Synopsis
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss WH Auden's life and poetry from Europe before WWII, reflecting on his travels to Spain, China and Germany and the rise of totalitarianism.
Alan Johnson: The Post Office and Me | WH Auden's "Night Mail"
Alan Johnson MP (and former postman) takes a ride on a Travelling Post Office - one of the mail-sorting trains that used to criss-cross the nation through the night and that were immortalised in the film Night Mail.
Thinking Allowed | Work identity on the railway
Tim Strangleman discusses his study into work identity and 'loss': how older railway workers have reacted to change in their industry.