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Great British Railway Journeys — Series 11
#Episode nameAir dateRuntimeRating
01
30mNewcastle to County DurhamStarting just beyond Newcastle, in Jarrow, Michael explores the profound hardship that drove two hundred men to walk three hundred miles to Westminster, seeking from the government a promise of employment. Within Newcastle itself, he pauses to appreciate the grandeur of the city’s celebrated railway bridge.Jan 6, 2020Jan 6, 202030m02
30mKielder Forest to EdinburghFollowing his 1936 edition of Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo journeys through Northumbria, heading towards the Scottish Highlands.Jan 7, 2020Jan 7, 202030m03
30mFalkirk to DundeeMichael Portillo’s exploration of 1930s Britain by rail, beginning in Newcastle and bound for Loch Ness, arrives at Falkirk in Scotland.Jan 8, 2020Jan 8, 202030m04
30mDundee to AberdeenPausing in Dundee, Michael Portillo continues his journey toward Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later known as the Queen Mother.Jan 9, 2020Jan 9, 202030m05
30mElgin to Loch NessMichael Portillo’s travels conclude at Loch Ness, where he meets with the Deep Scan research team as they meticulously search the depths for any indication of the legendary creature said to dwell there.Jan 10, 2020Jan 10, 202030m06
30mSt Ives to St DayMichael Portillo’s journey through the West Country during the interwar years reveals a Cornish fisherman whose late-in-life turn to painting—he began at seventy—unexpectedly garnered him recognition and influence among prominent artists based in London.Jan 13, 2020Jan 13, 202030m07
30mTruro to St MawganAround Truro, in the quiet countryside, Michael discovered the historic estate of Trewithen, its gardens painstakingly assembled with plants sourced from China—a collection brought to life by dedicated plant hunters employed by the landowner.Jan 14, 2020Jan 14, 202030m08
30mBodmin to TotnesWith a well-worn copy of Bradshaw's Guide from the nineteen thirties in hand, Michael Portillo arrives at Bodmin, continuing his journey towards Totnes as he travels through the West Country, from St Ives to Salisbury Plain.Jan 15, 2020Jan 15, 202030m09
30mPaignton to TivertonMichael Portillo journeys aboard the Dartmouth Steam Railway to the picturesque setting that was once home to Agatha Christie, accompanied by her great-grandson, James Prichard.Jan 16, 2020Jan 16, 202030m10
30mTaunton to Salisbury PlainAs Michael Portillo moves across the border, leaving Devon for Somerset, he witnesses how willow growers faced the growing threat posed by the rise of manufactured plastics in the nineteen thirties.Jan 17, 2020Jan 17, 202030m11
30mCanterbury to Alexandra PalaceStarting his journey in Canterbury, Kent, Michael explores the world of theatre while delving into the political undercurrents of a play. Published in 1936, the work draws its inspiration from the twelfth-century assassination of Archbishop Thomas à Becket.Jan 20, 2020Jan 20, 202030m12
30mLimehouse to RochfordNext, Michael stops off at Limehouse, in London’s East End, to visit Cable Street – a location that stood as a focal point in Britain’s resistance to fascism during the nineteen thirties.Jan 21, 2020Jan 21, 202030m13
30mWitham to FelixstoweMichael Portillo’s rail voyage continues to Witham, in Essex. There, he explores the premises of the globe’s longest-established manufacturer of metal-framed windows—a design that gained considerable favour during the nineteen thirties.Jan 22, 2020Jan 22, 202030m14
30mSaxmundham to NorwichMichael Portillo journeys to Snape Maltings, a celebrated center for music and the arts, where he discovers how the rhythms of the sea and the character of the Suffolk landscape profoundly influenced the work and life of one of Britain's most significant composers.Jan 23, 2020Jan 23, 202030m15
30mAttleborough to SkegnessMichael Portillo finds himself in Attleborough, visiting the headquarters of a prominent international horse welfare organization—one founded back in the late nineteen twenties—where he discovers the story of its groundbreaking originator.Jan 24, 2020Jan 24, 202030m
