Great British Railway Journeys Ep 6/20

In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain. His name was George Bradshaw and his railway guides inspired Victorians to take to the tracks. Now, 170 years later, Michael Portillo continues on four epic journeys across the length and breadth of the country to see what remains of Bradshaw’s Britain and how the railways changed the nation.

On the first leg of his second journey, Michael heads north from Preston in Lancashire to Kirkcaldy in Scotland. At his first stop, he meets Anne Hindley, a member of the Temperance Society, to hear how the hard-working, hard-boozing mill town of Preston gave birth to the Temperance Movement. Continuing north to Blackpool, Michael meets Norma and Norman Watkins on the “Passion Express” which, in the Fifties, was the train that carried youngsters to Blackpool to dance the night away and on which many a romance was started. Norma and Norman met on the train and have been together ever since.

Once in Blackpool, Michael heads for the Tower Ballroom, where town crier Barry McQueen, accompanied by the Tower organist, gives a special performance of a Victorian music-hall hit all about Bradshaw’s Railway Guide. As Michael takes in the sights of Blackpool, he discovers that the town’s birth as a resort was a direct result of the railways.

Michael spends the night in a familiar hotel, the Imperial, which, in its time, has hosted many party conferences and a few Prime Ministers. After a stroll along the pier with local comedian Joey Blower, Michael travels on to his final destination, Morecambe Bay, where he meets Cedric Robinson, the “Keeper of the Sands”, an official guide appointed by the Government whose role is mentioned in Bradshaw’s notes. Cedric protects walkers venturing out onto the shifting tidal reaches of Morecambe Bay.