Great British Railway Journeys is a 2010–present BBC documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, a former ConservativeMP and Cabinet Minister who was instrumental in saving the Settle to Carlisle line from closure in 1989.[1][2] The documentary was first broadcast in 2010 on BBC Two and has returned annually for a current total of 14 series.
The series features Portillo travelling around the railway networks of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, referring to Bradshaw's Guide and comparing how the various destinations have changed since; initially, he used an 1840s copy, but in later series, he used other editions.[3][4][5] Portillo has said that sometimes he regrets the name of the programme as it is "really about history", and that whilst he likes trains, he "wouldn't say [he was] passionate about them".[6]
Victorian guidebooks written by George Bradshaw under the title Bradshaw's Guide were the first comprehensive timetable and travel guides to the railway system in Great Britain, which at the time, although it had grown to be extensive, still consisted of several fragmented and competing railway companies and lines, each publishing their own timetables.
Classified by the BBC in both the travel and history genres, the series features Portillo using the guide to plan his journeys, in the process visiting points of interest picked out in the guide and comparing its content with the modern world, both the physical and cultural ones.
Format
Each series features Portillo travelling on a different route each week, with each daily episode being one short leg of the journey. The weekly journey is chosen to fit with a theme, either geographic, such as coast to coast, or historic. Filmed entirely on location, the series features a mix of Portillo delivering dialogue to the camera as well as performing ad-hoc interviews with members of the public or fellow travellers, in addition to pre-arranged interviews.
Broadcast
All episodes were originally broadcast on consecutive weekdays on BBC Two, in the 6:30 pm time slot. Some series were simulcast on BBC HD before the channel's demise. Repeats have been broadcast on BBC Four as well as the original channel of BBC Two. Edited versions of the episodes, reduced to about 23 minutes (excluding commercials), have been shown on the television channel Yesterday.
Portillo visits 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 fish and chips.
Portillo 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.
Portillo goes birdwatching 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 4,000-year-old skeleton called Gristhorpe Man.
Preston to Kirkcaldy
Portillo's second journey, from Preston to Scotland, is on one of the first railways to cross the border.
Portillo 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 Ribblehead Viaduct, finds out about the navvies who helped to build it and catches a steam train along the line.
At Windermere, Portillo delves into the history of the railway station and takes a steamboat tour of the lake, then visits William Wordsworth's home village of Grasmere and makes sausages with a local Herdwick sheep farmer.
Portillo 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.
Swindon to Penzance
The third journey takes Portillo along the Great Western Railway from Swindon to Penzance, nicknamed 'the holiday line'.
Portillo finds out about free holiday trains for the Great Western Railway workers at the Swindon Works, samples the Roman Baths in Bath and tries his hand at glass blowing in Bristol.
Portillo samples local Cheddar and strawberries, explores Cheddar Gorge and the famous caves, and visits Birnbeck Pier, one of the oldest piers in the country, at Weston-super-Mare.
Portillo finds out about Torquay's micro-climate, takes a ride on a steam-hauled train to Dartmouth, goes salmon fishing on the Dart estuary and spends some of Totnes's local currency, the Totnes pound.
Portillo searches for the lost church of Saint Piran, explores the last working tin mine in Cornwall at South Crofty, enjoys the sun and sands at St Ives, harvests oysters on the Helford River, and reaches the end of the line at Penzance.
Buxton to London
On this journey, Portillo travels from Buxton along one of the first railway routes south to the capital, London.
Portillo visits the Buxton Opera House and the Duke of Devonshire's stables in Buxton, helps to repair the ancient peat landscape of the Peak District, goes to Matlock Bath, and travels on a steam train on the heritage Peak Rail to Rowsley, where he visits the local stone quarry.
Portillo meets the Queen's saddler in Walsall, visits the Balti Triangle, learns how to cook an authentic Indian curry at the Itihaas restaurant in Birmingham, and visits Bournville – the home of Cadbury and rumoured to be the best place to live in Britain.
Portillo visits Brighton's Victorian aquarium – the largest in the world at the time – and explores the underground quarries of Godstone, before discovering the wonders of Crystal Palace in suburban south London.
Portillo finds out about the Stiffs' Express, a funeral service running coffins from Waterloo to Brookwood Cemetery. He also discovers how London's West End became a great 19th-century shopping destination, and explores the changing fortunes of London's docks.
Portillo visits the government arms factory at Enfield (the largest machine shop in Europe in Bradshaw's day), discovers how the trains transformed Newmarket's races and finds out why Cambridge could be considered as the birthplace of modern football.
Portillo goes fishing with the last eel trapper on the Fens at Ely and visits one of the great triumphs of 19th-century engineering, the DenverSluice. He ends this leg in King's Lynn, where he uncovers an ambitious plan to reclaim the Wash in Bradshaw's day.
Portillo gets a rare chance to drive a heritage diesel train, finds out why Norfolk black turkeys appeared on the Christmas menu in Bradshaw's day, and samples some classic Cromer crab.
Ledbury to Holyhead
On this journey, Portillo follows the route of the Irish mail from Ledbury to Holyhead.
Portillo samples the Victorian drink perry (a kind of pear cider), gets up close and personal with a pedigree Hereford bull, and visits the grandfather of all skyscrapers – the world's first iron-framed building in Shrewsbury.
Portillo takes a tour of Chester's Roman remains and discovers a secret World War II chemical weapons plant at Rhydymwyn. After spending the night in Llandudno, he goes mussel fishing on the beautiful Conwy estuary.
Portillo explores the Conwy valley, stopping at Britain's first artists' colony at Betws-y-Coed, visiting the Victorian slate capital of Blaenau Ffestiniog and taking a steam train down to the harbour at Porthmadog.
Portillo takes the train to the top of Wales's highest peak, Mount Snowdon, witnesses the revival of Anglesey's sea salt industry, and discovers how the railways transformed the tiny port of Holyhead.
Newcastle to Melton Mowbray
This journey follows some of the earliest railways in the country from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray.
