(pic: Rob Milsom)

It may not be everyone’s idea of a ‘Great Railway Journey’ but next week’s BBC TV programme of the same name has Michael Portillo taking the train from Walsall to Bournville as part of his ongoing journey around the UK by rail.

After exploring the saddle industry of Walsall he stops by Birmingham City Centre: “Michael explores how the city has changed since Bradshaw’s time, with modern developments springing up among the few remaining Victorian buildings.”

A curry on the Ladypool road is followed by a trip to Bournville meeting Alan Shrimpton of the Bournville Village Trust. Alan explains how the railways transformed the fortunes of the Cadbury brothers, “enabling them to build one of the most successful model villages in Britain.”

The programme is transmitted on Wednesday 27th January at 6.30pm on BBC2