Great British Railway Journeys Ep 13/20

Michael’s first stop of the day on the third leg of his journey from Swindon to Penzance is Torquay, a resort that was especially recommended by George Bradshaw – the man who transformed travel in Britain – for its warm climate.

He meets meteorologist David Braine to find out if it’s true that Torquay is Britain’s warmest spot. He then takes a trip back in time on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam railway along the English Riviera, one of the most scenic railway journeys in Britain.

Arriving at his next stop, Dartmouth, Michael spends the night at The Royal Castle, a very old hotel mentioned in Bradshaw’s Guide, where the owner tells him about the town’s naval past. The next morning, Bradshaw recommends a mini excursion up the River Dart so Michael heads out on a boat with salmon fisherman Nick Prust. The Dart used to be full of salmon but, these days, Nick is one of the few people allowed to fish the river and still uses traditional methods.

Nick takes Michael all the way up the Dart to Totnes, which is Michael’s last stop of the day. Totnes has changed hugely since Bradshaw’s time, and is in the midst of a campaign to become more green. Michael takes a rickshaw taxi running on recycled chip fat to explore the town and meets Rob Hopkins, founder of Transition Town Totnes, a campaign for sustainability that started here and is now a global movement. Rob shows Michael some Totnes pounds, the new local currency, and, after changing some of his own Bank of England pounds into Totnes pounds, Michael sets off around the town to spend them.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 14/20

Perhaps, as expected, Michael Portillo begins today’s leg of his journey from Swindon to Penzance in a railway carriage, but this one’s not moving. He’s just spent the night in a converted travelling post office railway carriage owned by Lizzie and David Stroud at St Germans.

After finding out about the history of the post office trains, Michael heads for Par, the centre of Cornwall’s clay mining industry. This was a thriving industry in George Bradshaw’s – the man who transformed travel in Britain – time and still is today.

Clay miner Ivor Bowditch shows Michael around the largest clay mine in the world and lets him try his hand at flushing clay out of the ground using a powerful water cannon. Together, they take the single gauge clay train to the port of Fowey through some of the most scenic countryside in Cornwall.

Next, Michael makes his way to Mevagissey via St Austell. Mevagissey was a busy pilchard-fishing village in Bradshaw’s time and there are still pilchard fishermen there today. In the evening, Andrew Lakeman takes Michael out on his boat to see how methods have changed since Bradshaw’s day, and tells Michael about the recent renaissance in the fortunes of pilchard fisherman. For a while, pilchards were unpopular but, having been remarketed as Cornish sardines, sales are taking off again.

Just outside Mevagissey, Michael stops off at the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The estate of Heligan is mentioned in Bradshaw’s guide but it was a private house in those days. Today, it’s one of Cornwall’s top visitor attractions. He meets horticulturalist Philip Macmillan Browse who explains how, in Victorian times, estates like Heligan sponsored plant hunters to collect exotic seeds from around the world. Many of these plants spread throughout the country, finding their way via the railways into many a suburban garden.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 15/20

Michael Portillo is now on the last leg of his journey from Swindon to Penzance, as the series in which he makes four epic journeys across the length and breadth of the country to see what remains of George Bradshaw’s Britain – the man who transformed travel in the UK in 1840 with his railway guides – continues.

Michael passes through Truro on the way to Perran Sands to find out about a mysterious church mentioned in Bradshaw’s Guide. Meeting up with Angela Penrose, Michael heads into the sand dunes in search of the lost church of St Piran. St Piran was the patron saint of Cornish tin miners and his original church is thought to be one of the earliest Christian sites in England. It was gradually buried by the shifting sands and lay buried for centuries until the sands parted again in Bradshaw’s time, quickly becoming a site of pilgrimage for many.

Redruth is the next stop, to see what remains of the Cornish tin industry, which was in full production during Bradshaw’s time. Michael meets mine manager John Webster, who takes him down the tunnels in South Crofty mine. Although South Crofty closed in the Nineties, John is trying to reopen it again, after a resurgence in the demand for tin.

