Great British Railway Journeys

Épisode 1 - Liverpool to Eccles

4 janvier 2010

Michael learns to speak Scouse in Liverpool, finds out about the first railway fatality and explores the origins of the Eccles cake.

Épisode 2 - Manchester to Bury

5 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael is in Manchester to find out more about George Bradshaw himself. He also gets fitted for a trilby in Denton and learns how the railways helped to create a national institution - fish and chips.

Épisode 3 - Todmorden to York

6 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael travels back in time on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, finds out about the latest Roman discoveries in York and takes to the air in the Network Rail helicopter.

Épisode 4 - Pontefract to Bridlington

7 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael searches for the last liquorice grower in Pontefract, discovers how the railways turned Hull into one of the largest white fish ports in the world and goes fishing for sea bass in Bridlington.

Épisode 5 - Filey to Scarborough

8 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael goes bird-watching on the wild cliffs of Flamborough Head, learns to decipher traditional knitting patterns in Filey and meets one of the oldest residents of the Victorian seaside resort of Scarborough - a 4000-year-old skeleton called Gristhorpe Man.

Épisode 6 - Preston to Morecambe

11 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael explores the origins of the temperance movement in Preston, samples the attractions of Blackpool, a resort made by the railways, and takes a walk across Morecambe Bay with the official Keeper of the Sands.

Épisode 7 - Settle to Garsdale

12 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael returns to the historic Settle-Carlisle line to find out what has happened to it since he helped save it in the 1980s. Along the way, he explores the magnificent Ribblehead viaduct, finds out about the navvies who helped to build it and catches a steam train along the line.

Épisode 8 - Windermere to Kendal

13 janvier 2010 - 5/5

Michael takes a steamboat tour of Lake Windermere, visits Wordsworth's home village of Grasmere and makes sausages with a local Herdwick sheep farmer.

Épisode 9 - Carlisle to Glasgow

14 janvier 2010

Michael meets the wild clansmen of Carlisle, the Border Reivers, witnesses a wedding in Gretna Green and visits a secret World War One munitions factory.

Épisode 10 - Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy

15 janvier 2010

Michael makes apple juice in the Clyde valley orchards, pays a thrilling visit to the top of the Forth Rail Bridge and relives his childhood memories in his grandparents' home town of Kirkcaldy.

Épisode 11 - Swindon to Bristol

18 janvier 2010

Michael finds out about free holiday trains for the GWR workers in Swindon, samples the Spa in Bath, and tries his hand at glass blowing in Bristol.

Épisode 12 - Yatton to Weston Super Mare

19 janvier 2010

Michael samples local Cheddar strawberries, explores Cheddar Gorge and the famous caves, and visits one of the oldest piers in the country at Weston Super Mare.

Épisode 13 - Torquay to Totnes

20 janvier 2010

Michael finds out about Torquay's micro climate, goes salmon fishing on the Dart estuary and spends some of Totnes' new local currency.

Épisode 14 - Bugle to Mevagissey

21 janvier 2010

Michael visits the largest clay mine in the world near St Austell, goes pilchard fishing in Mevagissey and finds out how the estate of Heligan shaped British gardens.

Épisode 15 - Truro to Penzance

22 janvier 2010

Michael searches for the lost church of St Piran, explores the last working tin mine in Cornwall and harvests oysters on the Helford River.

Épisode 16 - Buxton to Matlock

25 janvier 2010

Michael visits an architectural wonder, the Duke of Devonshire's stables in Buxton, helps to repair the ancient peat landscape of the Peak District and travels on the historic steam railway to Rowsley.

Épisode 17 - Cromford to Burton-on-Trent

26 janvier 2010

Michael visits the oldest working factory in the world at Cromford, explores the country's first public park in Derby and finds out why Burton's beer is said to be the best.

Épisode 18 - Walsall to Bournville

27 janvier 2010

Michael meets the queen's saddler in Walsall, learns how to cook an authentic Indian curry in Birmingham and visits Bournville, rumoured to be the best place to live in Britain.

Épisode 19 - Coventry to Watford

28 janvier 2010

Michael relives the Coventry Blitz, meets the last pure breed Aylesbury duck farmer in Buckinghamshire and finds out how the trains helped to evacuate millions of children during World War II.

Épisode 20 - St Pancras to Westminster

29 janvier 2010

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of four epic journeys, he travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains. His journey takes him from Buxton along one of the first railway routes south to the capital, London. This time, Michael explores one of the grandest railway stations and hotels in the country: St Pancras. He rides the world's first tube line to Smithfield market and climbs up the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament to hear Big Ben chime.

Épisode 1 - Brighton to Crystal Palace

3 janvier 2011

Michael finds out about Brighton's Victorian aquarium

Épisode 2 - Waterloo to Canary Wharf

4 janvier 2011

2/25. Michael explores the changing fortunes of London's docks.

Épisode 3 - Enfield to Cambridge

5 janvier 2011

Michael Portillo visits the Government Arms Factory at Enfield, the largest machine shop in Europe in George Bradshaw's day; discovers how the trains transformed Newmarket's races and finds out why Cambridge could be considered the birthplace of modern football.

Épisode 4 - Ely to King's Lynn

6 janvier 2011

Michael goes fishing with the last eel trapper on the Fens at Ely.

Épisode 5 - Dereham to Cromer

7 janvier 2011

Michael gets the rare chance to drive a heritage diesel train.

Épisode 6 - Ledbury to Shrewsbury

10 janvier 2011

Michael visits the world's first iron-framed building in Shrewsbury.

Épisode 7 - Telford to Wrexham

11 janvier 2011

Michael explores historic Chirk castle and has a go at making traditional Cheshire cheese.

Épisode 8 - Chester to Conwy

12 janvier 2011

Michael visits Chester's Roman remains and goes mussel fishing on the Conwy estuary.

Épisode 9 - Llanrwst to Porthmadog

13 janvier 2011

Michael visits the Victorian slate capital of Blaenau Ffestiniog in the Conwy valley.

Épisode 10 - Llanberis to Holyhead

14 janvier 2011

Michael takes the train to the top of Wales's highest peak, Mount Snowdon.

Épisode 11 - Newcastle to Chester-le-Street

17 janvier 2011

Michael Portillo visits the first locomotive factory in the world.

Épisode 12 - Durham to Grosmont

18 janvier 2011

Michael Portillo visits the historic Durham Cathedral and takes a Dracula tour in Whitby.

Épisode 13 - York to Saltaire

19 janvier 2011

Michael Portillo takes a Turkish bath in the famous spa town of Harrogate.

Épisode 14 - Batley to Sheffield

20 janvier 2011

Michael Portillo finds out about shoddy, a successful 19th-century recycling industry.

Épisode 15 - Langley Mill to Melton Mowbray

21 janvier 2011

Michael finds out how trains transformed the traditional British sport of fox hunting.

Épisode 16 - London Bridge to Chatham

24 janvier 2011

Michael visits the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to see how the railways standardised time, takes a walk through the world's first underwater tunnel at Rotherhithe and explores the historic Dockyards at Chatham

Épisode 17 - Aylesford to Tunbridge Wells

25 janvier 2011

Michael explores the life of Victorian hop pickers, finds out about Maidstone's revolutionary paper industry and discovers how the railways turned cricket into a national sport

Épisode 18 - Canterbury to Margate

26 janvier 2011

Michael finds out how Canterbury Cathedral was saved during the Baedecker raids of World War II, goes whelk fishing in Whitstable and explores the origins of a seaside swim in Margate.

Épisode 19 - Sandwich to Folkestone

27 janvier 2011

Michael explores a secret port that ran the first train ferries to France carrying vital supplies during World War I, visits Walmer castle, the home of the Duke of Wellington and discovers how the Victorians initiated the building of the Channel tunnel

Épisode 20 - Hythe to Hastings

28 janvier 2011

Michael discovers a hardy breed of sheep on the atmospheric Romney Marsh, explores Kent's new sparkling wine industry and finds out why the Victorians went mad for ferns in Hastings

Épisode 21 - Ayr to Paisley

31 janvier 2011

Michael visits the hometown of Robbie Burns and finds out how to make haggis, discovers how the railways transformed the game of golf in Prestwick, and uncovers the story of the great Victorian tartan hoax in Paisley

Épisode 22 - Dumbarton to Tyndrum

1 février 2011

Michael explores the historic Dumbarton shipyards that built the Cutty Sark, visits one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts, Loch Lomond, and goes hunting for gold in Scotland's mountains

Épisode 23 - Oban to Corrour

2 février 2011

Michael discovers how trains spread the word about Oban whisky, hears about the heroic struggle to build a railway across the desolate Rannoch Moor, and visits Corrour, one of the favourite shooting estates of the Victorian political elite

Épisode 24 - Roybridge to Glenfinnan

3 février 2011

Michael investigates one of the great geological mysteries of the 19th Century, the parallel roads of Glenroy. Plus, he finds out how the Victorians put a weather observatory on the top of Ben Nevis and takes a steam train across one of the most spectacular viaducts in Britain at Glenfinnan

Épisode 25 - Lochailort to Skye

4 février 2011

Michael discovers how the railways helped train the first generation of commandos at Lochailort in World War II, finds out why langoustines have replaced herrings as the top catch in the fishing port of Mallaig, and sails across the sea to Skye to explore the history of the highland crofters

Épisode 1 - Great Yarmouth to Beccles

2 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo discovers the grave robbing history of Great Yarmouth and tries his hand at working a Victorian swing bridge in Reedham.