Portillo explores the first locomotive factory in the world, opened by George Stephenson. He also searches for the lost pit village of Marsden in South Shields and is entertained by a comic troupe of rapper sword dancers in Chester-le-Street.
Portillo takes a Turkish bath in the famous spa town of Harrogate, explores the exemplary Victorian village of Saltaire, and rubs noses with some friendly alpacas, whose fleeces made fortunes in Bradshaw's day.
Portillo finds out about shoddy in the Heavy Woollen District, a successful 19th-century recycling industry in the textile town of Batley, discovers how the railways boosted Yorkshire's forced rhubarb trade, and meets the great-great-granddaughter of George Bradshaw himself.
Portillo discovers a hardy breed of sheep on the atmospheric Romney Marsh. The majority of New Zealand's sheep are Romney Sheep. Then, he explores Kent's sparkling wine industry. Bradshaw's mentions grapes and wine, but there were none in Kent during his time. Only in the 1950s did a successful British wine industry emerge. Finally, he finds out why the Victorians went mad for ferns in Hastings.
Ayr to Skye
On this journey, Portillo journeys up the west coast of Scotland from Ayr to Skye.
Portillo explores the historic Dumbarton shipyards that built the Cutty Sark, learns that the phrase 'Cutty Sark' is from the Tam o' Shanter poem, visits Queen Victoria's favourite Loch Lomond, and goes hunting for gold at Tyndrum.
Portillo 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.
Portillo investigates one of the great geological mysteries of the 19th century – the parallel roads of Glenroy, 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.
Portillo 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.
Series 3 (2012)
The third series featured four journeys in Great Britain, and a fifth journey which consisted of three legs in the Republic of Ireland and two in Northern Ireland: for this latter journey, the programme was re-titled as Great British Railway Journeys Goes To Ireland.
Great Yarmouth to Embankment
In these episodes, Portillo travels along the route of the Great Eastern Line, which goes from the east coast of England to the centre of the country's financial capital, London.
Portillo discovers the grave robbing history of Great Yarmouth, tries his hand at working a Victorian swing bridge in Reedham and takes to the air to discover how a Victorian railway guidebook helped aviators in World War II.
Portillo learns about the Victorian fascination with Britain's own Atlantis to the lost city of Dunwich, meets some gentle giants who were crucial to the smooth running of the railways and discovers how the Port of Felixstowe grew into the biggest container port in the country.
Portillo comes face-to-face with a medieval politician, takes a rail tour of Victorian freak show hotspots, and visits Southend to ride one of the world's first electric railways.
Portillo visits Essex to discover why dairy herds travelled there by rail from all over the country in the 19th century. He also visits Waltham Cross to see how the gunpowder made there fuelled the building of an empire and heads to Hackney to uncover the gruesome details of the first murder on a train.
Portillo takes a ride on a secret miniature railway hidden beneath London's streets, rings the bells of Bow Church, and tries his hand at station announcing at Fenchurch Street station.
Windsor to Portland
Following in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, Portillo uses the railways she often rode from Windsor Castle to her country getaway on the Isle of Wight. His journey then continues west to Portland.
Portillo visits a station fit for royalty in Windsor, views the Maidenhead Railway Bridge an engineering triumph built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to span the River Thames at Maidenhead, and tries his hand at collecting the mail 'Victorian style' on a steam-powered travelling post office.
Portillo tastes a Victorian superfood in Alton, explores the fascinating Whitchurch silk mill, untouched for over 150 years, and tries his hand at driving a steam train on the challenging Watercress Line.
Portillo experiences the magnificent Victorian organ at Winchester Cathedral, goes behind the scenes at a 19th-century rail works still running in Eastleigh today and travels to Queen Victoria's favourite holiday destination, the Isle of Wight.
On the trail of a Victorian snake catcher, Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Oxford to Milford Haven
On this journey, Portillo travels west, from Oxford in the heart of England, through the Malvern Hills and into Wales, taking in the unique Victorian heritage of the South Wales coastline.
On the first leg, Portillo is led 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.
Portillo visits the home of Queen Victoria's favourite bishop in Hartlebury, sniffs out the secrets of a famous 19th-century sauce in Worcester and follows in the footsteps of Victorian health fanatics to the Malvern Hills.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Snaefell
On this journey, Portillo takes in some of northern England's most dramatic scenery, from Berwick-upon-Tweed across the Pennines to the Lake District before completing the journey on the Isle of Man.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo learns about the secrets behind Kirkby's famous blue slate, submerges himself into a secret world of nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, and sees why the executions at Lancaster Castle drew the Victorians in their droves.
Portillo sets sail from Heysham to the Isle of Man, where he discovers the horse trams of Douglas, the 19th-century secrets of the giant Laxey Wheel, and the Victorian history of the delightful Snaefell Mountain Railway.
Goes to Ireland: Bray to Derry
On this[a] journey, Portillo crosses the Irish Sea to discover the rich railway history of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, following the unfurling 19th-century expansion of the tracks from Dublin to Derry.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo learns of the Victorian fascination with antiquity by visiting the amazing Cromlech stones of Dundalk. He reaches for the stars at the Armagh Observatory and travels in style along the steam railway of Downpatrick.
Portillo 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.
Portillo takes a white-knuckle walk on 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 Derry.
Series 4 (2013)
The fourth series followed the same format as the third, with four journeys in Great Britain and the last in Ireland, the latter using the same title card as in series 3.[8]
High Wycombe to Aberystwyth
Portillo follows the tracks that fuelled the industrial revolution, from the Chilterns to west Wales.
Portillo meets the remarkable craftsmen behind the Victorian furniture trade, discovers how George Bradshaw helped save Britain's canal heritage, and sees Shakespeare through the eyes of a 19th-century railway tourist.
Portillo travels to the manufacturing centres of the Midlands. He 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 the delicacies concocted in a Victorian kitchen at Shugborough Hall.
Portillo explores one of the greatest locomotive factories in railway history, discovers the dark side of the industrial revolution and learns how, in Victorian times, the potteries brought their products to the masses.
