Great British Railway Journeys Ep 18/20
Michael Portillo’s third leg of his final journey, from Buxton to London, starts in Walsall, the centre of the saddle industry in Bradshaw’s (the man who transformed travel in the UK) time, when the smell of curing leather was thought to cure sickly children. Michael meets Cliff Kirby, whose leather business still supplies HM The Queen with saddles, though he has had to diversify into footballs and golf bags to survive.
His next stop is the centre of Birmingham. Michael explores how the city has changed since Bradshaw’s time, with modern developments springing up among the few remaining Victorian buildings. Walking along Ladypool Road, Michael sees how the Asian community have made this part of Birmingham their home, and pays a visit to Raj Rana, owner of one of the best Indian restaurants in Britain, who teaches him how to cook an authentic Indian curry.
Heading south, Michael stops off in Bournville to meet Alan Shrimpton, a member of the Bournville Village Trust. As he shows Michael around, Alan explains how the railways transformed the fortunes of the Cadbury brothers, enabling them to build one of the most successful model villages in Britain.