Birmingham New Street to Wednesbury

Arriving in Birmingham, Michael Portillo heads to Curzon Street for a tour of the HS2 terminus still under construction. He discovers that parts of the site’s 1838 station are being lovingly preserved and gets a bird’s eye view of where the 225 mph service will arrive in the heart of the city.

In the Newtown area, Michael visits the oldest private manufacturing company in the UK. He finds out that Firmin and Sons, dating back to 1655, is still making buttons for the royal family and the military. In the company’s archive, he’s blown away by a button worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Just outside the city, Michael travels to the small town of Wednesbury to the headquarters of Birmingham’s tram service, the West Midlands Metro. In the control room, he finds out how the 14-mile network is monitored and takes a driving test on a tram simulator.