Portillo learns how Victorian blacksmithing was not for the faint-hearted, rides one of Britain's most modern trains and traverses the Victoria Bridge.
Portillo travels to the Victorian seaside resort of Aberystwyth. He experiences Victorian entertainment, hears how the railways took Welsh textiles into even the most exclusive households and unleashes the power of a 19th-century engineering triumph.
Portsmouth to Grimsby
The second journey sees Portillo go from port to port: from Portsmouth on the south coast to Grimsby on the east coast.
Portillo feeds the crew of Britain's newest warship, discovers how the Victorians planned to repel a possible French invasion, and learns that there is well-established industry where one might least expect to find it.
Portillo 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.
Portillo learns how volunteer Victorian fire fighters liked a tipple, discovers how even 19th-century sewage pumps were a celebration of design, and puts in a shift at the oldest fish market in Britain.
Portillo discovers how derelict Victorian London is being rejuvenated, puts in a shift at a Cambridgeshire brick factory, and meets the immigrant community built from its bricks.
Portillo sees how Lincolnshire farmers used rails to improve their harvests, visits Lincoln Cathedral, and looks to the future of rail freight.
Stirling to John o' Groats
On this journey, Portillo enjoys 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
London Paddington to Newton Abbot
The fourth part of the series sees Portillo follow in the footsteps of the master engineer of the Great Western Railway, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, beginning at the line's London gateway, Paddington station, and ending in Newton Abbot, Devon – the scene of one of Brunel's heroic failures.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo gets up close to a piece of natural history, visits a garden that was used as a viewing platform for public hangings and experiences a timepiece like no other.
Portillo takes to the sea with the heroes of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, visits a stormy coastal railway, and has a close personal encounter with his boyhood hero.
Goes to Ireland: Killarney to Galway
All this week, Portillo visits 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.
Portillo samples 19th-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.
Portillo 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.
Portillo 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.
On the final leg of his Irish journey, Portillo discovers historic jewellery with royal connections in Galway, meets a people's king and finds his voice with a traditional Irish singing group.
Portillo begins in Manchester, where he finds out how the world's first industrialised city produced a revolutionary political movement, and learns about the railway workers who founded one of the most successful football clubs of all time. Along the way, he does the washing in Port Sunlight—a model village on the Wirral—and hears stories about the aptly named George Francis Train's time in Birkenhead, Merseyside.
Portillo enjoys the fun of the fair beside the sea in Southport, explores the origins of business in Wigan and of the Industrial Revolution in Bolton, and then visits Leyland where he gets the chance to drive a 100-year-old vehicle.
Portillo celebrates Victorian trade with the Preston Guild, and then heads to Rochdale to learn about a pioneering movement to improve the lives of working families. He also follows in the tracks of many 19th-century industrial employees who made day trips to Hebden Bridge to walk in the Calder Valley.
Portillo crosses into West Yorkshire, visiting the Worth Valley and the home of the three Brontë sisters, who were early investors in the railway industry. He then heads to Oakworth to find out how its station and tracks were used in one of the most popular films ever made, and in Bradford he discovers the ways in which 19th-century workers saved to buy a home. He finishes in Halifax, where he learns how the railways contributed to the town's success.
Portillo tunes into the music of the mills and collieries of Victorian England by joining a brass band in Honley, before stopping off in Holmfirth to learn about a tragedy that led to a tourist boom in the town. He then crosses into Derbyshire to pay homage to railway engineer George Stephenson at his resting place in Chesterfield, before concluding his journey at Chatsworth House, one of the first stately homes to welcome visitors by rail.
Portillo finds out what happened to the once proud Euston Arch and heads to Camden to see how goods were transported by rail, road and canal. He reflects on the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash of 1952 and visits a country estate in Tring, Hertfordshire, before alighting at Cheddington in Buckinghamshire, which is close to the scene of 1963's Great Train Robbery.
Portillo travels through Buckinghamshire, meeting one of the Second World War's most secret agents at Station X in Bletchley. In Olney, he learns about a poet whose words are still sung today, and explores the first purpose-built railway town at Wolverton. His last stop is Newport Pagnell, where he tackles the ancient craft of vellum making.
Portillo begins in Northampton, where Victorian methods have been used to make shoes for more than 130 years. He then heads to Warwickshire, learning about the legacy of Thomas Arnold at Rugby School and finding out how Coventry's craftsmen learned to adapt to survive, before ending this leg of his trip in Nuneaton.
Portillo sets off in Leicester, where he finds out about the hunt for Richard III's remains. He works his passage on the Great Central Railway from Rothley to Loughborough, where he learns about a family that has been casting bells in the town since 1839.
Portillo is taught to set tables aboard the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth, finds the remains of a military hospital built in the village of Netley by order of Queen Victoria, and learns about a battle in Basingstoke between townspeople and the Salvation Army.
Portillo travels through Hampshire and Berkshire, stopping-off at Stratfield Saye House, the stately home bequeathed by the nation to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, in 1817. He then heads to Aldershot Garrison, where he is put through his paces under military instruction. At St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, he visits the tomb of French emperor Napoleon III and his family, and ends in Crowthorne, Berkshire, the home of Broadmoor Hospital.
Portillo begins in Wokingham where he finds out how demand from a growing number of rail commuters fuelled the development of the modern printing press. He then learns about a Tudor businessman who manufactured cloth in enormous volumes in Newbury, and ends this leg of his trip in Bradford on Avon where a local manufacturer describes how his Victorian forebears were the first in Britain to be licensed to vulcanise rubber.
Portillo continues his journey 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 learns that tigers and polar bears also arrived there 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 the Severn Tunnel dry. Finally, in Gloucester, he finds out why the station became infamous for lost luggage, and meets a stonemason who invites him to have a go at Gloucester Cathedral.
