In this special festive edition of Down the Line your hosts wish you a merry Christmas before AJ tries Calvados for the very first time!

Their festive message is followed by an interview with the fantastic Paul Shelley who played Major Bradley in the second and third series of Secret Army. Paul enthusiastically remembers playing Bradley, his first appearance in Lucky Piece and his return for four episodes in 1979 which proved controversial with some members of the cast. As well as memories of his fellow actors and directors, he also recalls elements of the series that are major spoilers, so don't listen until you've seen the whole series!

We are incredibly grateful to Paul for sharing his memories and time with us and ask, if you enjoyed this interview, that you might consider donating to his chosen charity: the Actors' Children's Trust:  and quote 'Secret Army' if you donate. You can donate online: https://actorschildren.org/ or by phone: 020 4591 8585. Thank you.

If you would like to contact us then please email us on, or send a voicenote to: [email protected] or send us a message on Bluesky: AJ is on secretarmypod.bsky.social while Andy can be found at andypodding.bsky.social. AJ is also still on Twitter at @secretarmypod. We'd love to hear from you, especially your takes on the Series 2 episodes Guests at God's Table and A Matter of Life and Death which are in preparation.

Thank you, as ever, for listening and for coming down the line with us. And please do share our content wherever you see it. Happy Christmas!

We are back in the New Year with a return to our regular review episodes.

Next Time: Little Old Lady