Preston to Rawtenstall

Michael Portillo strikes out to explore the Britain of his youth. He’s a 'boomer', born in the decade after the end of the Second World War, and he recalls the optimism and excitement of rebuilding a nation exhausted by conflict. He relives the agony and the ecstasy of British Rail and marvels at the new society and culture that emerged in postwar Britain.

At Preston’s Fulwood Barracks in Lancashire, Michael is called up for National Service but fails to impress the drill sergeant. Two veterans share their memories of postwar military action.

At the Preston Bypass, now part of the M6, he hears how the pioneering project aimed to tackle congestion and link the north of England to the south. In Blackburn, Michael investigates the town’s political heritage and its fiery red-headed MP, Barbara Castle.

At Bury Bolton Street station in Greater Manchester, Michael meets the volunteers who operate the fabulously preserved East Lancashire Heritage Railway and learns how the Beeching cuts affected rail services in the area.