Your say ‘I sailed along with Odysseus and Jason’
How books, films and television inspired our readers to go off in search of places that fired the imagination
The 1970s TV series Colditz was the highlight of my week. Previously, the 1950s film The Colditz Story had ignited my interest in this prisoner-of-war camp. I secretly wished I could one day visit Colditz, but it seemed unlikely.
My ambition lay dormant, the years rolled by – but even with German unification, it seemed unlikely I would get there. Then, recently, a trip to Berlin, Dresden and Colditz caught my eye.
Would reality be a let-down? As the forbidding fortress came into view, I felt a tingle down my spine. Retracing the prisoners’ footsteps as they marched over the bridge and entered the courtyard will stay with me. Undoubtedly, reality surpassed expectation.
Wendy Henderson, Kent
DEATH OF A MYTH
In 1981, my then husband read Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon and decided we must see the heroic spectacle of a bullfight while we were in Spain. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we headed for Figueres and joined the crowd in the bullring seats.
Within minutes, I got up and left, sickened by the sight of a bull being lanced by the picador, the whites of its eyes showing its fear. I could not understand how anyone could think the slow death of an animal could be heroic, no matter what Hemingway thought.
Not long afterwards, my white-faced husband appeared. I think that was the last time he believed anything he read in a novel.
Mary Rudge, Cardiff
IF IT WORKED FOR THE DURRELLS
Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals transported me as a child to magical, unspoilt Corfu. In the years since, we have visited many times.
At Lake Antiniotissa we spotted the lilies and heard the croaking and plopping of frogs. We ventured along the coastal path to the shrine of St Arsenius. In olive groves, we came across tortoises hidden in the shrubbery.
Eventually, we bought a plot of land. Our post office is next to Hugh’s mansion from the recent TV series. Maria – our neighbour, in widow’s garb – collects horta with her donkey, Spiro. We communicate with gestures and smiles.
Who would have thought that book, written in 1956, would change my life? Fiona Brown, Devon iLook past the sunbathers – the island of Samos is laden with Ancient Greek myth
A FORGOTTEN STAR
My son, then about 14, loved watching Michael Palin’s Around the World in 80 Days. So, when a few years later we did a trip to the west coast of the United States, I persuaded my husband to take a detour to Glenwood Springs station where Palin boarded the California Zephyr train that kept him waiting for one and a half hours.
We stood on the deserted platform and took in the lovely Colorado scenery, thinking of the programme. When a station guard appeared, I told him we were following in Michael Palin’s footsteps and asked if he remembered the actor, writer and presenter filming there. No, he answered bluntly.
A couple of years ago I was at a book signing by Palin and told him this story. He laughed out loud.
DANGEROUS GAME
When I was little, I loved reading Joy Adamson’s Born Free trilogy. Almost 40 years later I finally went to South Africa and the holiday included a three-day safari at Leopard Hills game reserve. It lived up to my fantasy entirely.
On our first evening game drive, there was thunder in the air, and the huge African sky and the wildness of the bush brought a lump to my throat. Over the three days, we saw elephants coming to the waterhole, lions stalking their prey, leopards (one of them in a tree with a kill, another with cubs), hyenas and hippos.
One evening, we had to be escorted to the restaurant by an armed guard as there was a hyena around the camp. On another occasion, my husband was charged by two warthogs when he got too close with his camera. Our guide had to intervene!
Jane Ashton, Surrey
A WARM HIGHLANDS WELCOME
You won’t locate Summerisle on any map of western Scotland. The fictitious setting for the 1967 horror film The Wicker Man was actually filmed in Plockton, a pretty palm-fringed village tucked away at the mouth of Loch Carron, in the Lochalsh, Wester Ross, area of the Scottish Highlands.
Like Sergeant Neil Howie, played by Edward Woodward in the film, I found myself lured to the area – but not by the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, nor by the stories of characters played by the likes of Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland. Rather, it was the promise of breathtaking scenery, single malt whisky and locally sourced fresh seafood that drew me there.
I found it all in Plockton, not least a warm Scottish welcome – though thankfully not as warm as the one received by Edward Woodward.
We all need something to look forward to, so with spring on the horizon and British selfcatering breaks an option from April 12, here are some of the UK’s most appealing and inventive glamping sites with plenty of availability and flexible booking terms.
