Episode 1
Newcastle to County Durham
Jan 6, 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.
Episode 2
Kielder Forest to Edinburgh
Jan 7, 2020
Steered by his 1936 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo is in Northumbria en route to the Highlands.
Episode 3
Falkirk to Dundee
Jan 8, 2020
Michael Portillo's railway journey through 1930s Britain from Newcastle to Loch Ness reaches Falkirk in Scotland.
Episode 4
Dundee to Aberdeen
Jan 9, 2020
Stopping at Dundee, Michael Portillo heads for Glamis Castle, where Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, grew up.
Episode 5
Elgin to Loch Ness
Jan 10, 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.
Episode 6
St Ives to St Day
Jan 13, 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.
Episode 7
Truro to St Mawgan
Jan 14, 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.
Episode 8
Bodmin to Totnes
Jan 15, 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.
Episode 9
Paignton to Tiverton
Jan 16, 2020
The Dartmouth Steam Railway takes Michael Portillo to the beautiful home of Agatha Christie, in the company of her great-grandson, James Prichard.
Episode 10
Taunton to Salisbury Plain
Jan 17, 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.
Episode 11
Canterbury to Alexandra Palace
Jan 20, 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.
Episode 12
Limehouse to Rochford
Jan 21, 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.
Episode 13
Witham to Felixstowe
Jan 22, 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.
Episode 14
Saxmundham to Norwich
Jan 23, 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.
Episode 15
Attleborough to Skegness
Jan 24, 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.
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