Épisode 2 - Darsham to Felixstowe

3 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo follows the Victorians' fascination with Britain's own Atlantis to Dunwich and discovers the history of the Port of Felixstowe.

Épisode 3 - Sudbury to Southend

4 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo comes face to face with a medieval politician, takes a rail tour of Victorian freak show hot spots, and rides an early electric railway.

Épisode 4 - Epping to Hackney

5 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo sees how gunpowder made in Waltham Cross fuelled an empire, and heads to Hackney to uncover the gruesome details of the first murder on a train.

Épisode 5 - Fenchurch to Embankment

6 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo takes a ride on a secret miniature railway hidden beneath London's streets, and rings the bells of the famous church of Bow.

Épisode 6 - Windsor to Didcot

9 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo visits a station fit for royalty in Windsor and views an engineering triumph built by Brunel to span the Thames at Maidenhead.

Épisode 7 - Reading to Alton

10 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo tastes a Victorian superfood in Alton and tries his hand at driving a steam train on the challenging Watercress Line.

Épisode 8 - Winchester to Isle of Wight

11 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo experiences the magnificent Victorian organ at Winchester Cathedral and visits a 19th-century rail works still running in Eastleigh.

Épisode 9 - Brockenhurst to Poole

12 janvier 2012

On the trail of a Victorian snake catcher, Michael visits the New Forest seeking out venomous adders, uncovers a secret library in Wimborne containing some very rare books, and visits the Poole potteries founded in the 19th century, which are still working today.

Épisode 10 - Wareham to Portland

13 janvier 2012

Michael uncovers the amazing oil fields hidden underneath England's quiet seaside resorts, discovers the crucial role Weymouth played in the D-day landings, and heads to the cradle of Victorian Britain's most prestigious building rock, Portland.

Épisode 11 - Oxford to Pershore

16 janvier 2012

Michael is lead to a special view of the city of Oxford by his 19th century guidebook, samples a Victorian navvies' brew made by steam power, and discovers a unique and colourful crop in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Épisode 12 - Hartlebury to Great Malvern

17 janvier 2012

Michael Portillo visits the Worcestershire village of Hartlebury, which was once home to a bishop who captured Queen Victoria's attention, on the second leg of his journey from Oxford to the south Wales coast. He also investigates the secrets of Worcestershire sauce and learns why the Malvern hills were popular with 19th-century health enthusiasts.

Épisode 13 - Lydney to Newport

18 janvier 2012

Michael discovers Britain's hidden micro-mines within the Forest of Dean, sees why the Victorians fell for the romantic ruins of Tintern Abbey and uncovers the railway engineering behind the industrial icon that is Newport Transporter Bridge.

Épisode 14 - Cardiff to Brecon

19 janvier 2012

Michael discovers the Victorian coal heritage that turned Cardiff into the city it is today, explores the 19th-century reason why Barry Island isn't an island, and takes a steam ride through the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park.

Épisode 15 - Port Talbot to Milford Haven

20 janvier 2012

Michael explores the Victorian railway legacy behind the steel works of Port Talbot, follows the trail of 19th-century waterfall hunters in Neath, and uncovers the fascinating whaling past of Milford Haven.

Épisode 16 - Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Morpeth

23 janvier 2012

Michael discovers the unique cross-border history of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, hears the unique story of the Pitman Painters of Ashington and sees first-hand the perils of working on the rails in Victorian times.

Épisode 17 - Bardon Mill to Wigton

24 janvier 2012

Michael gets his hands dirty following the example of Victorian archaeologists at Hadrian's Wall, discovers how the invention of the ticket machine made a big difference to 19th century rail users, and sees how the Victorian railways first fuelled invention in Wigton.

Épisode 18 - Cockermouth to Eskdale

25 janvier 2012

Michael drinks a Victorian brew drawn from the pure waters of Cockermouth, steps inside the hidden world of nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield, and travels into the wonders of a Japanese inspired, 19th century garden.

Épisode 19 - Kirkby-in-Furness to Lancaster

26 janvier 2012

Michael finds out the secrets behind Kirkby's famous blue slate, submerges himself into a secret world of nuclear submarines in Barrow, and sees why the executions at Lancaster castle drew the Victorians in their droves.

Épisode 20 - Heysham to Snaefell

27 janvier 2012

Michael sets sail from Heysham to the Isle of Man, where he discovers the horse trams of Douglas, the 19th century secrets of the giant Laxy Waterwheel, and the Victorian history of the delightful Snaefell mountain railway.

Épisode 21 - Bray to Dublin

30 janvier 2012

Today Michael observes the amazing engineering feat involved in building the railway along Dublin's treacherous East coast, explores 19th century crime and punishment in a Victorian jail, and finds out how the lions of Dublin Zoo changed the fortunes of the railways.

Épisode 22 - Enfield to Drogheda

31 janvier 2012

Today Michael explores the extensive railway network within the Bog of Allen, discovers the Victorian secrets behind the amazing Boyne Viaduct, and travels underground, into the vast Irish Zinc mines.

Épisode 23 - Dundalk to Portadown

1 février 2012

Today Michael explores the Victorians' fascination with antiquity, by visiting the amazing Cromlech stones of Dundalk. He reaches for the stars at the Portadown Observatory and travels in style along the steam railway of Downpatrick.

Épisode 24 - Belfast to Whitehead

2 février 2012

Today Michael explores the fascinating history of Belfast's Victorian docks, discovers the Irish spade making traditions untouched for over 150 years and takes a walk on the wild side with Whitehead's Victorian coastal paths.

Épisode 25 - Ballymoney to Londonderry

3 février 2012

Today Michael takes a white knuckle walk over the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, follows in the footsteps of the Victorians to experience the delights of the Giant's Causeway and explores the rich history of Londonderry.

Épisode 1 - High Wycombe to Stratford-upon-Avon

7 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo embarks on another journey around the nation with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and what remains of Bradshaw's Britain. He begins by travelling from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, to Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, finding out about the remarkable craftsmen behind the Victorian furniture trade, discovering how George Bradshaw helped save Britain's canal heritage and seeing Shakespeare through the eyes of a 19th-century rail tourist.

Épisode 2 - Birmingham to Stafford

8 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo learns how the railways helped to make Birmingham the pen-making capital of the world, hears the chilling tale of one of 19th-century Britain's most notorious murderers and samples delicacies concocted in a Victorian kitchen at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire.

Épisode 3 - Stoke-on-Trent to Winsford

9 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo travels from Stoke-on-Trent to Winsford, Cheshire, finding out about one of the greatest locomotive factories in railway history along the way. He also discovers the dark side of the Industrial Revolution and learns how Victorian potteries brought their products to the masses.

Épisode 4 - Dudley to Bridgnorth

10 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo travels from Dudley in the West Midlands to Bridgnorth, Shropshire. He learns how Victorian blacksmithing was not for the faint-hearted, rides on one of Britain's most modern trains and traverses the Victoria Bridge at Bewdley in Worcestershire.

Épisode 5 - Welshpool to Aberystwyth

11 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo travels from Welshpool, Powys, to Aberystwyth in Ceredigion. He experiences Victorian entertainment in one of Wales's best-loved resorts, hears how the railways took the country's textiles into the most exclusive households and unleashes the power of a 19th-century engineering triumph.

Épisode 6 - Portsmouth to Gomshall

14 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo embarks on the next stage of his journey in which he travels from the naval hub of Portsmouth to Grimsby docks. On the first leg, he helps feed the crew of Britain's newest battleship, discovers how the Victorians planned to repel a possible French invasion and learns there is a well-established industry in an unlikely location.

Épisode 7 - Woking to Clapham Junction

15 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo travels from Woking in Surrey to Clapham Junction in south London. Along the way he gets close to some precious Victorian botany at Kew Gardens, tries his hand at croquet and discovers a very surprising 19th-century place of worship.

Épisode 8 - London Victoria to Abbey Wood

16 janvier 2013

Michael learns how volunteer Victorian firefighters liked a tipple, discovers that 19th-century sewage pumps were a marvel of design and puts in a shift at the oldest fish market in Britain.

Épisode 9 - London King's Cross to Peterborough

17 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo discovers how derelict Victorian London is being rejuvenated. Furthermore he works in a shift at a Cambridgeshire brick factory and meets members of an immigrant community linked to it.

Épisode 10 - Spalding to Grimsby

18 janvier 2013

Michael learns about how Lincolnshire farmers utilised rails to improve their harvests, visiting the impressive cathedral in Lincoln and looking to the future of rail freight.

Épisode 11 - Stirling to Invergowrie

21 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook, he travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's World remains. Michael is exploring the stunning scenery of rural and coastal Scotland, travelling from Stirling, through the industrial east coast and dramatic Highland landscapes, to the beauty of the western lochs, finally ending his journey in John O'Groats. Michael learns about a Scottish hero, visits a Highland Games and discovers how an impressive piece of Victorian engineering ended in tragedy.

Épisode 12 - Dundee to Aberdeen

22 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook, he travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's World remains. Michael is exploring the stunning scenery of rural and coastal Scotland, travelling from Stirling, through the industrial east coast and dramatic Highland landscapes, to the beauty of the western lochs, finally ending his journey in John O'Groats. Michael learns how Queen Victoria used to hide from her subjects, discovers how factory workers went deaf and goes out with a bang in Aberdeenshire.

Épisode 13 - Dufftown to Aviemore

23 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook, he travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's World remains. Michael is exploring the stunning scenery of rural and coastal Scotland, travelling from Stirling, through the industrial east coast and dramatic Highland landscapes, to the beauty of the western lochs, finally ending his journey in John O'Groats. Michael learns how Victorian whisky trains were raided by robbers, travels along one of Scotland's most impressive viaducts and discovers that life is not always sweet on a shortbread production line.