Portillo starts in the elegant spa town of Cheltenham, where he discovers a very early locomotive carriage which ran on the road and is allowed to get behind the wheel. Next stop is the medieval town of Tewkesbury, scene of a grisly battle during the Wars of the Roses, where he joins a group of re-enactors for a taste of the action. In Droitwich, he learns of the origins of the local salt industry, and then ends his journey in Wolverhampton, scene of Queen Victoria's first public appearance after the death of Prince Albert.
At Norwich Castle, Portillo uncovers the Victorian public's gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry worked to improve conditions for prisoners. Heading west to Thetford, he explores how the Victorian appetite for rabbits and their fur led to special train services to London, and ends in the Suffolk town of Brandon, where he tries his hand at flint-knapping.
Portillo travels from Ipswich to Chelmsford, starting at an agricultural implements works with its own railway sidings. Continuing his journey south-west into Essex, he helps to dredge for oysters off Mersea Island before taking the train to Witham, where he discovers a model farming establishment at Tiptree. He ends this leg at Chelmsford, home to the world's first purpose-built radio equipment factory, established by Guglielmo Marconi.
Portillo heads along the Essex bank of the River Thames before crossing the river into Kent. He begins in Barkingside, where Victorian philanthropist Thomas Barnardo made it his mission to transform the lives of destitute children, tries his hand at loading a container onto a pocket wagon at Tilbury Docks, and ends his trip in Rochester, where he encounters a host of familiar characters and explores a town that was an inspiration for many of Charles Dickens' works.
Portillo starts in Faversham, where he visits the Shepherd Neame Brewery, one of the oldest in Britain. He then heads to Dover to explore a sunken fortress known as the Western Heights, before crossing into Surrey where he blow-dries a hen in Dorking.
Portillo discovers the history behind the Brighton Pavilion and learns that Queen Victoria was not an admirer of the Prince Regent's flamboyant taste. He learns that while the railways brought day-trippers to frolic in fashionable Brighton, Victorian engineers built a magnificent underground network of sewers more than 40 miles long, which is still functioning today. At Bramber, he discovers that at the time of his guide tourists flocked to the town in huge numbers to see a Victorian museum of taxidermy. Portillo's next stop is Arundel Castle, 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 the Goodwood Circuit.
From Ayr, Portillo 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 him 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.
Portillo begins in the industrial town of Greenock from where he sets sail on the PS Waverley, the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world. In Glasgow, he 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, he 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.
Portillo celebrates Victorian iron and steel in Motherwell and admires one of its crowning achievements – the Forth Bridge. He journeys through picturesque countryside to admire the raw power of nature at the magnificent and romantic Clyde Falls, which inspired William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and where Victorian ladies swooned. In Cumbernauld, he 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.
Portillo begins this leg 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 Crieff Hydro. In the ancient capital of Scotland, Perth, he learns what it takes to make a sporran before catching the Highland Main Line to Pitlochry and one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts. He finishes the day with a wee dram in Scotland's smallest distillery.
On the last leg, 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, he 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 Forth Bridge, he arrives in Edinburgh in the middle of the world's largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he treads the boards in an unconventional adaptation of a play by Oscar Wilde.
Portillo travels on the capital's first underground railway, the Metropolitan line, from Amersham, where first he discovers the foundations for modern day suburbia. In Pinner, he finds out about a Victorian domestic goddess and whips up a pint of her fanciest ice cream. In Highgate, he investigates the terraced catacombs of one of London's vast 19th-century cemeteries. At Madame Tussauds he comes face to face with Isambard Kingdom Brunel before experiencing hot wax at first hand. He ends with a trip to the London Zoo at Regent's Park.
Portillo is invited aboard the construction locomotive for Crossrail to travel under the River Thames and to meet the impressive Mary, vital to the project. He then 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 the Cutty Sark and in Woolwich, he discovers the firepower of the British Empire, before coming to a sticky end at West Silvertown.
Portillo takes the High Speed 1 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 then explores an area of the city which has been home to wave upon wave of immigrants, Spitalfields. He ends this journey at Victoria tube station, where he finds out about the massive makeover currently under way.
Portillo explores London's theatreland and discovers how 19th-century engineering made for spectacular theatricals. At Charing Cross, he learns about the ambitious building programme which saw Trafalgar Square replace streets of slums, and comes almost face to face with George Bradshaw. At one of the busiest stops on the tube, Piccadilly Circus, he indulges in some retail therapy at a perfumery patronised by kings, queens and prime ministers. The Bakerloo to Oxford Circus line takes him to Soho and a grimmer side of Victorian London, where disease was rife.
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, he 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.
Portillo gives an old engine a fresh start in the railway hub of Derby. In Nottingham, he discovers the Victorian origins of a well-known high-street chemist He then travels to Newstead Abbey, where he learns about its former owner, the young Lord Byron. A baking lesson in Grantham yields a batch of the oldest commercially traded biscuits in the country, and no visit to Grantham would be complete for him without calling at a historic grocer's shop.
Beginning in Boston in the flatlands of Lincolnshire, Portillo explores the connection between the city and its American namesake. At Southwell, he discovers the origins of the Bramley apple and learns how to make apple pie. In Menston, he visits an imposing institution built to provide asylum for those suffering from mental illness and learns how volunteers care for its once derelict chapel and graveyard. At Wakefield, he manages to board one of Britain's least frequent services and finds out what led to the birth of the parliamentary train. Along the way, he meets a former locomotive engineer who offers him the chance to drive a steam engine.
Portillo begins in Hessle, on the north bank of the River Humber, in the shadow of the Humber Bridge, where he learns about the technology that made it possible. In Kingston upon Hull, he meets his friend and sparring partner, local MP Alan Johnson, who tells him about another famous son of his city, William Wilberforce. In Scarborough, Portillo's Bradshaw directs him to the castle, where the founder of the Quaker movement was once imprisoned. His last stop of the day is York, where he learns what made the ancient capital a centre for the sweet-making industry.
Portillo starts in Middlesbrough, visiting one of the last iron foundries in the town and helping cast a carrot valve for a steam engine. His next stop is Darlington, where he meets the editor of the Northern Echo and finds out about the colourful history of WT Stead, one of his predecessors. He then heads to St Paul's monastery in Jarrow to learn about 8th century monk the Venerable Bede, known as 'the father of English history', before finishing in Hexham, where he visits a historic ginger beer emporium.
