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Great British Railway Journeys — Series 12
#Episode nameAir dateRuntimeRating
01
30mOxford to AbingdonMichael Portillo embarks on a new series of rail adventures, beginning with an exploration of the Home Counties and extending outwards from Oxford, that venerable city of learning.Apr 26, 2021Apr 26, 202130m02
30mStoke Mandeville to BeaconsfieldMichael Portillo’s journey through England's Home Counties leads him to Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, where he uncovers the story of a German Jewish physician who escaped persecution under the Nazi regime.Apr 27, 2021Apr 27, 202130m03
30mWest Ruislip to WindsorMichael Portillo journeys to the tranquil suburb of Hatch End, to explore the life of an illustrator whose celebrated works of the nineteen twenties and thirties became so beloved that his very name found its way into the English language.Apr 28, 2021Apr 28, 202130m04
30mGuildford to AldershotMichael Portillo continues his journey through the Home Counties, beginning in Guildford, a charming and historically rich county town.Apr 29, 2021Apr 29, 202130m05
30mFarnborough to WinchesterMichael was traveling towards Farnborough, Hampshire—a town now renowned for its annual airshow and once the location of the Royal Aircraft Establishment.Apr 30, 2021Apr 30, 202130m06
30mSaxmundham to DedhamFollowing a vintage Bradshaw’s timetable from the nineteen thirties, Michael Portillo journeys through interwar East Anglia. Beginning his exploration at Sutton Hoo, he then calls at the pioneering Summerhill School and investigates the stories of those who arrived as Kindertransport refugees.May 3, 2021May 3, 202130m07
30mColchester to Chadwell HeathMichael Portillo’s exploration of East Anglia, guided by a Victorian railway guide, leads him to uncover the surprising roots of the BBC in Essex. He then lends a hand with the harvest, joining the Women's Land Army to gather damsons amidst the orchards of Tiptree.May 4, 2021May 4, 202130m08
30mPotters Bar to CardingtonMichael Bradshaw’s journey begins amidst the tranquil landscapes of Hertfordshire. There, he tackles a challenging canoe slalom, explores the grand estate once belonging to Dame Barbara Cartland, and uncovers the poignant history surrounding the tragic fate of the R101 airship.May 5, 2021May 5, 202130m09
30mSawbridgeworth to CambridgeFollowing his well-worn Bradshaw’s guide, Michael Portillo journeys to the Hertfordshire village of Perry Green, seeking to understand how Henry Moore rose to become a pivotal figure in British modern art.May 6, 2021May 6, 202130m10
30mNewmarket to WalsinghamMichael Portillo continues his journey through East Anglia, the final stretch of a tour drawn from the old Bradshaw’s railway guides, with stops in Suffolk to explore Newmarket’s famed racecourse and the historic Roman Catholic shrine at Walsingham.May 7, 2021May 7, 202130m11
30mCrewe to ShottonMr. Porter faced a quandary. Michael Portillo found himself in Crewe, a town rich with railway heritage and celebrated in Victorian music hall, embarking on an exploration of the creation of the beloved film *The Night Mail*, a cinematic landmark from the 1930s.May 10, 2021May 10, 202130m12
30mRhyl to AngleseyMichael Portillo’s journey through North Wales, evoking the spirit of 1930s Bradshaw’s guides, reveals a coastline punctuated by imposing castles and expansive bays.May 11, 2021May 11, 202130m13
30mBangor to Betws y CoedMichael Portillo’s journey through North Wales, following the routes of a 1936 railway guide, now brings him to the coastal city of Bangor before he heads south from Llandudno Junction. He will travel the Conwy Valley Line towards Betws y Coed, the threshold to Snowdonia's majestic landscape.May 12, 2021May 12, 202130m14
30mBlaenau Ffestiniog to BarmouthHigh in the Snowdonia mountains of Wales, Michael Portillo arrives at an abandoned mine – a place where, during the anxious days of 1940, the wartime government planned a secure refuge for the National Gallery’s invaluable collection of art. He learns how, as invasion seemed increasingly likely, celebrated masterpieces were moved by train and lorry to be stored deep underground, hundreds of feet below ground level, within a natural granite bunker.
At Tan y Bwlch, Michael encounters ‘Blanche’,May 13, 2021May 13, 202130m15
30mAberystwyth to NewtownFollowing his meticulously planned route with a vintage Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo journeys from Aberystwyth into the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, passing through the dramatic landscape of Devil’s Bridge before arriving in Newtown, Powys. This 250-mile exploration of North Wales culminates memorably at Gregynog Hall, near Newtown, birthplace of the nation's first classical music festival. Michael uncovers the story of its remarkable founders, sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, wMay 14, 2021May 14, 202130m
