John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman CBE
Betjeman in 1961
Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
In office 20 October 1972 – 19 May 1984
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Cecil Day-Lewis
Succeeded by	Ted Hughes
Personal details
Born	John Betjemann (1906-08-28)28 August 1906 London, England
Died	19 May 1984(1984-05-19) (aged 77) Trebetherick, Cornwall, England
Spouse	Penelope Chetwode ​ ​ (m. 1933; sep. 1972)​
Domestic partner	Lady Elizabeth Cavendish
Children	2, including Candida Lycett Green
Education	Marlborough College
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Occupation	Poet, writer, broadcaster

Sir John Betjeman, CBE (/ˈbɛtʃəmən/; 28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, helping to save St Pancras railway station from demolition. He began his career as a journalist and ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television.