1 COMRIE CROFT, PERTHSHIRE
In central Scotland, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d somehow been transported across the North Sea in these Nordic katas. Offering a wild camping experience in relative comfort in open birch woodland (one is in a meadow closer to facilities ideal for younger families or wheelchair users) these tepee-style tents are hardy yet very cosy inside. Each tent comes with one huge handmade bed, a wood-burning stove, wooden floorboards and space for up to six people (at a push).It’s a real get-up-and-go kind of place, ideal for active families. There are cycle and hiking trails (local bike hire will deliver), plus a farm shop and tea garden for refreshments that aren’t out of a tin. From £70 per night for five nights; comriecroft.com
2 TOP OF THE WOODS, PEMBROKESHIRE
For slow living and plenty of ways to embrace nature along the Wales Coast Path, this is a winning site. Choose from wild meadow camping, eco-chic glamping in one of the safari lodges, nature domes for great views, and frontier-style Pioneer tents. But really, this is a site where it’s less about domestic arrangements and more about what to do. Take the self-guided secret waterfall trail, join a bushcraft class or dark sky tour, listen to Welsh folk tales around the campfire or pull up a straw bale at the on-site cinema. Four-night stays in a Pioneer tent from £440 in July; topofthewoods.co.uk
3 SUNSET VALLEY, WILTSHIRE
How about a glamp site with bed, breakfast and dinner included in the price? After all, we’ve all had enough of preparing meals for our kids this year. This luxury site in the grounds of Charlton Park, Wiltshire, is just one of several run by new start-up Kymani Getaways. As well as the food aspect – expect good things, one of the owners used to run the Pub in the Park festivals – your visit can be made fully bespoke thanks to an app that allows you to book everything from booze to family activities before arrival. Frazzled parents might want to decompress with a painting class or sunset yoga session, while kids can compete in archery competitions. For bigger get-togethers, each of Kymani’s sites can also be booked for exclusive use.
Dinner, bed & breakfast £197.50 per tent per night (sleeps four), based on two sharing. Two-night minimum stay; kymanigetaways.com
4 WILDFLOWER MEADOW, SOMERSET
It may be another fallow year for Glastonbury, but what’s to say you can’t recreate the Green Fields experience with a stay in one of these two handcrafted yurts? Suitably decorated in bohemian style with a fourposter bed in each, plus hot showers and a kitchen on site, it’s a bit of a step up from festival accommodation and the compost lavatories are a definite improvement, too. With no Wi-Fi, after a year of mindless scrolling, the digital detox aspect is sure to be welcome and you can always walk up Glastonbury Tor for some spiritual enlightenment. From £1,095 per yurt per week (sleeps three); qualityunearthed.co.uk
5 SPERRINVIEW,
CO TYRONE, NORTHERN IRELAND These triangular pods look incongruous in the Tyrone countryside, like they’ve landed from outer space. However, there’s a very good reason for the intergalactic design as this area in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, is a designated Dark Sky Site and each pod comes with a stargazing window so you can lie back and admire nature’s light show from the comfort of your bed. Sleeping up to four they’re equally well suited to families or couples, and the Beaghmore Stone Circles, one of Ireland’s oldest heritage sites, is just a five-minute walk away.
From £110 per night; sperrinviewglamping.com
6 WILD HEART HILL CAMP, WEST SUSSEX
If you’re bored of the usual campsite add-ons, then this site on a wild-flower-strewn hillside in the South Downs, which offers wild cocktail making camp-outs, secret starlit suppers and even bee-keeping lessons, will surely appeal. Very dog-friendly, there are posh bell tents in the Secret Field, while thrill-seeking couples might want to try the tree tent for a really daring brush with nature. Alternatively, hammock camping deep in the woods in a bivvy, with a firepit for warmth and cover for rain, also offers a wilder adventure.
