Heading for the hills – in a tatty Hillman Imp
CONTINUING our series featuring the holiday memories of famous people, this week tenor
RUSSELL WATSON, 51, recalls his lifetime of adventures...
First holiday I can remember:
Setting off in my Dad’s Hillman Imp when I was 11 and staying at a rented cottage in North Wales. You could see the hills all around and my sister Hayley and I raced boats in a stream running alongside the house. Happy days.
My first time abroad:
I didn’t get on a plane until I was in my mid-20s, when we went to Valletta in Malta. I was terrified and clung to the seat in front to me as we took off. But once we got there it was great. I’ll never forget the warm air hitting us as soon as we stepped off the plane.
My firfirst school trip:
We went to York when I was eight or nine. It was a beautiful day and I remember sitting down by the city walls with an ice cream and thinking: ‘What a place.’ But my most endearing memory of that trip was visiting the National Railway Museum and seeing the steam engines. I just couldn’t believe how big they were – I was in awe of their size and beauty.
My honeymoon:
After getting married to my second wife Louise in a fairytale Spanish ceremony in 2015, we stayed at a luxury villa owned by a friend. The property boasts the most amazing panoramic views along the coast. Getting up in the morning and enjoying a coffee by the pool while taking in the valley below was incredible.
Best holiday:
Staying at the Four Seasons resort in Bora Bora, a small South Pacific island north-west of Tahiti, in 2002. I’ve never been to such a beautiful place – I went diving, the sea was crystal-clear, and I saw the most amazing marine life. It was out of this world.
And my worst:
I’ve stayed in some pretty rubbish hotels over the years, most recently in Kensington in West London. There wasn’t any parking on-site, my room stank of stale cigarette smoke, and a member of staff walked up to me and asked: ‘All right, lad?’ I haven’t been addressed as ‘lad’ since I was in my 20s! I’ve never been in such a shoddy place.
My essential holiday item:
My tennis racket. I love playing tennis and whenever I go somewhere warm, I try to enjoy a game. After a day or two of the holiday, I usually suggest to my wife that she goes to the spa for a little pampering and she chuckles: ‘Don’t tell me, you’re going to play tennis with a friend!’
Russell Watson is on tour across the country this autumn. For ticket information, visit russellwatson.com.