Chased by Italians - and fighting with Ian Dury...

CONTINUING our series featuring the holiday memories of famous people, actress

JANE HORROCKS, 54, recalls her lifetime of adventures… First holiday I can remember:

In Mum and Dad’s touring caravan in Pwllheli, North Wales. I remember it well, as we used to go year after year with lots of other families. They were just good all round, very happy family holidays. The kids spent all day outside playing games of cricket and it was always sunny – at least in my memory.

First trip abroad:

To Sorrento with my parents, their two close friends and their daughter, who was a good friend of mine. After Pwllheli, it felt incredibly glamorous and gorgeous, not least because we were teenagers by then and fed up with looking at English and Welsh boys. We both fell head over heels with two handsome Italian boys called Silvio and Salvador, who used to chase after us all the time, probably because we were both so blonde!

First school trip:

A day trip to Brussels. I don’t really have many memories of it, beyond the fact that we went to a massive model village, a bit like the one in Legoland. I have absolutely no idea where it was, but I looked at some pictures of it recently and it seemed great. I also remember being very excited about being on a ferry for the first time.

Best holiday:

A family holiday in South Africa, over Christmas. It was wonderful, beginning in Cape Town, then off to the Winelands and along the Garden Route, finishing with an amazing safari. It was a self-drive trip and I remember being quite nervous at the thought, but it couldn’t have felt more safe or welcoming, everywhere we went.

Worst holiday:

On the Greek island of Hydra with Ian Dury, who was my boyfriend at the time. We went for ten days and it felt like ten years! It was quite a tempestuous relationship. I was in my 20s and there was nowhere for us to escape from each other whenever we fell out.

Holiday I’ve always wanted to take:

Until last year, I would have said Japan and Berlin, but I’ve been lucky enough to recently tick both off the list and they totally lived up WELL-TRAVELLED:

Jane on St Barts in the West Indies in 1995 and, above, on Corsica to expectations. I don’t have any great burning desire for one particular country now, although I still love to travel and Cuba would be very nice.

Favourite place:

Tobago. I’ve been five times and love it. Easter is a great time to go, as they have lots of celebrations, including an annual goat race, which is hilarious. The food is great – I love the crab and dumplings. We stay at Plantation Beach Villas on Black Rock.

Perfect holiday companion:

My children, Dylan and Molly, with whom I’ve shared so many lovely holidays. They are practically grown-up now but we still have at least one holiday together every year and are looking forward to our next one, which is to British Columbia in Canada.

First thing I pack:

Knickers! You can never take enough.