouTube. He was also (to the best of my knowledge) an early pioneer in the setting of poetry to music and his collaborations with Jim Parker are probably my favourite way of listening to his poetry. I have included a link to the album Banana Blush below.
Betjeman was also passionate about architecture and presented several TV programmes on the subject as well as championing the retention of the facade of St Pancras Railway Station when it was refurbished and extended. I include this programme partly for sentimental reasons as I was lucky enough to study at Bath University in the mid to late ’70s. Carl Filby