Portillo sets off from Newcastle, finding out about the world's earliest swing bridge and its inventor William Armstrong. He then travels by boat from the port of Seahouses to examine the story of lighthouse keeper's daughter Grace Darling, who, along with her father, rescued nine people from tumultuous seas in 1838. On Lindisfarne, Portillo explores the lime kilns and finds out how Christianity spread from here across northern England in the 7th century.
Portillo begins in Pembroke Dock, where Queen Victoria's royal yachts were built. In the little market town of Narberth, he investigates what caused rebels to dress up as women, and later spends the night at an inn in Carmarthen where Horatio Nelson once met Emma Hamilton. Then he pitches in with the volunteers who look after the Gwili Railway and ends this leg in Swansea, where he learns how to pose for a photograph in Victorian style.
Portillo begins in the ruinous gardens at Aberglasney House near Llandeilo, and then rides in the driver's cab on the scenic Heart of Wales railway line. Crossing the border into England, he takes to the dance floor at the Lion Hotel Ballroom in Leominster, where a grand ball was held to celebrate the opening of the Ludlow to Hereford railway, and finishes at a traditional cider house in Hereford.
Portillo goes underground at Big Pit coal mine in Blaenavon, where he discovers how miners powered the Industrial Revolution. On the River Usk, he learns about 19th-century developments in angling, and then heads to Ascott-under-Wychwood, once the scene of a farm labourers' dispute that ended in rioting. He concludes at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
In the heart of academia in Oxford, Portillo visits the Bodleian Library and sees some Victorian treasures, including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein manuscript and a pocket-sized edition of Bradshaw's Companion. He then investigates two new railway projects at Bicester, finds out about Victorian philanthropy in Bedford, and finishes in Luton, where he learns about the arts of the hat-maker.
In Oakham in Rutland, Portillo learns about a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages and decides to take part. Heading east to Stamford, he discovers why the town is a popular location for period dramas, while a ghoulish scene greets him in Peterborough when he visits a Victorian operating theatre where railwaymen were treated. His last stop is Christ's College at Cambridge University, where he finds out about the student days of Charles Darwin.
Portillo joins an assembly line in a Carlisle biscuit factory and discovers the popularity of the custard cream in Victorian times. He descends into Honister Slate Mine (now the only operational slate mine in England) and sees the miniature railway previously used to carry the slate to the surface. Portillo follows the route Victorian miners took to work, focusing on the tightrope bridge 300 feet (91 m) above the Borrowdale Valley which is now Britain's only Via Ferrata.[9][10]
In the Lake District, Portillo explores the magical world of Beatrix Potter as author and illustrator of her well-loved stories and learns that she feared the encroachment of the railways. He visits the Brantwood home of the Victorian art critic and social thinker John Ruskin. Finally, at Carnforth he plays out a "Brief Encounter" .[9][10]
In Preston, where four mill workers had been shot dead by soldiers during a protest in 1842, Portillo reads the Riot Act. In Darwen, he follows 19th-century developments in interior design from wallpaper to paint. He explores the Victorian industrial landscape of Salford depicted in L. S. Lowry's paintings – most recognisably with matchstick figures. He finishes on Kersal Moor, experiencing the tongue twisting Lancashire dialect and the poetry of Edwin Waugh.[9][10]
In Merseyside, Portillo discovers how glass-making has developed, from the inventiveness of the Victorians who constructed Crystal Palace to the modern industry, seen in St Helens and elsewhere, which has inspired a modern revolution in architecture.[9][10]
In Newhaven, Portillo discovers a hidden Victorian fort, built to deter a French invasion. He then detours inland to see the Ouse Valley Viaduct and the Clayton Tunnel on the London-to-Brighton line. High on the South Downs, he learns how trains used to carry day-trippers up the climb to the Devil's Dyke, where flying kites was a popular past-time. At Worthing, he finds a railway which now helps to harvest tomatoes grown in a vast expanse of greenhouses.[9][10]
Portillo 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, he finds out what motivated the Lady of the Lamp, before seizing the chance to drive the first motor car at Beaulieu.[9][10]
Portillo 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, he tries his hand at carpet-making. His last stop is Exmouth, home to Francis Danby, a forgotten Victorian landscape artist.[9][10]
In Plymouth, Portillo finds out about the Royal Navy's fighting spirit and mixes his own blend of ruin. Crossing into Cornwall, he 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.[9][10]
Every train ride begins with a whistle and Portillo's journey this time starts in 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, he visits the Royal Mail sorting office and finds out about the great postal innovator Sir Rowland Hill. Arriving in Worcester, he discovers the origins of the British Medical Association.[9][10]
Portillo travels from Redditch to Gloucester, beginning with a look back to Victorian times at a needle manufactory. He also learns how to make Gloucester cheese, and joins the Gloucester Choral Society in a rendition of Jerusalem.[9][10]
Portillo investigates the Victorian origins of snooker, before ploughing a crooked furrow at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. In Bath, he takes tea with the ladies, and also discovers a scandalous novel written by an eccentric recluse, who was once the wealthiest man in England.[9][10]
Portillo enters the foul-smelling world of a Victorian tannery and hears how a 19th-century entrepreneur made his fortune thanks to mountains of bird droppings and then used his wealth to build churches and one of the most luxurious country houses in Britain. Portillo then heads for the mystical Glastonbury Abbey, where Victorian tourists flocked to hear tales of King Arthur and the Holy Grail.[9][10]
In Taunton, Somerset, Portillo stands trial at the Bloody Assizes and feels the full force of the law. He then gets to grips with a miracle of Victorian engineering on the Somerset Levels at Westonzoyland, and on Dartmoor embarks on a mid-19th century treasure hunt still popular today.[9][10]
Portillo begins in Ashford, Kent, where he lends a hand at a state-of-the-art train maintenance plant which is home to High Speed 1 rolling stock. Then a visit to a factory, owned by make up brand Rimmel, gives insight into the Victorian cosmetics industry. This is followed by a stop off at MardenStation to visit a village to learn about the role played by the piano in the Victorian home and then helps to tune a piano, before ending his journey at Knole House in Sevenoaks, seat of the Sackville-West family.[9][10]
Portillo visits Leith Hill Place to explore the compositions of Ralph Vaughan Williams. He also dons a boiler suit and takes to the footplate of a locomotive on the Bluebell Railway, Britain's first passenger-carrying heritage line, and then witnesses the power of dynamite at first hand.[9][10]
Portillo starts at Hampton Court Palace, where he is treated to a private tour of the Great Vine, the world's longest grapevine, before travelling to Esher Station to visit stately Claremont House, where tragic circumstances led directly to the birth of the Victorian era. He then travels to Wimbledon to see the site of a historic duelling event and ends his journey in Teddington, where he hears the story of John Langdon Down, the reformer, whose work revolutionised the care of those living with disabilities, including Down syndrome.[9][10]
Portillo travels from King's Cross to York on a special train pulled by the Flying Scotsman. Alan Pegler, who was involved in the restoration of the Flying Scotsman, is interviewed. Archive footage is shown of the restored locomotive being transported to the United States for a tour, along with film clips of this tour.
