Sir John Betjeman,28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who’s Who as a “poet and hack”.
He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture. Starting his career as a journalist, he ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate to date and a much-loved figure on British television.
Betjeman was born “John Betjemann”; this was changed to the less German “Betjeman” during the First World W…
