Betjeman’s crazy golf

BBC4 celebrates 150 years of the Metropolitan Railway next Thursday by showing a film called Metro-land, made with Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman in 1973.

“The images of Betjeman driving off at Moor Park Golf Club, totally missing the ball, and collapsing in shrieks of laughter are treasured by many,” says the film’s producer Edward Mirzoeff. “John played golf perfectly well but he was in a terrible stew having missed the tour of the club house,” he says. “The whole crew had melted away fearing his wrath, so it was a huge relief when he collapsed laughing.”