From Newark Northgate, Portillo walks to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church to learn about its song school and choir. Then he visits a gallery displaying railway posters. In Retford, at the Northern Rubber Factory, Portillo learns about Victorian rubber technology before travelling to Thirsk. He then goes just outside of Thirsk to visit the former home of Laurence Sterne, author of Tristram Shandy. While still in the area, he goes to a wildlife centre, and then on to Stockton-on-Tees where he goes to Preston Park Museum to learn about John Walker, inventor of the striking match.
To reach his next destination, Haddington, Portillo has to alight at Longniddry station because the line to Haddington is now closed to passengers. Once there, he learns about locally born Samuel Smiles, who wrote Self-Help and then takes a ukulele lesson. In Musselburgh, he learns about life as a fishwife. Next, he explores Scotland's capital, Edinburgh; talking to passengers on a tram, driving a tram and visiting the Royal College of Surgeons to see the museum, where he learns about anatomy teaching, past and present. He sums up this episode from the Scott Monument, with Edinburgh Waverley Station in the background.
Portillo arrives at Blackpool Pleasure Beach via its own station. Inside the amusement park, on the narrow gauge Pleasure Beach Express, he learns of the history of the Pleasure Beach and rides on the Ghost Train. Then he takes the Blackpool Tramway to Fleetwood, where he learns of the origins of the Fisherman's Friend lozenge and is given a tour of the factory. Next he travels to Lostock near Bolton to visit a factory making a railway bridge and tries submerged arc welding. Continuing his journey, he goes to Salford Central to see the construction centre for the aforementioned bridge. He finishes at Manchester Piccadilly, where he gives a speech at the unveiling of a war memorial plaque.
(Despite the title of this episode, Portillo does not end his journey at Manchester Victoria, but Manchester Piccadilly.)
Portillo, wearing the colours of the Irish flag, starts this journey in the port of Wexford, visiting the Wexford Maritime Festival. Next, he rides in a 100-year-old lifeboat and learns about Irish-born John Barry, who became a hero of the United States Navy. Travelling to Arklow, County Wicklow, he visits the Meeting of the Waters at Avoca to learn about the Irish poet, Thomas Moore. His last stop is Wicklow station, and from there he travels to Poulaphouca Reservoir, where he learns about a 19th-century scheme to combat cholera in Dublin and concludes the episode travelling in a Victorian era horse-drawn, barrel-top caravan.
Alighting at Navan Road Parkway, Portillo travels to Hill of Tara, County Meath where, during the Victorian Period, a dig failed to find the Ark of the Covenant. Then, in a nearby church, he looks at 3D modelling of the hill. From his next stop, Leixlip Confey, he visits a hydro-electric dam which has been adapted to help salmon pass through it. Stopping at Maynooth he visits St Patrick's Seminary and, while on the campus, he goes to its chapel, library and museum. His last stop is Mullingar station and from there he goes to meet members of a community marching band and plays Bass Drum in a march.
Portillo stops at Dromod to visit the narrow gauge Cavan and Leitrim Railway, then learns how to make a pancake known as a boxty. Back on the main line, he alights at Sligo and goes to Carrowmore, to see one of the landscapes that inspired the poet, W. B. Yeats. He then visits the Michael Coleman Heritage Centre to learn about the cultural importance of both the Irish fiddle and traditional dancing (of which he partakes). He ends this episode by taking a boat trip on Lough Gill.
From Ballina Station, Portillo goes to Enniscrone to learn about traditional seaweed baths and then takes one at a bath house. The next stop is Foxford for Foxford Woolen Mills, where he learns about its founder, Mother Agnes. Westport is the last stop on this journey and from Westport station he travels to Clew Bay, where he has a meal of native clam. After a tour of the bay, he climbs part of Croagh Patrick and learns about its connection to St Patrick.
Series 9 (2018)
For the ninth series, which has an Edwardian theme, Portillo uses an early 20th-century edition of Bradshaw's Guide.
Portillo travels to the Welsh port city of Newport, where he discovers the city's rich maritime history and visits a loch where a disaster claimed 39 lives in 1909. He then goes to St Woolos Cemetery to see the Newport Docks Disaster Memorial. Returning to the train and alighting at Filton Abbey Wood, he visits Airbus' Landing Gear Test Facility. After overnighting in Bristol, Portillo arrives at Bath Spa, where he learns about the important part that the city of Bath played in the suffragette movement, before travelling to Yatton station for the Somerset seaside town of Clevedon, where he visits the Curzon Community Cinema, an Edwardian era cinema.
