Forgotten Towns

Series 10 Episode 5 - VIEWPARK (# 975 Visited 22/02/2025) Lanarkshire, Scotland : Population 15,770 (Rank # 648) It may not be one of the smallest towns, but Viewpark is probably one of the more anonymous. We attempt to get an insight... before actually getting a taxi. MUSIC Hit & Miss - The John Barry Seven A Horse With No Name - America Joe Le Taxi - Vanessa Paradis THANKS A1 Radio Cars Visi...

Series 10 Episode 4 - BELLSHILL (# 973 Visited 22/02/2025)Lanarkshire, Scotland : Population 20,290 (Rank # 524)Forget New York and London; this Lanarkshire town punches way above its weight in the music department. Your pop correspondent reports. MUSICIs It Music? - Teenage FanclubU Got The Look - Prince & Sheena EastonA Horse With No Name - AmericaThe Quiet Man O' Lanarkshire - The Alexa...

Series 10 Episode 3 - WISHAW (# 972 Visited 22/02/2025) Lanarkshire, Scotland : Population 30,290 (Rank # 352) Scotland slide towards Calcutta Cup defeat whilst bar room conversation takes a distinctly morbid turn. MUSIC Hit & Miss - The John Barry Seven A Horse With No Name - America The Quiet Man O' Lanarkshire - The Alexander Brothers THANKS Scotrail Big Davey The staff of The Imperial...

Series 10 Episode 2 - CARLUKE (# 972 Visited 22/02/2025) Lanarkshire, Scotland : Population 13,320 (Rank # 758) We map the good and the bad of Carluke via questionable beer choices in the quietest available local bar. MUSIC Hit & Miss - The John Barry Seven A Horse With No Name - America The Quiet Man O' Lanarkshire - The Alexander Brothers THANKS Scotrail M A Bicknell The staff of The Kir...

Series 10 Episode 1 - LANARK (# 971 Visited 22/02/2025) Lanarkshire, Scotland : Population 9,050 (Rank # 989) Season 10 eventually gets out of the blocks after a false start with a visit to the ancestral home of the co-operative movement. MUSIC Hit & Miss - The John Barry Seven A Horse With No Name - America The Quiet Man O' Lanarkshire - The Alexander Brothers THANKS Caledonian Sleeper Av...

Series 9 Episode 8 - BALLYCLARE (# 970 Visited 21/10/2024) County Antrim, Northern Ireland : Population 9,919 (Rank # 934) In between 'bus uncertanties, Ballyclare is our final town on the clockwise circumnavigation of The North. MUSIC Joy - Apollo 100 It's Grim Up North - The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers The Visitors - ABBA Forgotten Towns - T...

Series 9 Episode 7 - BALLYMENA (# 969 Visited 21/10/2024) County Antrim, Northern Ireland : Population 29,467 (Rank # 362) Centuries of musical conflict culminate in £2 wasted on Charlie's 'Higher / Lower' sweep: just a standard Monday afternoon in this NI market town. MUSIC Joy - Apollo 100 Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles Windmills Of Your Mind - Noel Harrison THANKS Northern...

Series 9 Episode 6 - BALLYMONEY (# 968 Visited 21/10/2024) County Antrim, Northern Ireland : Population 10,393 (Rank # 908) This may be a slightly run-down hotbed of disaffection with the mainstream, but it does have its own pop plant. MUSIC Joy - Apollo 100 Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles Windmills Of Your Mind - Noel Harrison THANKS Northern Ireland Railways Jeeves And Wooster - Granada...

Series 9 Episode 5 - COLERAINE (# 967 Visited 21/10/2024) County Londonderry, Northern Ireland : Population 24,630 (Rank # 436) If it was good enough for a Mesolithic hut circle, it's probably a reasonable bet for my Ulster fry. MUSIC Joy - Apollo 100 Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles Windmills Of Your Mind - Noel Harrison THANKS Ulsterbus Northern Ireland Railways The staff of Rocca, Co...

Series 9 Episode 4 - LIMAVADY (# 966 Visited 20/10/2024) County Londonderry, Northern Ireland : Population 12,047 (Rank # 811) Live music ends up dominating our evening, albeit lacking any rendition of 'Danny Boy' nor any obvious plaque commemorating Richard Branson's visit. MUSIC Tell Me When My Light Turns Green - Dexys Midnight Runners Dignity - Deacon Blue (orig.) Strawberry Fields...

Series 9 Episode 3 - STRABANE (# 965 Visited 20/10/2024) County Tyrone, Northern Ireland : Population 13,147 (Rank # 770) What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than crossing back and forth across the Foyle in the midsts of Storm Aloysius? MUSIC Tell Me When My Light Turns Green - Dexys Midnight Runners Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles Windmills Of Your Mind - Noel Harrison THANKS Ulst...

Series 9 Episode 2 - OMAGH (# 964 Visited 19/10/2024) County Tyrone, Northern Ireland : Population 19,682 (Rank # 543) We duck politics in favour of crispy aromatic duck on a Saturday night in Tyrone's friendly county town. MUSIC Tell Me When My Light Turns Green - Dexys Midnight Runners Virginia Plain - Roxy Music Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles Windmills Of Your Mind - Noel Harrison...