Épisode 14 - Inverness to Plockton

24 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook. He travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's world remains. In this programme, Michael explores the scenery of rural and coastal Scotland, travelling from Stirling to the beauty of the western lochs, ending his journey in John O'Groats. Michael rides one of Scotland's most picturesque railways, visits Scotland's smallest station and learns what went into a Victorian-style spa break.

Épisode 15 - Invergordon to John O'Groats

25 janvier 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook, he travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's World remains. Michael is exploring the stunning scenery of rural and coastal Scotland, travelling from Stirling, through the industrial east coast and dramatic Highland landscapes, to the beauty of the western lochs, finally ending his journey in John O'Groats. Michael learns how one man's vision helped bring train travel to the Highlands, discovers how farming has changed since Bradshaw's day and hears the remarkable tale of Scotland's Victorian gold rush.

Épisode 16 - London Paddington to Warminster

28 janvier 2013

Michael gets to grips with the old grey matter at a Victorian asylum, gives an historic horse a facelift and makes malt the 19th century way.

Épisode 17 - Salisbury to Castle Cary

29 janvier 2013

Michael visits a world famous tourist hotspot that's been captivating visitors since the Victorian era, takes to the air in Yeovil and tries his hand at cloth making, the 19th century way.

Épisode 18 - Taunton to Minehead

30 janvier 2013

Michael explores a church that moves in mysterious ways, finds out just what it takes to run a 19th century signal box and summons all his strength, to move a one hundred and ten tonne steam locomotive.

Épisode 19 - Lynton and Lynmouth to Exeter

31 janvier 2013

Michael gets up close to a piece of natural history, visits a garden used as a viewing platform for public hangings and experiences a timepiece like no other.

Épisode 20 - Exmouth to Newton Abbot

1 février 2013

Michael takes to sea with the heroes of the RNLI, visits a stormy coastal railway and has a close personal encounter with his boyhood hero.

Épisode 21 - Killarney to Cobh

4 février 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks once again using his Bradshaw's 'Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland' from the Victorian era. Portillo is on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland travelling from the rugged beauty of County Kerry, across the rural Irish Midlands to end in the city of Galway on the Atlantic coast. In this episode Michael samples nineteenth century foodie delicacies, explores a stunning landscape shot to fame by rails and royals and risks life and limb for the gift of the gab.

Épisode 22 - Charleville to Waterford

5 février 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks once again using his Bradshaw's 'Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland' from the Victorian era. Portillo is on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland travelling from the rugged beauty of County Kerry, across the rural Irish Midlands to end in the city of Galway on the Atlantic coast. In this episode, Michael learns the ancient art of butter making, attempts to learn the basics of Ireland's oldest game, and rides the Duke of Devonshire's Victorian Irish railway.

Épisode 23 - Kilkenny to Athy

6 février 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks once again using his Bradshaw's 'Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland' from the Victorian era. Portillo is on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland travelling from the rugged beauty of County Kerry, across the rural Irish Midlands to end in the city of Galway on the Atlantic coast. In this episode, Michael tries his hand at cutting marble Victorian style, uncovers 19th century Ireland's surprising industrial heritage and learns how the railways helped bring motorsport to the masses.

Épisode 24 - Newbridge to Roscrea

7 février 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks once again using his Bradshaw's 'Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland' from the Victorian era. Portillo is on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland travelling from the rugged beauty of County Kerry, across the rural Irish Midlands to end in the city of Galway on the Atlantic coast. In this episode, Michael visits the Irish National Stud, discovers how harsh life was for the Irish poor and uncovers an astronomical feat of Victorian engineering.

Épisode 25 - Athlone to Galway

8 février 2013

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks once again using his Bradshaw's 'Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland' from the Victorian era. Portillo is on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland travelling from the rugged beauty of County Kerry, across the rural Irish Midlands to end in the city of Galway on the Atlantic coast. In this episode, Michael is on the final leg of his Irish journey and discovers historic jewellery with royal connections in Galway, meets a people's king and finds his voice with a traditional Irish singing group.

Épisode 1 - Manchester to Birkenhead

6 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Manchester, birthplace of George Bradshaw, the publisher of his trusted guide, to Chesterfield, burial place of George Stephenson, the father of the railway. In the first leg of the journey, Michael finds out how the world's first industrialised city also gave birth to a revolutionary political movement and hears how railway workers founded one of the most successful football clubs in the world. Along the way, Michael does the washing in Port Sunlight and discovers the legacy of an American named George Francis Train in Birkenhead.

Épisode 2 - Southport to Leyland

7 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey through the North West of England. He begins in the elegant Lancashire resort of Southport, where the railways brought thousands of visitors to enjoy the pier and all the fun of the fair. Michael discovers Victorian entrepreneurship in Wigan, traces the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in Bolton and drives a hundred-year-old commercial vehicle in Leyland.

Épisode 3 - Preston to Rochdale

8 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey through the North West of England. He celebrates Victorian trade with the Preston Guild then heads to Rochdale where he discovers a pioneering movement that helped improve the lot of working families. Michael follows in the tracks of swathes of nineteenth-century working people who made day trips from the industrial towns to Hebden Bridge to walk in the beautiful Calder Valley.

Épisode 4 - Haworth to Huddersfield

9 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey from Manchester to Chesterfield at the home of the three Bronte sisters in Worth Valley, Yorkshire. He then moves on to Oakworth where he learns how the station and its heritage railway line secured a starring role in one of the most popular films ever made. In Bradford, Michael finds out how nineteenth-century workers could save to buy a home of their own, and in Halifax discovers how the railway contributed to the town's sweet success.

Épisode 5 - Honley to Chesterfield

10 janvier 2014

On the last leg of his journey from a notorious slum in Manchester to the grandeur of a ducal seat in Derbyshire, Michael Portillo tunes in to the music of the mills and collieries of Victorian England, testing his puff with the brass band at Honley. In Holmfirth, Michael finds out about a nineteenth-century tragedy that struck the town and led to a tourist boom on the railways. At Chesterfield, Michael pays homage to the father of the railway, George Stephenson, before finishing his journey in style at one of the first stately homes to welcome visitors by rail - Chatsworth.

Épisode 6 - London Euston to Cheddington

13 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey guided by his Bradshaw's Handbook from London's Euston station to Leeds. In this first leg, he finds out what happened to the once proud Euston Arch then braves the watery depths under Camden Town to see how goods were transported by rail, road and canal. Clad in his old school blazer, Michael heads north to explore the Harrow of his childhood and remembers the tragic rail disaster of 1952. At the country estate of one of the world's wealthiest banking families in Tring, he discovers an exotic collection in need of special attention before alighting at Cheddington, scene of the Great Train Robbery.

Épisode 7 - Bletchley to Newport Pagnell

14 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey north on Robert Stephenson's first inter-city railway line from the capital. Along the line at Bletchley he meets one of the Second World War's most secret agents, discovers a poet in Olney whose words are still sung today and explores the first purpose-built railway town at Wolverton. Michael's last stop on this leg is Newport Pagnell, where he learns the ancient craft of vellum making.

Épisode 8 - Northampton to Nuneaton

15 janvier 2014

Steered by his Bradshaw's Michael Portillo heads north on his journey from London to Leeds, stopping in Northampton, the land of shoemakers, where Victorian 'clickers' have been making shoes for more than 130 years. In Rugby, Michael discovers the legacy of Dr Thomas Arnold and trains with the school's 1st XV before heading to Coventry, where he finds out how the city's craftsmen learned to adapt to survive. Michael ends this leg of his journey in Nuneaton, birthplace of an author whose identity was once a closely guarded secret.

Épisode 9 - Leicester to Loughborough

16 janvier 2014

Guided by his Victorian Bradshaw's Michael Portillo continues his journey north along Robert Stephenson's London to Birmingham line. He begins this leg in Leicester, where he picks up the trail of 'the famous crook-backed King Richard III', who Bradshaw's informs him was buried at the Grey Priory. Michael finds out about the hunt for the king's remains and how scientists managed to prove that the skeleton found under a car park was him. From Rothley, Michael works his passage on the Great Central Railway to Loughborough, where the bells have been tolling since 1839.

Épisode 10 - Nottingham to Leeds

17 janvier 2014

On the final leg of his journey along the first inter-city line to be built from the capital, Michael Portillo rediscovers a once-famous poet in Nottingham. In Mansfield he travels on a railway line resurrected by popular demand after falling victim to Beeching's cuts, then heads to Worksop, where he learns about the burrowing activities of an eccentric Duke. Michael's next stop is 'railway city' Doncaster, where in the nineteenth century thousands laboured to build trains and where in the twentieth century, rail workers shaped British political history. His last stop on this journey is Leeds, where he auditions at the Venus and Venice of Variety on the stage at Britain's oldest continuously working music hall.

Épisode 11 - Southampton to Basingstoke

20 janvier 2014

Assisted by his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Southampton to Wolverhampton. On this first leg he learns to set table aboard the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth before she sets sail and discovers how Cunard steamers began by transporting post across the Atlantic. He then heads to Netley, where he discovers the remains of an extensive military hospital built by order of Queen Victoria and from there to Basingstoke, where he finds out about a pitched battle between townspeople and the Salvation Army.

