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Armed with his Edwardian Bradshaw鈥檚 Guide, Michael Portillo picks up his rail journey from Warwick to Rye along the River Thames. In Reading, he traces the origins of education for workers. Messing about in boats is the name of the game in Henley-on-Thames, where Michael slips into a launch to hear about the world-famous regatta. Afternoon tea on the bank offers a chance to hear about four heroes of early 20th-century literary classic The Wind in the Willows.

In the pretty village of Cookham, Michael encounters heaven on earth for the artist Stanley Spencer, and across the river at Cliveden he explores the great Italianate mansion, which once belonged to the Astor family. Michael finds out about one of its most famous members, the first woman to take a seat in Parliament, Nancy Astor.