Leaving Redruth, Michael heads for St Ives to spend the night in Treganna Castle. Mentioned in Bradshaw’s Guide as a private house, it was taken over by the Great Western Railway and turned into a hotel. The next morning he journeys on to the Helford River estuary to meet oyster farmer Ben Wright. Ben takes Michael out to the oyster beds to harvest and sample some fresh oysters, and explains what’s happened to the oyster industry since Bradshaw’s time. Finally, Michael heads to the end of the line at Penzance to find out how the railways linked even the remotest Cornish villages to the rest of the country.

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.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 7/20

Michael Portillo returns to the historic Settle to Carlisle line, a route he helped to save when he was Minister of State for Transport in the Eighties, in the second leg of his second journey from Preston to Kirkcaldy. In Settle, he meets Mark Rand and Peter Horton, who campaigned to keep the line open, to find out what has happened to it since.

From Settle, he travels north to a remarkable feat of Victorian engineering, the Ribblehead Viaduct, one of the largest in Britain. In the Eighties, engineer Tony Feschini was charged with repairing it when it was crumbling away. He tells Michael what life was like for the navvies who originally built the line and the viaduct by hand. Most of them lived in disease-ridden and overcrowded work camps through the harsh Yorkshire winters. In a nearby pub, Michael meets James Rixon, whose ancestors helped to build the viaduct. Before moving on, Michael visits the graveyard where many of the workers, their wives and their children ended up.

That night, Michael sleeps in the old snow huts at the highest railway station in England, Dent. These snow huts – now converted into holiday accommodation – were used by railwaymen sent up to Yorkshire during the winter to shovel snow off the line and keep the trains running. Before leaving Dent, Michael discovers how keeping the line open has stimulated tourism in the area and helped to build local businesses, like the blacksmiths.

In a grand finale, Michael catches one of the regular summer steam trains along the line across the restored Ribblehead viaduct.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 8/20

Michael Portillo embarks on a two-day tour of the Lake District, as the third leg of his journey from Preston to Kirkcaldy continues, in the series that sets out to discover what remains of George Bradshaw’s – the man who transformed travel in the UK – Britain.

Following Bradshaw’s guide, Michael starts in Windermere, where steamboat enthusiast Roger Mallinson takes him out on his boat to the north end of the lake. There, they take tea and enjoy the views just as the Victorians did.

Michael then stops off at Claife viewing station, a popular lakeside attraction in Bradshaw’s day, before heading to the south end of the lake to meet environmentalist John Pinder. John explains how increasing levels of tourism have resulted in high levels of pollution in the water, and he and his colleagues sail out onto the water with Michael to show him how they’re monitoring pollution levels in the lake, and how they’re reducing them.

Back on dry land, Michael spends the night in Grasmere at the Swan Inn. Recommended by Bradshaw, it was also one of Wordsworth’s favourite places for breakfast. The next day he travels on to Kendal where, after a brief stop in the market to buy some Kendal mint cake, he meets local farmer Peter Gott. Peter’s family have been in the area for hundreds of years and he talks to Michael about the impact the railways had on farming practices. Peter also takes Michael up onto the fells to see his herd of local Herdwick sheep, and teaches him how to make sausages in his farm shop.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 9/20

Michael Portillo reaches the wild border country in today’s leg of his journey from Preston to Kirkcaldy.

His first stop is Carlisle, where he meets artist Gordon Young, a descendant of the Border Reivers, a bunch of ancient lawless clansmen from the area who are mentioned in Bradshaw’s guide. Michael then visits a pub where a local band plays the ballads of the Reivers, as collected by Sir Walter Scott.

Michael’s next stop is Gretna Green, where blacksmith Alistaire Houston tells Michael about the town’s famous marriage business. Bradshaw predicted the end of Gretna’s marriage trade, but it is still going strong today. Michael congratulates a newlywed couple who, true to form, eloped over the border.

Just outside Gretna, Michael heads to an old Ministry of Defence munitions site to meet manager David Watt. David shows Michael around the site on its internal railway system and explains how, in the First World War, thousands of women made a lethal explosive concoction called Devil’s Porridge.

Michael’s last stop in this programme is the great Scottish city of Glasgow. In a Victorian version of poverty tourism, Bradshaw guides Michael to Calton, an area of great social deprivation in Victorian times. Today, Michael meets writer and resident Janey Godley who tells him the area isn’t that different now – residents of Calton have one of the lowest life expectancies in the country. He also visits the centre of Glasgow, which is enjoying a renaissance in popularity.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 10/20

On the last leg of his journey from Preston to Kirkcaldy, Michael Portillo leaves Glasgow and heads for Carluke in the Clyde Valley. In George Bradshaw’s day – the man who transformed travel in Britain – the area was famous for its orchards and, although most are long gone, Michael meets grower Tom Clelland, who is trying to revive his family’s fruit-growing business.

