British journalist and former MP Michael Portillo travels to Sussex as part of the season finale of Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain. His exploration of the history of our city is titled ‘Brighton: A Seaside Escape’ and will air on Channel 5, Friday 7 December at 9pm!
The entire episode will focus on the Victorian architecture and history within Brighton, as well touching on the more recent historical events of the IRA bombings in the 1980s.
In other episodes of Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain, Michael has uncovered some exciting truths of the history behind the major cities Manchester, Cambridge and Bradford.
Michael explores the hidden history of one of the UK’s most well known ruins, Brighton’s eerie wreckage of the West Pier. After a devastating fire in 2003, only the haunting skeleton of Brighton’s former tourist attraction remains. Supposedly, Michael discovers that the pier’s extraordinary power to remain such an iconic landmark is due to its Victorian engineering.
Excitingly, Michael also explores Brighton’s best kept secret – the town’s labyrinthine waste system hidden in secret tunnels that wind underneath the city. Last year, Brighton Journal investigated a group of enthusiastic explorers who developed a map of Brighton’s secret underground tunnels. Many members of ‘Brighton Past’ Facebook group who were interested in the article have taken to the Social Media website to share their excitement for Portillo’s documentary.
Later, Michael joins Britain’s oldest swimming club founded in 1960: Brighton Swimming Club. He then meets Jo Berry, daughter of Conservative MP Anthony Berry, who was killed by an IRA bomb at Brighton’s Grand Hotel during the party’s 1984 conference.
Tune in at 9pm tomorrow evening to catch the documentary.