Épisode 12 - Winchfield to Crowthorne

21 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey from the Hampshire coast to the West Midlands in a distinctly military vein. At Winchfield, he discovers the vast carriage which carried the Duke of Wellington's coffin to his state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral in 1852 and hears how the Duke's chestnut stallion also received full military honours when he was buried at the Duke's seat, Stratfield Saye. Michael then heads for Farnborough and the army camp at Aldershot, where, after the Crimean War, greater physical fitness among rank and file Victorian soldiers became a priority. Private Portillo joins the regulars to be put through his paces under military instruction. Sanctuary is not far away in Farnborough North at the Benedictine Monastery of St Michael, where Michael visits the tomb of the French Emperor Napoleon III and his family. He ends this second leg of his journey in Crowthorne, where in the year his Bradshaw's was published, there opened a notorious new institution: England's first Asylum for the Criminally Insane, Broadmoor.

Épisode 13 - Wokingham to Bradford-on-Avon

22 janvier 2014

Steered by his Victorian guidebook, Michael Portillo heads north from the south coast towards the West Midlands. The third leg begins in Wokingham, where Bradshaw's reports the proprietor of The Times newspaper resided and where he was a great benefactor. Michael finds out how demand from a growing number of rail commuters fuelled the development of the modern printing press and learns how to print on an iron press. He then heads to Newbury, where he encounters a Tudor captain of industry, who manufactured cloth in enormous volumes. Michael's next destination is Trowbridge, where Sir Isaac Pitman invented his famous shorthand. He ends this leg of the journey in Bradford on Avon, where he hears from a local manufacturer how his Victorian forebears were the first in Britain to be licensed to vulcanise rubber. They supplied springs, buffers and hoses for the locomotive industry and now make rubber suspensions systems for bicycles.

Épisode 14 - Chippenham to Gloucester

23 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey from Southampton to Wolverhampton beginning today in Chippenham, where at Lacock Abbey he discovers how the world's first photographic negative was made and learns how to make a print. He travels on to Bristol to visit the Victorian Clifton Zoo, where he finds tigers and polar bears before him also arrived by train. Next stop is Severn Tunnel Junction in Wales, where he explores an extraordinary piece of Victorian engineering with its own pump house pumping out millions of gallons a day to keep it dry. Michael then heads for Gloucester to find out why the station became infamous for lost luggage. At the city's cathedral, Michael meets a stonemason who bravely invites him to chip away.

Épisode 15 - Cheltenham to Wolverhampton

24 janvier 2014

On the final leg of his journey from Southampton to Wolverhampton, Michael Portillo's first destination is the elegant spa town of Cheltenham, where he discovers a very early locomotive carriage which ran not on rails but on the road and is lucky enough to get behind the wheel. His next stop is the medieval town of Tewkesbury, scene of a grisly battle during the Wars of the Roses. Armour-plated and sword at the ready, Michael joins a group of re-enactors for a taste of the action. Mercifully unscathed, he makes tracks for Droitwich to find out about how a lowly boatman became the King of Salt and lived in a beautiful chateau, an unexpected sight in the Midlands countryside. Michael's journey ends in Wolverhampton, where he hears Queen Victoria made an emotional visit which signalled the end of her exile from public life after mourning her husband, Prince Albert. He learns how the townspeople showed off their talents to the Queen, among them the lost art of Japanning, a speciality of Wolverhampton.

Épisode 16 - Norwich to Brandon

27 janvier 2014

Guided by his 19th century Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Norwich to Chichester. On this first leg he explores Norwich's medieval heart. In the city's Norman castle he uncovers the Victorian public's gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry, who was born in Norwich, worked to improve conditions for prisoners. At the city's livestock market, Michael learns how to buy a calf at auction with a subtle twitch of his guidebook. He then heads west to Thetford to explore the rabbit warrens of the Brecks. He discovers how the Victorian appetite for rabbits and their fur led to special train services to London, known as Bunny Trains. After a painful encounter with a polecat, Michael heads northwest to Brandon, home of some of the best quality flint in Britain and tries his hand at flint-knapping.

Épisode 17 - Ipswich to Chelmsford

28 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey from the east coast to the south coast beginning in the port of Ipswich, capital of the farming county of Suffolk. His first port of call is an agricultural implement works with its own railway sidings. Michael investigates what could have earned the Victorian manufacturer a special mention in his Bradshaw's. Continuing his journey south west into Essex Michael dredges oysters off Mersea Island before taking the train to Witham, where he discovers a model farming establishment at Tiptree. His final destination is Chelmsford and the world's first purpose-built radio equipment factory, established by Guglielmo Marconi.

Épisode 18 - Ilford to Rochester

29 janvier 2014

Steered by his Bradshaw's, Michael Portillo heads along the Essex bank of the Thames before crossing the river into the Garden of England, Kent. He begins this leg at Barkingside, where a Victorian philanthropist called Dr Thomas Barnardo made it his life's work to transform the lives of destitute children. From Upminster Michael takes the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway to Tilbury and finds out how the line and the old station transformed the town into one of the country's most important ports. At the docks, Michael tries his hand at loading a container on to a pocket wagon. Over the river at Gravesend Michael discovers how one of Queen Victoria's favourite army officers, General Gordon, left his mark on the town. Michael's last destination on this leg is Rochester, where he encounters a host of familiar characters and explores the city which was home to one of the Victorian era's greatest writers, Charles Dickens.

Épisode 19 - Faversham to Dorking

30 janvier 2014

Michael Portillo continues his journey from Norwich to Chichester beginning in Faversham in Kent, at one of the country's oldest surviving breweries, Shepherd Neame. Michael discovers how the brewery invested heavily in the railways and even ran rolling stock with its own smart livery taking beer to London. After making his own delivery to the Railway Tavern in one of the brewery's oldest vehicles, Michael heads for the south coast to the defensive town of Dover, little more than 25 miles from the historic enemy, the French. Here he uncovers one of Dover's best kept secrets, the sunken fortress known as the Western Heights. In the Weald of Kent, Michael finds out how the railways helped to put Tonbridge School on track for cricketing glory before heading into Surrey where he blow-dries a hen in Dorking!

Épisode 20 - Brighton to Chichester

31 janvier 2014

On the final leg of his journey between the cathedral cities of Norwich and Chichester, Michael Portillo discovers the history behind the extraordinary Pavilion at Brighton and learns that Queen Victoria was not an admirer of the Prince Regent's flamboyant taste. Michael finds that while above ground the railways brought day trippers to frolic in fashionable Brighton, underground, Victorian engineers built a magnificent network of sewers more than 40 miles in length, which are still functioning today. At Bramber, he discovers at the time of his guide tourists flocked to the town in huge numbers due to a Victorian museum of taxidermy. Michael's next stop is the impressive castle at Arundel and he's pleased to find that the Duke of Norfolk was a great supporter of the railways. His rail journey ends in Chichester from where he heads up into the South Downs for a taste of life in the fast lane at Goodwood.

Épisode 1 - Ayr to Stewarton

5 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey through southern Scotland from west to east. From Ayr, he admires the granite island of Ailsa Craig before getting to grips with the ancient sport of curling, with help from a Scottish world champion. The Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers invites Michael to take part in the oldest archery competition in the world. At Barassie, he rides the footplate of a freight train hauling coal on Scotland's oldest railway line. He caps off this leg of his journey in Stewarton.

Épisode 2 - Greenock to Larkhall

6 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo continues his journey through the Scottish lowlands with his Bradshaw's guide. He begins in the industrial town of Greenock from where he sets sail in the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world. In Glasgow, Michael investigates 'Mackintosh style' in an iconic city tea room, before seeing the devastating effects of the 2014 fire at the Glasgow School of Art. In Blantyre, Michael discovers the humble beginnings of Britain's most famous missionary and explorer, and learns to bake sour dough in Scotland's oldest bakery in Strathaven.

Épisode 3 - Motherwell to Linlithgow

7 janvier 2015

Armed with his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo continues his journey through southern Scotland. He celebrates Victorian iron and steel in Motherwell and admires one of its crowning achievements - the Forth Rail Bridge. Michael journeys through picturesque countryside to admire the raw power of nature at the magnificent and romantic Clyde Falls, which inspired Wordsworth and Coleridge, and where Victorian ladies swooned. In Cumbernauld, Michael learns of the birth of one of Scotland's best-selling soft drinks. In Linlithgow, he marvels at the ingenuity of the engineers who built the Union Canal and experiences a 21st century technological refinement at Falkirk.

Épisode 4 - Stirling to Pitlochry

8 janvier 2015

Steered by his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey in Stirling, where he visits the scene of a bloody battle at Bannockburn. Following in the footsteps of Victorian holidaymakers, he travels north to Crieff to experience the popular Hydro. In the ancient capital of Scotland, Perth, Michael learns what it takes to make a sporran before catching the highland mainline to Pitlochry and one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts. He finishes for the day with a wee dram in Scotland's smallest distillery.

Épisode 5 - St Andrew's to Edinburgh

9 janvier 2015

On the last leg of his journey across Scotland from west to east, Michael Portillo pays homage to the birthplace of golf at St Andrews. He visits a factory where they make traditional hickory-shafted clubs and ventures out on to the green. In Dunfermline, Michael discovers the poor beginnings of one of the world's wealthiest men, a remarkable philanthropist who worked on the railroads before making his fortune in steel. Crossing the Firth of Forth via the legendary red bridge, Michael arrives in Edinburgh in the middle of the world's largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, where he treads the boards in an unconventional adaptation of a play by Oscar Wilde.