Alighting at Devonport, Portillo visits Plymouth to learn of its long maritime history and, in the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, he hears how some of the survivors of the Titanic sinking were subsequently confined there. Travelling onwards to the harbour town of Fowey, he learns about the poet Arthur Quiller-Couch. Passing St Michael's Mount, Portillo alights at Penzance and makes his way to the fishing port of Newlyn, where he visits a coppersmith's workshop, which opened in 1890 to help give fishermen new skills. He ends his journey in Poldhu, on The Lizard peninsula, where he discovers how Marconi sent the world's first radio transmission across the Atlantic ocean and, at Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, Portillo sends a radio signal to the moon and back.
Portillo travels to the port city of Kingston upon Hull and sees wind turbine blades being made at a site on the Alexandra Dock. He then makes the short journey from Paragon Interchange to Cottinghamstation to visit Tranby Croft – location of the late 19th century Royal baccarat scandal. Next, he visits the seaside town of Scarborough, where he learns about the 1914 bombardment of the town by the German Navy. Then, travelling away from the coast, he alights at Malton to visit Castle Howard where he learns about the "Fearless Champion of Causes", Rosalind Howard.
Portillo visits Sheffield's Kelham Island Museum to see the River Don Engine and learn more about the city's industrial heritage. Then he goes to Sheffield Forgemasters to see steel being worked. Returning to the station, he continues to Langley Mill, where he alights and travels to Eastwood, birthplace of the writer D. H. Lawrence. After visiting the Raleigh Bicycle Company headquarters, Portillo travels from Derby Midland Station to Crewe where he changes trains to reach Nantwich. There, he walks around the market town, which was once one of the biggest salt producers in England and finishes with a swim in the Nantwich Brine Pool.
From Blackburn Station, Portillo visits the Empire Theatre to view some recently discovered films, which date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Continuing his journey to Nelson Interchange, he goes to Pendle Hill, above Nelson, Lancashire, to visit a working class club that is described as "the last Clarion House in England". He travels on to Manchester Victoria, and at Manchester Art Gallery he learns about the vandalising of paintings by three suffragettes, in response to the imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst; he then visits the Pankhurst Centre.
Starting from Rotherham Central, Portillo travels to Maltby to investigate whippet racing. Then he takes the train from Sheffield to Derby to visit Kedleston Hall, where he examines the interiors, which were created by Robert Adam. Returning to the railway, his next stop is Burton on Trent, where he learns about the yeast extract spread, Marmite. He continues on to Hinckley, where he rides as a pillion passenger on a Triumph motorcycle. He then goes inside a Triumph factory and, after seeing the production line, he visits a Triumph Heritage Centre.
Portillo travels to Selly Oak to visit Highbury Hall, the former home of Joseph Chamberlain who, after transforming the City of Birmingham, joined Gladstone's government. Next, from Birmingham Moor Street, he travels to Cradley Heath to visit the Mushroom Green Chain Shop, where, he learns about a successful strike by women chain makers, and then goes to see a monument to their leader, Mary Macarthur. At Great Wyrley in Staffordshire, Portillo hears the story of George Edalji who suffered a miscarriage of justice, the consequence of which was the establishment of the Criminal Court of Appeal in 1907. The final leg of this journey takes him to Stoke-on-Trentstation and a trip to the "World of Wedgwood" museum, where he is shown photographs of a 1913 Royal visit.
From Glasgow Central station, Portillo walks through the centre of Glasgow, before visiting the Riverside Museum to learn about the Glasgow Subway. He then travels to Govan, where he sees maintenance work being carried out on subway cars at the Broomloan Depot. On the Clyde waterfront, he learns about the history of shipbuilding in Glasgow. This is followed by a visit to BAE Systems, who supply ships for the Royal Navy. Then he visits the Tenement House Museum to hear how Mary Barbour led a successful campaign to resist rent rises. Returning to the railway, he heads west to the Firth of Clyde, alighting at Largs. After taking the ferry to Cumbrae, he learns about the Antarctic voyage of William Speirs Bruce and examines inter-tidal marine life on the shoreline.
Portillo alights at Warwick to visit Warwick Castle, where he hears about Daisy Greville, who was Countess of Warwick during the Edwardian Era. Next, he takes the train to Oxford, to visit the Asmolean Museum, where he sees some of the medieval artifacts which inspired Lawrence of Arabia to take up archaeology. Then, he takes a ride in a 1960 Mini to visit the Mini factory in Cowley, were he is given a tour of the assembly lines and rides in a new Mini as it is driven onto a delivery train. His next stop is Radley and from there he goes to Radley College to hear a performance of one of George Butterworth's compositions.
Portillo alights at East Malling, home to the NIAB Centre for Fruit Research, where he learns of the importance of root stock in the cultivation of apples. He travels on to Folkestone Central to learn how Britain became a safe haven for Belgian refugees in 1914; at Folkestone Museum, he sees a painting by Fredo Franzoni with the title "Landing of the Belgian Refugees". He then goes to see the recently restored Folkestone Harbour station. Next, he visits Tenterden Town station and its restoration shed, followed by a ride on the Kent and East Sussex Railway to Bodiam. He ends this journey by travelling to Rye, where he visits Lamb House, the former home of author Henry James, and dines on scallops at a restaurant in the town. Portillo sums up this series of journeys by saying that the Edwardian Era "was a time of important change".
After crossing the River Tyne, Portillo alights at Newcastle Central and takes the Metro to Jarrow to learn about the Jarrow Crusade. Back in Newcastle, he looks at the Tyne bridges and some modern architecture on the quayside. He travels to Byker for an outing to Newcastle Greyhound Stadium, and then returns to Newcastle to overnight at the Royal Station Hotel. Next morning, he travels to Durham to see Durham Cathedral and then goes to a coal-fired fish & chip shop. At Spennymoor, he meets the son of the former artist, Norman Cornish, in his father's studio.
Portillo starts with a visit to Glamis Castle, where Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother grew up. Continuing his journey, he alights at Montrose for a walk on the moors, and visits a bothy, which provides free shelter and accommodation for ramblers. His next stop is Aberdeen, where he visits the Rowett Institute of the University of Aberdeen, learning of the studies by John Boyd Orr which helped improve diet and tasting some of the food developed by the students. He then walks along the Aberdeen seafront to the art decoBeach Ballroom, where he hears about its history and is given a dancing lesson.
