Great British Railway Journeys Ep 12/20
In the second leg of his third journey in the series, from Swindon to Penzance, Michael Portillo starts in Yatton and visits the Strawberry line – so named because it was once used to transport fresh seasonal strawberries from Cheddar across the country.
Former signalman Mike Lyle shares his memories of working on the line with Michael. It was closed by Dr Beeching in the Sixties and is now a walking and cycling path. At the other end of the line Michael visits Andrew Seagers, one of the few remaining strawberry farmers in Cheddar, to find out why they were such a delicacy and what’s happened to the industry since George Bradshaw’s – the man who transformed travel in Britain – time.
Next, Michael explores the famous Cheddar Gorge. When the railways reached Cheddar, it became a popular destination for day trippers, especially when a Victorian entrepreneur discovered the caves and lit them with electric lights. Archaeologist Hugh Cornwell takes Michael around the caves and shows him where Cheddar Man – 9,000 years old and the oldest complete skeleton in Britain – was found.
Through DNA testing, scientists found one of his direct descendants still living in the village so Michael pays him a visit. Retired local schoolteacher Adrian Target also happens to be a collector of Bradshaw timetables.
This leg of Michael’s journey ends in Weston Super Mare, a resort that flourished when the railway came to town. Here, he hitches a lift with the RNLI to see the now-derelict Birnbeck pier. Mentioned in Bradshaw’s Guide, it is one of the oldest piers in Britain and Michael meets pier historian Stan Terrell and learns that it was once popular with day trippers arriving by steamship from Wales, and that it was also a secret research centre during the Second World War for scientists working on the bouncing bomb.
Before leaving Weston, Michael enjoys a very British seaside tradition, a walk along the beach with Kevin Mager and his donkeys.