Épisode 6 - Amersham to Regent's Park

12 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo embarks on a series of journeys through London. He travels on the capital's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Line, from Amersham, where he discovers the foundations for modern day suburbia

Épisode 7 - Deptford to West Silverton

13 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo is invited aboard the construction locomotive for Crossrail to travel under the Thames and to meet Mary, on whom the project depends. He travels on the capital's first railway, and admires the remarkable brick viaduct on which it was built. He takes a tour underneath its arches with a Victorian map showing the poverty of those who once lived there. The Docklands Light Railway takes him to Greenwich, home to Britain's most famous tea clipper. And in Woolwich, he discovers the firepower of the British Empire before coming to a sticky end at West Silverton.

Épisode 8 - Stratford to London Victoria

14 janvier 2015

Guided by his Bradshaw's, Michael Portillo takes the high-speed line to Stratford to explore the legacy of the Olympic Park. He hears how an Indian lawyer, who learnt his trade in Victorian London, went on to change the world and explores an area of the city which has been home to wave upon wave of immigrants, Spitalfields. He ends this journey at Victoria Underground Station, where he finds out about the massive makeover currently under way.

Épisode 9 - Covent Garden to Soho

15 janvier 2015

Guided by his Victorian Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo explores London's theatreland and discovers how 19th-century engineering made for spectacular theatricals. At Charing Cross, Michael learns about the ambitious building programme which saw Trafalgar Square replace streets of slums and comes face to face with George Bradshaw. At one of the busiest stops on the tube, Piccadilly Circus, Michael indulges in some retail therapy at a perfumery patronised by kings, queens and prime ministers. The Bakerloo to Oxford Circus line brings Michael to Soho and a grimmer side of Victorian London, where disease was rife.

Épisode 10 - High Street Kensington to London Bridge

16 janvier 2015

On the last of his journeys in the capital, Michael Portillo explores Albertopolis and reaches dizzying heights inside a Victorian landmark. He meets some of Battersea's most famous residents and gives one of them a bath! At Vauxhall, Michael learns about the darker side of London's flower market in Bradshaw's day. He ends this journey at London Bridge, where two stations are becoming one, and a new concourse is being built.

Épisode 11 - Derby to Grantham

19 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey following his Bradshaw's handbook from the heart of the industrial East Midlands to the north-eastern island of Lindisfarne

Épisode 12 - Boston to Hensall

20 janvier 2015

Armed with his Bradshaw's, Michael Portillo continues his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne. Beginning in Boston in the flatlands of Lincolnshire, Michael explores the connection between the city and its American namesake.

Épisode 13 - Hessle to York

21 janvier 2015

Steered by his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo continues his journey from the heart of the East Midlands to Northumberland's Holy Island. He begins in Hessle, on the north bank of the River Humber, in the shadow of the magnificent Humber Bridge, where he learns about the technology that made it possible. In Kingston upon Hull, Michael meets his friend and sparring partner, local MP Alan Johnson, who tells him about another famous son of his city, William Wilberforce. In Scarborough, Michael's handbook directs him to the castle, where the founder of the Quaker movement was once imprisoned. His last stop of the day is York, where Michael learns what made the ancient capital a centre for the sweet-making industry.

Épisode 14 - Middlesbrough to Hexham

22 janvier 2015

Following his Bradshaw's Handbook, Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne in the Victorian ironopolis of Middlesbrough. He visits one of the last cast iron foundries in the city and helps cast a carrot valve for a steam engine. His next stop is Darlington, spiritual home of the railways, where he learns how the city profited from its fast connections to the capitals of England and Scotland by developing a newspaper industry. Michael meets the editor of the Northern Echo and finds out about the colourful history of one of his predecessors, WT Stead. At Jarrow, Michael visits the monastery to learn about its famous monk, the father of English history, Bede. His last stop on this leg of his journey is Hexham, where he visits a historic ginger beer emporium.

Épisode 15 - Newcastle to Lindisfarne

23 janvier 2015

With his Bradshaw's guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo journeys from Newcastle up the north east coast to Lindisfarne. He finds out about the world's earliest swing bridge and its inventor, Newcastle engineer Sir William Armstrong, and discovers how the city's Victorian industrial heritage has found a new cultural purpose. From Seahouses by boat, amid puffins and cormorants, Michael goes in search of a darling of the Victorian press, who with her father rescued nine people from tumultuous seas. On the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Michael explores the lime kilns and finds out how, in the 7th century, Christianity spread from here across northern England.

Épisode 16 - Pembroke Dock to Swansea

26 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey following his Bradshaw's handbook from south-west Wales to Cambridge, beginning in Pembroke Dock, where Queen Victoria's royal yachts were built. In the little market town of Naberth he investigates what caused rebels to dress up as women, later spending the night at an inn in Carmarthen where Horatio Nelson once met Emma Hamilton. Next day, the former politician pitches in with the volunteers who look after the Gwili Heritage line and ends his leg in Swansea, where he learns how to pose for a photograph in Victorian style.

Épisode 17 - Swansea to Hereford

27 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo begins in the ruinous gardens at Aberglasney House near Llandeilo before riding shotgun in the driver's cab on one of the most scenic routes in Britain. Over the border in Leominster, Herefordshire, he steps out onto the dance floor at the Lion Hotel Ballroom, where a grand ball was held to celebrate the opening of the Ludlow to Hereford railway, and finishes this leg of his journey at a traditional cider house in Hereford.

Épisode 18 - Abergavenny to Hanborough

28 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo begins underground at Big Pit coal mine in Blaenavon, where he discovers how Victorians toiled night and day to power the Industrial Revolution. On the River Usk, he learns about 19th-century developments in angling before heading to Ascott-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire - once the scene of a farm labourers' dispute that ended in rioting. Michael concludes this leg of his journey at Blenheim Palace.

Épisode 19 - Oxford to Luton

29 janvier 2015

Beginning in the heart of academia in Oxford, Michael Portillo visits the Bodleian library to see some Victorian treasures, including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein manuscript and a pocket-sized edition of Bradshaw's Companion. At Bicester, he investigates two new rail projects, finds out about Victorian philanthropy in Bedford and finishes in Luton, where he explores the dark arts of the hat-maker.

Épisode 20 - Oakham to Cambridge

30 janvier 2015

Michael Portillo sets off from Oakham in Rutland, where he learns about a noble tradition dating back to the Middle Ages and decides to take part. Heading east to Stamford, Lincolnshire, he discovers why the town is such an attractive location for period dramas, while a ghoulish scene awaits in Peterborough when he visits a Victorian operating theatre where railwaymen were treated. Michael's last stop on his journey is Christ's College at Cambridge University, where he finds out about about the student days of Charles Darwin.

Épisode 1 - Carlisle to Penrith

4 janvier 2016

Joining the cracker packers of Carlisle on the factory floor, Michael really takes the biscuit as he investigates the Victorian appetite for the custard cream on his new journey through north-west Britain. Braving a perilous descent into the only operational slate mine in England, Michael discovers a miniature railway which once hauled slate to the surface. Following in the footsteps of Victorian miners on their way to work, he steps out gingerly on to what is now Britain's only Via Ferrata - a terrifying tightrope challenge 300 feet above the Borrowdale Valley.

Épisode 2 - Windermere to Carnforth

5 janvier 2016

Michael continues his journey through the Lake District where he discovers a magical world of talking rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs and mice, who have entertained children for more than 100 years. At the village home of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, Michael learns about her legacy and her fears about the railways. Fuelled by a Victorian energy bar, Michael presses on to Brantwood, home of the Victorian art critic John Ruskin. He finishes with a brief encounter at Carnforth.

Épisode 3 - Preston to Swinton

6 janvier 2016

Michael reads the riot act in Preston, where he discovers four mill workers were shot dead by soldiers at a protest in 1842. In Darwen, he makes a splash in pink as he traces developments in 19th-century interior design from wallpaper to paint. Michael explores the Victorian industrial landscape of Salford, populated by little matchstick figures, as revealed in the paintings of LS Lowry. Michael finishes this leg of his journey on Kersal Moor, where he twists his tongue around the Lancashire dialect and discovers the poetry of Edwin Waugh.

Épisode 4 - St Helens to Knutsford

7 janvier 2016

Steered by his Bradshaw's guide, Michael begins this leg of his journey in Merseyside, where he feels the heat of modern glassmaking in St Helens. He discovers how the techniques invented in the Victorian era to construct buildings such as the Crystal Palace have evolved and are powering a new architectural revolution.

Épisode 5 - Ashley to Alton

8 janvier 2016

On the last leg of his journey through north west England, Michael makes a clean sweep in Ashley, where, in Victorian times, the new middle classes set up home in suburban villas with multiple chimneys, swept by children. In Macclesfield, Michael finds the end of the Silk Route and tries his hand at screen printing. After stoking the fire on the steam-powered Churnet Valley Railway, Michael alights at Froghall for Alton Towers, to trace the 19th-century origins of the modern theme park.

Épisode 6 - Dover to Lewes

11 janvier 2016

Michael embarks on a railway journey along the south coast of Britain. Beginning in the port of Dover, he is inspired by a brave Victorian sea captain to plunge into the English Channel. A spectacular miniature steam railway, one third the size of his customary mode of transport, conveys him from Romney Marsh to Dungeness. In elegant Eastbourne, he discovers how the refined Victorian upper crust was attracted to the town by design of the 7th Duke of Devonshire. He ends his journey in truly eccentric English style at the Glyndebourne opera festival on the South Downs.