Heading on to the capital city of Edinburgh, Michael stops in at the station’s lost-property office to find out about the weird and wonderful things left on trains. He then heads towards the centre of town, where Bradshaw leads him to a very famous cellar, rumoured to be the place where the Treaty of Union was signed. Michael finds out from historian Dr John Young what happened when the treaty was signed.

After spending the night in Edinburgh’s famous railway hotel, The Balmoral, Michael heads to the Forth Rail Bridge to fulfil a childhood dream. Having passed over the bridge many times on the way to his grandparents’ house in Kirkcaldy, he gets the chance to climb up it and enjoy the view from the top. He meets project manager Ian Heigh, who explains that the seemingly unending task of painting the Forth Rail Bridge is, in fact, about to stop. The bridge is being repainted with new, long-life paint so that it won’t need as much maintenance in the future.

Michael’s journey ends at his mother’s home town of Kirkcaldy. His grandfather made his wealth here, through the linen business, and bought a large house next to the railway line. Many years spent watching the steam trains with his brothers at the bottom of the road inspired Michael’s lifelong love of trains. He returns to the art gallery in Kirkcaldy, to see the collection of paintings donated to the city by his grandfather, John Blyth.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 1/20

In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain. His name was George Bradshaw and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks. Stop by stop, he told people where to travel, what to see and where to stay. Now, 170 years later, Michael Portillo makes four epic journeys across the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us and what remains of Bradshaw’s Britain.

The first journey sees Michael travel coast to coast, from Liverpool to Scarborough. His first stop is the great port of Liverpool, where he meets local author Peter Grant. Michael gets a lesson in how to speak Scouse, as they explore the impact of immigration on the city and its famous accent.

Michael then visits Birkenhead Park, one of the inspirations for Central Park in New York. There he meets Mervyn Kingston, whose family fled from Russia in the 1880s when the Jews were being persecuted in the pogroms. Mervyn tells Michael that many of the Jewish refugees ended up in Liverpool, after catching the train from Hull, to begin their journey to America.

Leaving Liverpool, Michael travels along the world’s first passenger railway line to Manchester. Stopping off at Rainhill, he talks to rail expert Christian Wolmar about the Rainhill Trials – the first locomotive race which was won by Stephenson’s Rocket – and also finds out about the first railway fatality.

After spending the night in Worsley, Michael explores the nearby underground canals, part of the world’s first canal system built by the Duke of Bridgewater. At his last stop, he meets Ian Edmonds for a tour of his family’s cake factory – the last remaining Eccles cake business in the area. There, Michael has a go at folding an Eccles cake and finds out why these sweet pastries were exported all over the world.

Great British Railway Journeys Ep 2/20

In the second leg of his first journey from Liverpool to Scarborough, Michael Portillo visits “cottonpolis” – George Bradshaw’s home town of Manchester – as the series that explores how the railways changed the nation continues.

Meeting up with tour guide Jonathan Schofield, Michael finds out how the world’s first railway helped to turn Manchester’s cotton industry into a global success.

Michael then takes the train out to Denton in the suburbs of Manchester. This was once the centre of the hat-making world, turning out thousands of hats which were transported all over the country on the railways. Here, Michael meets Karen Turner from Failsworth Hats, the last remaining hat factory in the area. Karen fits Michael for his own custom-made trilby which, some say, was invented here, and he finds out where the phrase “mad as a hatter” came from.

Back in the centre of Manchester, historian Trefor Thomas tells Michael more about Bradshaw and how he came to produce the world’s first pocket railway timetables.

Leaving Manchester for Bury, Michael meets businessman Tony Rogers to find out how the railways helped to create the national institution of fish and chips. The railways allowed fish to travel quickly inland and it soon became available everywhere, allowing fish and chip shops to flourish all over Britain. Tony runs a fish and chip shop supply business and takes Michael to one of the best shops in the area for a fish supper.