Michael Portillo's Abandoned Britain
Catching up on Michael Portillo's Abandoned Britain?
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Michael Portillo ends his journey in Sussex at the popular seaside destination of Brighton, where he goes in search of the hidden history of this British coastal resort. The ghostly skeleton of the town's West pier has become one of the UK's most well-known ruins, and Michael discovers that its extraordinary staying power ... 45:01 Expired
Michael Portillo visits Bradford's now-abandoned New Victoria Cinema, an impressive relic from cinema's golden age. 45:02 Expired
Michael Portillo visits a top-secret Cold War stronghold, just a mile from the Cambridge campus where he spent his university years. The bunker, formerly known as RSG-4, was built in 1953 to house 300 local government officials from Cambridgeshire in the event of a nuclear attack. The former politician is also given access... 43:24 Expired
Built in the East End of London 250 years ago, to provide free medical care for some of the poorest and most deprived people in Britain, the London Hospital has pioneered medical breakthroughs and healthcare for generations of men, women, and children. 45:23 Expired
Michael unlocks the doors to Shepton Mallet prison to uncover the story of British crime and punishment. Since it opened its doors 400 years ago, this prison has seen thousands of prisoners, numerous executions, and countless escape attempts. 45:13 Expired
On edge of the Suffolk coast lies some of Britain’s most mysterious ruins. Monumental concrete bunkers, rusting radar towers, and crumpled military hardware. They are a lens into a bygone era of secrets, spies, and superpowers. For almost a century, Orford Ness was owned by the MOD, and when it closed in 1993, its building...Season 2
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In Manchester, Michael Portillo ventures inside the London Road Fire Station, which was decommissioned in 1986 after 80 years' service. The former politician dons a vintage uniform and rides a fire engine, learning about the tools the firefighters had available to save the city from the Luftwaffe's incendiary bombs. Michae... 45:02 Expired
Michael Portillo visits the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot, Hampshire. Almost 140 years ago, the building acted as a response to the world's first modern war, the Crimean, when soldiers suffered terrible injuries on a horrific scale never been seen before. Closed for the past 22 years, Michael is allowed inside t... 45:31 Expired
Hidden away in the heart of the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is the abandoned shell of Imber. A thousand-year-old-village, which was once a vibrant community before a series of extraordinary events transformed it into a desolate ghost town.