Épisode 7 - Newhaven to Worthing

12 janvier 2016

Following his Bradshaw's handbook, Michael examines the nation's hidden defences against potential invaders, beginning in the port of Newhaven. Detouring north to Balcombe, he interrupts his journey to appreciate two magnificent engineering achievements - the Ouse Valley Viaduct and the Clayton Tunnel - and learns of a gruesome murder. High on top of a favourite Victorian beauty spot, Michael learns how trains once brought hordes of day trippers here to walk and fly kites. Michael ends this leg of his journey in Worthing, where he finds a novel way to pick tomatoes.

Épisode 8 - Littlehampton to Beaulieu

13 janvier 2016

Michael arrives in Littlehampton, where he discovers how Victorian engineers dug deep to defend the town's residents from cholera and learns how their drills still access clean water around the world. At Gosport, he experiences first-hand the lethal firepower unleashed on the French and learns how the Victorians were engaged in a furious arms race against them. At the family home of Florence Nightingale in the New Forest, Michael finds out what motivated the Lady of the Lamp, before seizing the chance to drive the first motor car at Beaulieu.

Épisode 9 - Lymington Town to Exmouth

14 janvier 2016

Armed with his Bradshaw's Handbook, Michael arrives in the sailing haven of Lymington where he makes a lifesaving discovery. Exploring Dorchester's literary landscape, he finds out how the coming of the railways inspired the work of the region's greatest writer - Thomas Hardy. Weaving his way to Axminster, Michael tries his hand at carpet making. His last stop is Exmouth, home to Francis Danby, a forgotten Victorian landscape artist.

Épisode 10 - Plymouth to Porthcurno

15 janvier 2016

In Plymouth, Michael finds out about the Royal Navy's fighting spirit and mixes his own blend of ruin. Crossing into Cornwall, Michael learns about the last bridge to be built by one of his heroes, the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. By Tre, Pol and Pen, he comes to know Cornishmen and how to prepare the perfect pasty. His journey ends in a small village which in Victorian times became a hub of global communications.

Épisode 11 - Birmingham to Worcester

18 janvier 2016

Every train ride begins with a whistle and Michael's new railway journey is no exception, blasting off from Birmingham's jewellery quarter to the sound of the Acme whistle, manufactured there since 1884. A visit to the city's town hall reveals a magnificent organ and the location for a celebrated music festival. Travelling south to Kidderminster, Michael reports for duty at the Post Office, where he sorts the letters and discovers more about the great postal innovator Sir Rowland Hill, before heading out to deliver the Royal Mail. 19th-century quack doctors and their bogus remedies are exposed in Worcester, where Michael discovers the origins of the British Medical Association.

Épisode 12 - Redditch to Gloucester

19 janvier 2016

Michael heads for the sharp end of the Victorian industrial revolution at a needle manufactory in Redditch. The Freemasons of Cheltenham invite Michael into their lodge to share the secrets of their society. In Gloucester, he learns how to make Gloucester cheese. Continuing on to Highnam, Michael is glad to discover the beautiful Victorian Gothic church of Thomas Parry and to join the Gloucester Choral Society in a rendition of Jerusalem composed by Thomas's son Hubert.

Épisode 13 - Stroud to Bath

20 janvier 2016

Michael takes pot luck on the snooker table as he investigates the Victorian origins of the game and finds out what it takes to produce the fine green cloth which smoothes the path of the balls. In Cirencester, he ploughs a crooked furrow at the Royal Agricultural College before taking tea with the ladies in Bath, where he also discovers a scandalous novel written by an eccentric recluse, once the wealthiest man in England.

Épisode 14 - Bristol to Glastonbury

21 janvier 2016

Armed with his Bradshaw's guidebook, Michael enters the foul-smelling world of a Victorian tannery. In Nailsea, he discovers how mountains of bird droppings made one of the greatest fortunes of the era for a 19th-century entrepreneur, who spent his wealth building churches and chapels and one of the most luxurious country houses in Britain. Reaching Glastonbury, Michael heads for the mystical abbey, where Victorian tourists flocked to hear stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail.

Épisode 15 - Bridgwater to Dartmoor

22 janvier 2016

Following his Bradshaw's Guidebook, Michael stands trial at the Bloody Assizes in Taunton and feels the full force of the law. He gets to grips with a miracle of Victorian engineering on the Somerset Levels at Westonzoyland and on Dartmoor he embarks on a mid-19th-century treasure hunt still popular today.

Épisode 16 - Ashford to Sevenoaks

25 janvier 2016

Michael begins a new journey through the home counties in Ashford, Kent, lending a hand at a state-of-the-art train maintenance plant, home to the High Speed 1 rolling stock - a modern railway hub in a Victorian railway town. A visit to a historic make-up brand reveals the foundations of the Victorian cosmetics industry. Taking the tracks east to Marden, Michael is moved by music played on Queen Victoria's personal piano before ending his journey in Sevenoaks at Knole House, seat of the Sackville-West family, where he learns of its colourful history.

Épisode 17 - East Grinstead to Guildford

26 janvier 2016

At East Grinstead, Michael dons a boiler suit and takes to the footplate of a loco on the Bluebell Railway, Britain's first passenger carrying heritage line. Travelling north to Merstham, Surrey, Michael experiences an explosive encounter as he witnesses the power of dynamite first-hand. Moving east through Surrey countryside, he visits the stunningly situated Leith Hill Place to explore the compositions of the great British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The journey ends near Guildford with the story of a giant of Victorian art - GF Watts.

Épisode 18 - Woking to Walton-on-Thames

28 janvier 2016

Michael's journey through the home counties continues at Woking, Surrey, where Michael uncovers the story of Britain's first purpose-built crematorium, a response to overcrowded cemeteries and London's ever-expanding population. A trip to world-famous Wisley Gardens sheds light on the work of the Royal Horticultural Society, as Michael gets green fingered. Swapping trees and tranquillity for the roar of a motor car, at Weybridge Michael visits Brooklands the birthplace of motor racing and gets behind the wheel of a vintage Bentley racing car. As this journey leg draws to a close, Portillo goes camping at Walton-on-Thames and learns about the unlikely origins of a leisure pursuit that is going strong today.

Épisode 19 - Hampton Court to Teddington

29 janvier 2016

A royal residence beckons for Michael as he is treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the world's longest vine at Hampton Court Palace. Maintaining a royal theme, Michael is drawn to Esher to visit stately Claremont House, where tragic circumstances led directly to the birth of the Victorian era. Moving up the line to Wimbledon, Michael is challenged to a duel on the common, the site of a historic and memorable duelling event. This journey ends in Teddington, where the story of a Victorian reformer whose work revolutionised the care for those living with learning disabilities is uncovered.

Épisode 20 - Egham to Henley-on-Thames

29 janvier 2016

Michael begins the final leg of this journey through the home counties at Egham, where a perfectly preserved, historic steam fair offers the original white-knuckle ride. Across town lies the palatial Royal Holloway College, now part of the University of London, where Michael discovers the institution's philanthropic roots. Moving on to Berkshire, Michael drops in at a factory that manufactures a famously sleep-inducing beverage with historic roots. This journey ends riverside at Henley-on-Thames, where Michael takes to the water and learns that rowing in an eight is a challenging business.

Épisode 1 - The Flying Scotsman

2 janvier 2017

A once-in-a-lifetime journey aboard the most famous train in history, the Flying Scotsman, begins for Michael before dawn at London's King's Cross. Excitement builds on the platform as the world's media, fans and 300 passengers await the arrival of railway royalty.

Épisode 2 - Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

3 janvier 2017

After the excitement of his ride on the Flying Scotsman, Michael begins a new journey with his Bradshaw's guide book north from London, following the historic service's path at a more leisurely pace. Along the way he is forced to expend more effort than usual on the rails as he pumps a track inspection trolley.

Épisode 3 - Newark-on-Trent to Stockton

4 janvier 2017

Following his trip from London to York on board the Flying Scotsman, Michael uses his Bradshaw's to trace the path of the famous service, beginning in the 'Key of the North' Newark-on-Trent and finishing in the cradle of the railways, Stockton-on-Tees.

Épisode 4 - Darlington to Dunbar

5 janvier 2017

In Newton Aycliffe, he tests a state-of-the-art passenger train on tracks which follow the route taken by George Stephenson's steam engine on its historic journey in 1825. Through the looking glass at Croft-on-Tees he discovers a curious potion at the childhood home of Victorian writer Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, and finds the author was also a fan of Bradshaw.

Épisode 5 - Longniddry to Edinburgh

6 janvier 2017

Michael helps himself to a ukulele lesson in Haddington, birthplace of Victorian self-improvement guru Samuel Smiles. In Musselburgh, he gets a taste of life as a fishwife before exploring the Scottish capital Edinburgh, where a popular 19th-century mode of transport is making a comeback. The city's proud medical heritage, highlighted in his guide book, takes Michael to the Royal College of Surgeons, where he discovers the macabre history of body snatchers and murderers who contributed to the science of anatomy.

Épisode 6 - Blackpool to Manchester Victoria

9 janvier 2017

On a new journey across Bradshaw's Britain with his Victorian guidebook. He makes potent new friends in Fleetwood then heads to Manchester, where George Stephenson built the world's first modern railway line. This epoch-defining achievement is being incorporated into a new multi-million pound rail link between Manchester's Victoria and Piccadilly stations and Michael lends a hand with the welding. At a moving ceremony in Manchester Piccadilly station, Michael unveils a new monument to 87 railwaymen of the London and North Western Railway, who lost their lives in the Great War.

