Alexei Sayle's Strangers On A Train: Series 2

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 (320kbs-m4a/382mb/2hrs46mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 9th July to 13th August 2023

Alexei Sayle takes a train journey and breaks the golden rule of travelling by train in the UK - by actually talking to his fellow passengers.

Producers: Peter Lowe and Nick Symons

A Ride production for BBC Radio 4.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 1. LONDON TO BLACKPOOL (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 9th July 2023

In this episode, he travels from London to Blackpool.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Michael, who is on his way to a major international dance competition at the Winter Gardens Ballroom in Blackpool, with his first ever invitation to be a judge.

* Julie and Sarah who are out on a trip and determined to have fun, including turning the tables on Alexei and deciding they will interview him - with very surprising results.

* The woman who runs the most famous fleet of trams in the country, which has been carrying holidaymakers along Blackpool's seafront since 1885.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 2. SHREWSBURY TO PWLLHELI (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 16th July 2023

In this episode, he travels from Shrewsbury to Pwllheli on the Cambrian coast line.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Barry, an old school friend from Liverpool

* Denise, who has been given an extraordinary set of directions in order to deal with the complex arrangements for her holiday

* Geoff, who on a whim, decided to buy one of the UK's oldest cinemas, in a tiny Welsh seaside town

* Isabel, who is off to monitor dolphins

* Margaret, who has been going to the same spot on the Cambrian coast for her holiday every year for more than 50 years - and now her extended family is following the same tradition.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 3. BIRMINGHAM TO STANSTED AIRPORT (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 23rd July 2023

In this episode, he travels from Birmingham to Stansted Airport.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Adam, a student at Cambridge on his way back to college with his mum Helen. Adam introduces Alexei to the mysterious world of competitive Pokemon.

* Holly who lives in Bali and is dedicated to studying and saving sharks

* Megan, who was born in Arizona and is on her way to her first ever key note speech at the prestigious Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge

* Katrin and Klara who have been on holiday in the UK, are flying home to Germany from Stansted, and are great fans of English humour.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 4. CHELTENHAM TO MAESTEG (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 30th July 2023

In this episode, he travels from Cheltenham to Maesteg.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Kevin, who on his days off, takes pot luck at his local train station ticket office and simply asks for a trip to somewhere interesting

* Jenny, whose years in the middle east changed her life

* Donna and Paul, who take Alexei into the addictive world of murder mystery weekends

* Ruth who tells of her childhood memories in a mining community

* Julie and David, who for nearly 50 years have run a general store in the Welsh valleys - now the only shop left in the village.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 5. EXETER TO NEWQUAY (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 6th August 2023

In this episode, he travels through Devon and Cornwall from Exeter to Newquay.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Finn who has swapped his job at Nandos for a life in the Royal Navy looking after helicopters

* Andrew who is about to run up the Cornish coastal path to meet his girlfriend who is running down it the other way

* Paula and James who share a love of music, especially in Paula's case, the harpsichord

* Julian who has just returned from being a volunteer crew member on an historic Brixham trawler

* Eta and Rowan who are both determined travellers and tell Alexei of a visit to Chernobyl - while Alexei surprises them with his own very unusual insight into the historic city of Petra in Jordan.

ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 2 - 6. LLANDUDNO TO CARDIFF (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 13th August 2023

In this episode, he travels north to south across Wales from Llandudno to Cardiff.

Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:

* Mags, Karen, Anne and Nicky who call themselves the 'cycling widows' and are determined to enjoy themselves while their partners are off on two wheels somewhere

* 16 year-olds Isaac and Finlay are aspiring footballers and share their dreams with Alexei of one day playing in the Premier League and for their country

* Dewi is travelling to a retreat for help with his mental health problems

* Sarah and David surprise Alexei with their tales of long distance rail travel – including a trip on the Trans-Siberian Express fuelled only by pot noodles and vodka and thousands of miles in India in second class carriages meeting some of the 23 million people who take a train there every day.