Series 9 Episode 1 - DUNGANNON (# 963 Visited 19/10/2024) County Tyrone, Northern Ireland : Population 14,332 (Rank # 709) Season 9 slides into gear as our circumnavigation of Northern Ireland resumes in this diverse outpost of Timorean culture, whilst I short-change a barmaid. MUSIC Bagpuss Opening Theme - Sandra Kerr & John Faulkner Tell Me When My Light Turns Green - Dexys Midnight Runners...

Series 8 Episode 7 - COOKSTOWN (# 962 Visited 19/10/2024) County Tyrone, Northern Ireland : Population 11,620 (Rank # 837) We get harangued by a street preacher then left in stasis waiting for a stout as Season 8 draws to a close. MUSIC I Got Mine - Motörhead Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram THANKS Ulsterbus The Lifeboat Fellowship, Dungannon The staff of The Cartwheel Bar, Cookstown And Th...

Series 8 Episode 6 - CRAIGAVON (# 961 Visited 19/10/2024) County Armagh, Northern Ireland : Population 64,193 (Rank # 151) We narrowly avoid getting mown down on the Garvaghy Road and meet an opinionated dog who says 'No!' MUSIC I Got Mine - Motörhead Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram THANKS Northern Ireland Railways Ulsterbus Visit the UK's 1,000 largest settlements with Alexand...

Series 8 Episode 5 - NEWRY (# 960 Visited 18/10/2024) County Armagh / County Down, Northern Ireland : Population 26,893 (Rank # 397) Will we reach this, our last hitherto unvisited Northern Irish city, before they pull down the blinds for the night? MUSIC I Got Mine - Motörhead Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram Missing - Everything But The Girl THANKS Ulsterbus Northern Ireland Railways The...

Series 8 Episode 4 - BANBRIDGE (# 959 Visited 18/10/2024) County Down, Northern Ireland : Population 16,653 (Rank # 615) Join us as we ascend Northern Ireland's steepest high street towards one of its more convivial boozers. MUSIC Mandrill - Patrick Colby Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram THANKS Ulsterbus The staff and patrons of The Old Tavern & Snug, Lisburn Visit the UK's 1,00...

Series 8 Episode 3 - LISBURN (# 958 Visited 18/10/2024) County Down / County Antrim, Northern Ireland : Population 45,410 (Rank # 227) We take a train to Northern Ireland's third largest city; split between two counties, but fairly consistently of one tradition. MUSIC Mandrill - Patrick Colby Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram THANKS Northern Ireland Railways The staff of Smithfield House...

Series 8 Episode 2 - NEWTOWNBREDA (# 957 Visited 18/10/2024) County Down, Northern Ireland : Population 15,005 (Rank # 678) Catch up on the latest episode, in which our hero gets corrected over county boundaries by an 8 year old and spends quarter of an hour in a shopping centre. MUSIC Mandrill - Patrick Colby Jump In The Pool - Friendly Fires Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram THANKS Transli...

Series 8 Episode 1 - COMBER (# 956 Visited 18/10/2024) County Down, Northern Ireland : Population 9,078 (Rank # 987) We touch down in Northern Ireland with a 'bus pass and every intention to put it through its paces. MUSIC Day Trip To Bangor - Fiddler's Dram Mandrill - Patrick Colby THANKS EasyJet Ulsterbus The staff of The John Hewitt, Belfast The staff of The First & Last, Comber Vis...

Series 7 Episode 10 - BEDLINGTON (# 955 Visited 24/08/2024) Northumberland, England : Population 16,987 (Rank # 605) A year after we whizzed past on the 'bus, we finally catch up with Bedlington and its eponymous terrier. MUSIC Down In Albion - Babyshambles Two By Two - Chris THANKS The staff of Lidl, Bedlington The staff of The Hoptimist, Bedlington The Buildings of England (Northumberland) -...

Series 7 Episode 9 - SALTASH (# 954 Visited 17/06/2024) Cornwall, England : Population 15,919 (Rank # 644) Before waving goodbye to Cornwall we pause on the frontier to explore Saltash and gaze upon its famous bridges. MUSIC Floral Dance - Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band The Great Escape - We Are Scientists Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan Way On Down - Elvis Presley Go West - Village People...

Series 7 Episode 8 - LISKEARD (# 953 Visited 17/06/2024) Cornwall, England : Population 9,453 (Rank # 959) Your host spends his birthday in this ancient stannery town whilst Freddie has a run-in with a gull. MUSIC In Da Club - 50 Cent Happy Birthday - Altered Images Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan Way On Down - Elvis Presley Go West - Village People Victoria - The Kinks THANKS Freddie C Babbs &a...

Series 7 Episode 7 - BODMIN (# 952 Visited 16/06/2024) Cornwall, England : Population 15,681 (Rank # 649) We visit Cornwall's old county town to learn about manumission in the name of St Petroc and uncompromising justice in the sight of Keith Murray. MUSIC Floral Dance - Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan Way On Down - Elvis Presley Go West - Village People V...

Series 7 Episode 6 - ST BLAZEY (# 951 Visited 16/06/2024) Cornwall, England : Population 10,397 (Rank # 907) With monastic roots, transport links and time-travelling literature, there's more to St Blazey than its proximity to famous bio-domes. MUSIC Floral Dance - Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan Way On Down - Elvis Presley Go West - Village People Victoria...