Épisode 7 - Manchester Piccadilly to Silkstone Common

10 janvier 2017

Michael Portillo's journey from the Irish Sea to the North Sea continues by tram from Manchester. At the imposing town hall of the world's first industrial city, Michael comes face to face with the Victorian scientist who invented modern atomic theory. He then heads to the city's National Graphene Institute, where he learns to make the groundbreaking material invented there by two Nobel prize-winning scientists. His Bradshaw's leads him to an 18th-century settlement built by refugees from Europe.

Épisode 8 - Chapeltown to Doncaster

11 janvier 2017

From Chapeltown, Michael heads to Wharncliffe Crags, where he plucks up courage to follow in the terrifying footholds of the Victorian daredevil who made rock climbing a sport. The relative calm of academia beckons at Sheffield University but, face to face with a hagfish, Michael's visit to the Alfred Denny Collection proves an eye-opener.

Épisode 9 - Gainsborough to Ely

12 janvier 2017

Steered by his Bradshaw's railway handbook to Gainsborough, Michael Portillo wraps his head around an ingenious Victorian machine which changed shopping forever. In Lincoln, he discovers the verse and popularity of 19th-century Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and finds poetry thrives today in a city pub.

Épisode 10 - Stowmarket to Harwich

13 janvier 2017

Michael Portillo is on the final leg of his journey following the route of the North Country Continental service to Harwich. Along the way, he meets volunteers on the Mid-Suffolk Light railway and is allowed to drive The Middy. In Leiston, Michael uncovers an intriguing industrial pioneer - the world's first purpose-built assembly line.

Épisode 11 - Wexford to Wicklow

16 janvier 2017

Armed with his Bradshaw's Handbook, Michael Portillo begins a journey across Ireland. In the port of Wexford, he takes to the seas in a 100-year-old lifeboat and discovers a hero of the American navy. He tunes in to the Meeting of the Waters at the Vale of Avoca, then heads for Wicklow, where he learns of a Victorian project to combat sickness and disease in the capital, Dublin. Embracing the gentler pace of life of a traditional Irish traveller in Victorian times, he ends this leg in a beautiful horse-drawn, barrel-top caravan.

Épisode 12 - Greystones to Dublin

17 janvier 2017

At Trinity College, Dublin, Michael Portillo discovers one of Ireland's greatest treasures and learns how it became the symbol of the nation. There is a chance to sample the black stuff in a Dublin pub before Michael learns how Victorian royals were deployed to calm rocky relations between Britain and Ireland. He explores the magnificent house and gardens of Powerscourt in County Wicklow. Finding an angle on triangulation helps Michael to understand how Ireland was put on the map - and why.

Épisode 13 - Navan to Mullingar

18 janvier 2017

Michael gets up to speed with modern archaeology in County Meath and uncovers a controversial Victorian dig at the sacred Hill of Tara. He investigates leaping salmon in Leixslip and discovers an electrifying breakthrough at an historic seminary. At Mullingar, Michael bangs the drum for the town's marching band.

Épisode 14 - Dromod to Sligo

19 janvier 2017

With his Victorian Bradshaw's guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo crosses the Emerald Isle uncovering Irish identity, forged at a time of political strife. Travelling through the beautiful landscape, Michael learns how it inspired one of the 20th century's greatest poets, WB Yeats.

Épisode 15 - Ballina to Westport

20 janvier 2017

On the last leg of Michael Portillo's long journey from Wexford to Westport, a fashionable Victorian seaweed bath is followed by a steamy scene in Ballina. On tenterhooks in Foxford, Michael discovers the visionary charity of an entrepreneurial nun. He learns of a double tragedy at Clew Bay and begins a pilgrimage to the summit of Ireland's holy mountain, Croagh Patrick.

Épisode 1 - Cromer to Cambridge

1 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo takes a pot shot at the sport of kings at a country estate.

Épisode 2 - Letchworth Garden City to Herne Hill

2 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo discovers a favoured haunt of King Edward VII.

Épisode 3 - Croydon to Shoreham-By-Sea

3 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo uncovers a once-celebrated, now forgotten composer with an uncannily familiar name.

Épisode 4 - Chichester to Cowes

4 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo encounteres an Edwardian motoring due patronised by King Edward VII.

Épisode 5 - Swanwick to Brownsea Island

5 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo builds a bivouac with a group of scouts and learns about war horses.

Épisode 6 - Whitland to Swansea

8 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo discovers the restored home of Dylan Thomas.

Épisode 7 - Pontyclun to Ebbw Vale Town

9 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo strikes gold at the Royal Mint in Llantisant.

Épisode 8 - Newport to Clevedon/Yatton/Bristol Channel

10 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo prepares the Airbus 380 for a smooth landing at Fliton.

Épisode 9 - Taunton to Newton Abbot

11 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo is led a merry dance at Stogumber - all in the name of fertility.

Épisode 10 - Plymouth to The Lizard

12 janvier 2018

Michael Portillo boldly goes to the moon by the way of the Cornish Rivera Express!

Épisode 11 - Kingston upon Hull to Malton, North Yorkshire

15 janvier 2018

Épisode 12 - York to Frizinghall

16 janvier 2018

Épisode 13 - Sheffield to Nantwich

17 janvier 2018

Épisode 14 - Liverpool to Dolgarrog

18 janvier 2018

Épisode 15 - Criccieth to Caernarfon

19 janvier 2018 - 5/5

With his Edwardian Bradshaw's railway guide tucked under his arm, Michael Portillo begins the last leg of his journey from Hull to Caernarfon. In picturesque Snowdonia, he braves the fastest zip line in the world - stretching 1,500 feet across a vast slate quarry. He uncovers a bitter industrial dispute between quarrymen and the owner of the pit, Lord Penrhyn, which divided the community at the beginning of the 20th century.Riding north Wales's splendid heritage railways, Michael visits the home of British mountaineering, Pen y Gwryd, to hear how an Edwardian journalist and poet created a climbing community, which grew to include men who would conquer Everest in the 1950s. Michael meets the grandson of one of his political heroes, the Edwardian Prime Minister David Lloyd George, at his birthplace in Criccieth. At the impressive 13th-century fortress of Caernarfon, built by English King Edward I, Michael discovers the early 20th-century history behind the ceremony now traditional at the royal investiture of a Prince of Wales.

Épisode 1 - Warrington to Preston

4 février 2019

Armed with his Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey through Britain’s industrial heartland. Starting at Warrington, Michael then heads to Huyton and Preston.

Épisode 2 - Blackburn to Manchester

5 février 2019

Michael Portillo continues his journey through Britain’s industrial northwest, visiting Blackburn, Nelson and the renovated 19th-century Manchester Victoria station.

Épisode 3 - Manchester to Elsecar

6 février 2019

Armed with Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo continues his journey through Britain's industrial heartlands, leaving Manchester for Oldham, Edale and a private family railway line.

Épisode 4 - Maltby to Hinckley

7 février 2019

Armed with his Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo continues his tour of Britain’s industrial heartlands, heading for Maltby, Derby and on to Hinckley.

Épisode 5 - Birmingham to the Potteries

8 février 2019

Armed with his Bradshaw’s guide, Michael Portillo visits Birmingham, then travels on to Cradley Heath and Landywood, before reaching the Potteries at Stoke-on-Trent.

Épisode 6 - Newry to Portadown

11 février 2019

Beginning in Newry, Michael Portillo finds a specially chartered train that would deliver demonstrators campaigning for Irish Home Rule to a rally in the town.

Épisode 7 - Belfast to Portrush

12 février 2019

Michael Portillo continues his rail journey through Northern Ireland. In Belfast’s grand Edwardian City Hall, Michael investigates the scene of a watershed moment in Irish history.

Épisode 8 - Larne to Dumfries

13 février 2019

Leaving from the seaport of Larne, Michael Portillo reaches Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway, where in a lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson, he discovers a magnificent machine.

Épisode 9 - Glasgow to Cumbrae

14 février 2019

Michael Portillo explores the industrial heartland of Glasgow and its mighty River Clyde before taking the ferry to the island of Cumbrae. With his early 20th-century Bradshaw's guide in hand, he is put to work behind the scenes at Glasgow's circular subway, explores the future of shipbuilding on the Clyde and hears how one woman led a successful mass protest against high rents in the city's notorious tenements. On the island of Cumbrae, Michael investigates a forgotten Scottish expedition to the Antarctic and discovers the beauties of intertidal marine life

Épisode 10 - Glasgow to Connel Ferry

15 février 2019

Michael Portillo falls into line with the University of Glasgow’s Officer Training Corps. Founded in the early 20th century, the Corps flourishes today and Michaels joins students for drill. From Glasgow, Michael heads west along the Firth of Clyde to Helensburgh, where he discovers a pioneering group of artists known as the Glasgow Boys. The idyllic West Highland Line takes Michael deep into the Highlands to Inveraray and the ancestral home of the Clan Campbell and the Dukes of Argyll. Here, he discovers an unconventional royal marriage between Queen Victoria’s spirited daughter, Princess Louise, and a commoner, the Marquess of Lorne, later the 9th Duke of Argyll. Michael’s final stop is Connel Ferry, near Oban, where, on the Achnacloich Estate, he discovers Lily, a pedigree Highland calf. Michael learns how Lily’s herd has been owned continuously by the Nelson family since 1901 and hears how the breed has become an icon of the Highlands.

Épisode 11 - Warwick to Radley

18 février 2019

In Warwick’s medieval castle, Michael Portillo uncovers the scene of an extravagant and scandalous ball, which changed the life of its hostess, Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick.

Épisode 12 - Reading to Cookham

19 février 2019

Messing about in boats is the name of the game in Henley on Thames, where Michael Portillo slips into a launch to hear about the world-famous regatta.