Portillo alights at Elgin station and travels to Lossiemouth to visit the MacDonald family home and learn about Ramsay MacDonald, the first LabourPrime Minister, from his granddaughter, Iona. He then goes to Gordonstoun School, where he learns about its founder Kurt Hahn and sees the school's own fire station. Next, he goes to Inverness Museum and Art Gallery to look at an archive of photographer M.E.M.Donaldson's work. Then he sails on the Deepscan Research boat on Loch Ness.
At the end of the branch line to St Ives, Portillo investigates the town's artistic community, including the legacy of fisherman-turned-artist, Alfred Wallis; in the Tate Gallery, St Ives, Portillo sees some of Wallis's paintings, and in the Leach Pottery studio, he learns about its founder, Bernard Leach. Rejoining the main line at St Erth, he changes trains to reach Hayle station, where he learns about railway carriages that have been converted into holiday homes and has a look around one such "camping coach" berthed next to the station. His next stop is Redruth, where he sees a statue of a tin miner and explains its significance. In nearby St Day, he hears about philanthropist William John Mills, who bought twenty-eight houses and offered them for use by the poor; in Mills Street, Portillo sees these houses and then joins in with the St Day Feast festivities.
Portillo arrives at Truro to visit the cathedral. He then goes to see the gardens at Trewithen House, where he explains how plant hunters brought back plants from Asia. He changes trains at Par to travel the branch line to the coast at Newquay, where he visits Fistral Beach; there, he listens to a history of British surfing, examines various surfboards, and makes an attempt at surfing. At nearby St Mawgan, he learns about Cornish wrestling and participates in a friendly bout, and then visits Newquay Airport to learn about the history of flight in Cornwall.
Portillo alights at Saxmundham for Snape Maltings which is now an international arts and music complex. Here he learns about the composer, Benjamin Britten and listens to a performance of one of his piano compositions. Next, he visits Great Yarmouth to see the town's Venetian Waterways. Here he talks to volunteer gardeners, before rowing a boat on the lake. Then he takes a train from Great Yarmouth Station to Norwich where he walks around the city. At Norwich City Hall, he is shown around by the Lord Mayor of Norwich and then visits Norwich Market.
Armed with a 1936 copy of Bradshaw's Railway Guide, Portillo arrives at Oxford, where he learns about the important contribution that the University's female students have made. After hearing of Oxford's influence on fashion, he goes to Walters of Oxford to buy a pair of Oxford Bags, and overnights in the Randolph Hotel. In the morning, he visits the 17th century country house Garsington Manor, where he learns about Lady Ottoline Morrell and the Bloomsbury Group. Rejoining the railway, he alights at Culham and travels on to Abingdon to visit the MG Car Club, followed by a ride in a vintage MG VA.
Portillo arrives in the seaside resort of Rhyl, where he visits the Marine Lake and takes a ride on the Rhyl Miniature Railway. Returning to the main line, he next alights at Colwyn Bay station to learn about the important role played by the Ministry of Food during World War II. After overnighting in Llandudno's Imperial Hotel, he travels to Bangor, where he visits the BBC Radio Cymru studios to hear how the BBC responded to calls for Welsh language broadcasting and participates in a live broadcast. Rejoining the train, he crosses the Britannia Bridge to Anglesey and his next stop at Llanfairpwll to visit Plas Newydd, where he sees Capriccio, a large mural painted by Rex Whistler.
Portillo begins his journey in Deal with a visit to Walmer Castle, and then travels on to the seaside town of Ramsgate where he explores its World War II tunnels. Continuing along the coast, Portillo visits Margate to look into the town's post-war development and visit its amusement park Dreamland.
Portillo visits Herne Bay to learn more about pioneering English pilot Amy Johnson. Travelling on to the seaside town of Whitstable, Portillo first takes a boat into the Thames Estuary to see the World War IIarmed forts. Upon returning to Whitstable, he samples its famous oysters. Reboarding the train, he travels on to Lenham, from where he visits nearby Leeds Castle.
Portillo alights at Bradford Interchange to walk through Bradford's historic centre where he sees J. B. Priestley's statue. Then, at the J. B. Priestley Library, he learns more about the prolific writer. Portillo then overnights in the Midland Railway Hotel. In the morning, he visits the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, before departing from Bradford Forster Square for Shipley, where he alights. Portillo observes that the middle of the station has been turned into a butterfly reserve. Next, he rides on the Calder Valley Line to Hebden Bridge where he finds out about the Happy Valley Pride event.
Alighting at Felixstowe, Portillo hears about the floods of 1953 before travelling to Ipswich to see the new flood defences. His next stop is Melton, for the coastal village of Orford, where he sees how many military technologies were developed. He then travels to Norwich to visit a Royal Mail sorting office, where he learns about the introduction of the postcode. Still in Norwich, he visits the University of East Anglia and hears about the new post-war universities, before joining a creative writing workshop.
Portillo begins in Derby, where he explores the city's long history of building trains and then drives a new electric train on a test track at the Litchurch Lane Works. Returning to Derby Station, his next stop is East Midlands Parkway to see a coal fired power station before continuing to Leicester, where he visits a Walkers Crisps factory. Here he learns about Henry Walker, the company's founder, and then sees crisp production. He then travels from Hinckley Station to Stoney Cove to learn about Scuba Diving training.
Alighting at Coventry, Portillo notes the contrast between medieval and modern architecture in the city. Then he visits Coventry Cathedral where he explains how, in 1951, Basil Spence won a competition to design the new cathedral. In the Coventry Transport Museum he samples Coventry God Cakes and at the LEVC factory he sees taxi cab production. Next, he takes the train to Leamington Spa and observes the fine Georgian architecture in the town. Then he visits The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's national centre where he sees puppies at the start of their journey to become working animals.