Épisode 13 - Ealing Broadway to South Kensington

20 février 2019

In the Queen of the Suburbs, Ealing, Michael Portillo finds comedy at the home of British cinema and is transformed for the silver screen by expert hair and make-up.

Épisode 14 - Piccadilly Circus to Gravesend

21 février 2019

At Covent Garden’s Royal Ballet School, Michael Portillo hears how in 1909 a Russian ballet company took London by storm.

Épisode 15 - East Malling to Rye

22 février 2019

In Folkestone, Michael Portillo hears how the town coped with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees from Belgium fleeing the German invasion in 1914.

Épisode 1 - Newcastle to County Durham

6 janvier 2020

Beginning just outside Newcastle in Jarrow, Michael uncovers the desperation which led 200 men to march 300 miles to Westminster in order to petition the Government for work. In Newcastle, Michael admires the city's iconic railway bridge.

Épisode 2 - Kielder Forest to Edinburgh

7 janvier 2020

Steered by his 1936 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo is in Northumbria en route to the Highlands.

Épisode 3 - Falkirk to Dundee

8 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo's railway journey through 1930s Britain from Newcastle to Loch Ness reaches Falkirk in Scotland.

Épisode 4 - Dundee to Aberdeen

9 janvier 2020

Stopping at Dundee, Michael Portillo heads for Glamis Castle, where Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, grew up.

Épisode 5 - Elgin to Loch Ness

10 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo's journey ends at Loch Ness, where he joins the Deep Scan research team as they scour the deep for signs of the elusive monster.

Épisode 6 - St Ives to St Day

13 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo explores the West Country between the wars and discovers a Cornish fisherman, who, although he began painting only in his seventies, inspired established artists from the capital.

Épisode 7 - Truro to St Mawgan

14 janvier 2020

In the countryside surrounding Truro, Michael finds the historic estate of Trewithen, whose gardens were stocked from China by professional plant hunters commissioned by its owner.

Épisode 8 - Bodmin to Totnes

15 janvier 2020

Clutching his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo reaches Bodmin en route to Totnes as he explores the West Country from St Ives to Salisbury Plain.

Épisode 9 - Paignton to Tiverton

16 janvier 2020

The Dartmouth Steam Railway takes Michael Portillo to the beautiful home of Agatha Christie, in the company of her great-grandson, James Prichard.

Épisode 10 - Taunton to Salisbury Plain

17 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo crosses the county line from Devon into Somerset. He sees first-hand how willow farmers sought to overcome the challenge from the production of synthetic plastics during the 1930s.

Épisode 11 - Canterbury to Alexandra Palace

20 janvier 2020

Beginning in Canterbury in Kent, Michael treads the boards as he uncovers the political message behind a play, published in 1936, inspired by the 12th-century murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket.

Épisode 12 - Limehouse to Rochford

21 janvier 2020

On this leg, Michael alights at Limehouse in east London for Cable Street, which became the focus of Britain's fight against fascism in the 1930s.

Épisode 13 - Witham to Felixstowe

22 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo's railway journey reaches Witham in Essex. Here he visits the factory of the world's oldest supplier of metal framed windows which became popular in the 30s.

Épisode 14 - Saxmundham to Norwich

23 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo heads for Snape Maltings, a concert and arts venue, and learns how the music and life of one of Britain’s greatest composers was shaped by the sea and his Suffolk surroundings.

Épisode 15 - Attleborough to Skegness

24 janvier 2020

Michael Portillo is in Attleborough, at the headquarters of an international horse welfare organization which was established in the late 1920s, where he learns about the charity's pioneering founder.

Épisode 1 - Oxford to Abingdon

26 avril 2021

Michael Portillo strikes out on another series of railway journeys, starting with a tour of the Home Counties and beyond in the city of dreaming spires, Oxford.

Épisode 2 - Stoke Mandeville to Beaconsfield

27 avril 2021

Michael Portillo continues his travels through England's Home Counties at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, where he discovers the legacy of a German Jewish doctor who fled the Nazis.

Épisode 3 - West Ruislip to Windsor

28 avril 2021

Michael Portillo heads for leafy Hatch End, where he investigates an illustrator whose work was so popular in the 1920s and 30s that his name entered the English dictionary.

Épisode 4 - Guildford to Aldershot

29 avril 2021

Michael Portillo resumes his tour of the Home Counties in the picturesque and historic county town of Guildford.

Épisode 5 - Farnborough to Winchester

30 avril 2021

Michael is heading for Farnborough, Hampshire, famous today for its airshow and home to what was then the Royal Aircraft Establishment.

Épisode 6 - Saxmundham to Dedham

3 mai 2021

Armed with his 1930s Bradshaw's, Michael Portillo explores interwar East Anglia. Starting at Sutton Hoo, he visits the experimental Summerhill School and learns about the Kindertransport refugees.

Épisode 7 - Colchester to Chadwell Heath

4 mai 2021

Michael Portillo continues his Bradshaw's-inspired journey through East Anglia, where he discovers the Essex origins of the BBC and joins the Women's Land Army to pick damsons at Tiptree.

Épisode 8 - Potters Bar to Cardington

5 mai 2021

Michael's Bradshaw travels resume in leafy Hertfordshire, where he attempts a canoe slalom course, visits the estate of Dame Barbara Cartland and hears the shocking story of the R101 airship.

Épisode 9 - Sawbridgeworth to Cambridge

6 mai 2021

Steered by his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo heads for the Hertfordshire village of Perry Green to learn about Henry Moore became one of the defining artists of British modernism.

Épisode 10 - Newmarket to Walsingham

7 mai 2021

Michael Portillo is in Suffolk on the last leg of his 1930s Bradshaw's inspired tour of East Anglia, visiting the racecourse at Newmarket and the Roman Catholic shrine at Walsingham.

Épisode 11 - Crewe to Shotton

10 mai 2021

Oh, Mr Porter, what could he do? Michael Portillo is in Crewe, a town steeped in railway history and immortalised in Victorian music hall, to investigate the making of the iconic cinema classic, The Night Mail during the 1930s.

Épisode 12 - Rhyl to Anglesey

11 mai 2021

Michael Portillo's 1930s Bradshaw's-inspired railway tour of North Wales takes him to a coast lined by magnificent castles and sweeping bays.

Épisode 13 - Bangor to Betws y Coed

12 mai 2021

Michael Portillo continues his 1936 Bradshaw's-inspired railway tour of North Wales in the coastal city of Bangor before turning south from Llandudno Junction to travel the Conwy Valley Line to Betws y Coed, the gateway to Snowdonia.

Épisode 14 - Blaenau Ffestiniog to Barmouth

13 mai 2021

In the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia, Michael Portillo reaches an abandoned mine, where in 1940 the wartime government sought sanctuary for the National Gallery's priceless art collection.

Épisode 15 - Aberystwyth to Newtown

14 mai 2021

Armed with his 1930s Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo travels from Aberystwyth into the Cambrian Mountains at Devil's Bridge and finishes in Newtown, Powys. Michael's 250-mile tour of North Wales draws to a close in style at the birthplace of the nation's first classical music festival, Gregynog Hall, near Newtown. Michael is intrigued to discover that its founders, sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, used the fortune they inherited from their grandfather, a noted Welsh railway builder, to establish the country estate as a centre for art and music from 1933. In the glorious music room, a Welsh harpist helps to evoke the spirit of festivals past and present.

Épisode 1 - Biggin Hill to Ashdown Forest

17 mai 2021

Michael Portillo experiences a terrifying ‘victory roll’ in a World War II Spitfire, meets a biographer of A.A. Milne and lends a hand at the community-owned Plaw Hatch Farm.

Épisode 2 - Hassocks to Benenden

18 mai 2021

Michael visits the village of Ditchling, once the home of a community of Catholic artists, before heading to Bexhill-on-Sea to learn about the role of ARP wardens during the war.

Épisode 3 - Rye to Dungeness

19 mai 2021

Michael Portillo follows his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide to the unspoilt East Sussex port of Rye, where he learns about the loss of a generation of lifeboatmen in 1928 and explores a wartime pillbox.

Épisode 4 - Deal to Margate

20 mai 2021

Michael heads to the splendid Walmer Castle, home during the 1920s to a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Beauchamp, whose openly homosexual lifestyle led to his exile from the country.

Épisode 5 - Herne Bay to Leeds Castle, Kent

21 mai 2021

Armed with his interwar copy of Bradshaw’s Guide to the Railways, Michael reaches the Kent seaside resort of Herne Bay, where he learns about a pioneering aviatrix.

Épisode 6 - Chislehurst to Kennington

24 mai 2021

Michael continues his journeys in greater London, beginning on its southeastern fringe in the village of Chislehurst and ending up in Kennington to learn about the childhood of Charlie Chaplin.

Épisode 7 - Hackney Wick to Oxford Circus

25 mai 2021

Michael continues his travels through the capital in the heart of London’s East End. He begings in Hackney Wick, which today is transformed from the time of his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide.

Épisode 8 - Hampstead to Islington

26 mai 2021

Michael’s rail tour of London continues in Hampstead, where Sigmund Freud found refuge from the Nazis. He ends up in Finsbury to learn about the influence of Russian emigre Berthold Lubetkin.

Épisode 9 - Dagenham to Battersea

27 mai 2021

Armed with his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide, Michael is in London, where he tracks the River Thames from east to west. Starting in Dagenham, he ends up at the iconic Battersea Power Station.

Épisode 10 - Park Royal to Westminster

28 mai 2021