Bell tents £90, tree tent £59, hammock camping £35 per person, extra activities £12-£25; facebook.com/ wildhearthillcamp
7 CLOUD NINE GLAMPING, NORFOLK
Only open for the summer holidays (July 19-Aug 30), this new site is run by the same people behind Cloud Nine Glamping in Dorset, which sold out last year, and will also be joined this summer by another new site in the Cotswolds.It’s glamping with family holidays (and the need for your own space) at its heart, with lots of available extras. There’s a wellness sanctuary for grown-ups with hot tubs, massages and more, bedtime stories for little ones, a climbing wall, plus a creche and babysitting service on offer. And it’s not just about making things easier for the parents. Kids will love it – there’s a 52-acre lake for watersports, a silent disco and lots of other children around to play with.
From £132 per night per family; cloudnineglamping.com
8 LOW WRAY CAMPSITE, THE LAKE DISTRICT
Like a pair of giant baubles dangling from a tree, the tree tents at this National Trust site are certainly not the first thing you think of when you think of glamping, but there’s no denying they’re novel. The two tents come with side and roof windows, a woodburning
stove and LED lighting, creating a cosy cocoon, cradled in the branches of a tree. You’ll have to climb a ladder to get up here but once you do, the views are lovely. Not suitable for under-fives, bigger kids will no doubt find them thrilling, but with each tent only fitting a maximum of three people (two adults and one child), you may have to book both.
From £100 per night; nationaltrust.org.uk 9 WELSH GLAMPING, POWYS
A low-key site in the wilds of Mid Wales, this is the perfect tonic for anyone feeling hemmed in at home. Set in farmland in a landscape of forests and valleys with no shortage of rivers and waterfalls to swim in, it’s a place where you could really let go for a few days. The Lotus Belle tents come with double beds inside and pull-out futons for kids, with wood-burners (of course), plus a trunk filled with extra blankets and games. There are wet rooms with eco-friendly rainfall showers just a short walk away and there are also some log cabins and a cottage to hire on site.
Lotus Belle tents from £90 per night; welshglamping.com 10
THE GISBURNE
PARK ESTATE, LANCASHIRE
With its own heated outdoor pool, this glamping village in a pretty six-acre field in the grounds of a Grade I listed, 1,000-acre private estate with views over the Ribble Valley, is the perfect carrot to lure along any anticamping folk in your bubble. The 20 widely spaced bell tents in view of the mansion house are each luxuriously kitted out and there’s an on-site restaurant to keep you fed throughout, so you can leave that apron at home.
From £150 per night; ribblesdalepark. com
Travel within the UK is currently subject to restrictions. See Page 3
For more British holiday inspiration, visit telegraph.co.uk/tt-uk-travel
I’VE NEVER BEEN IN ONE PLACE FOR SO LONG in my life as during this pandemic. Before I got my job with MTV in 2008, I loved travelling – and one reason I did journalism at Dublin City University was to spend a year abroad.
INTERRAILING THROUGH EUROPE with your mates is a rite of passage that makes you a stronger person. Each person in our group had a different job, such as picking a hostel or being in charge of directions and the route. One place we arrived at was infested with spiders and we were like, “Right, who picked this, then?” At least we could laugh about it.
ON A TRIP TO THAILAND IN MY 20s, one of my friends was adamant we shouldn’t book anything. She said we’d get the best deals by bargaining with people outside the airport (who were, in reality, preying on naive tourists). We soon realised how stupid that was when we ended up in a really dodgy place, having arrived there in the back of someone’s rickety truck.
I LOVE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. There’s a huge Irish community, so when I did my university year abroad, I felt a real connection to it. I went to see the Boston Celtics (basketball) and the Red Sox (baseball) and felt like I was living on a film set. I’d just turned 21, too, so I was of legal drinking age – perfect timing! I remember going to a house party where everyone had those red plastic cups and people were playing beer pong, just like in the film American Pie.
I WENT AWOL IN BANGKOK while on a long layover. When I was 23, I was sent by MTV to Boracay Bay in the Philippines on my own. I had eight hours to kill between flights in Bangkok, so rather than sit around, I jumped in a
cab and asked to see the markets at dusk. No one would have known where I was and I only told people afterwards. They were like, “What? Why would you do that?” but when you’re young, you don’t want to waste an opportunity.
HONG KONG STREET FOOD is the best! I was there four years ago for the Clockenflap music festival (Stormzy and Blossoms were performing) and our guide took us to roadside stalls you might otherwise miss. We had great noodles and dim sum.
FOR MORE UPMARKET DINING, I’d recommend Mozaic in Ubud, Bali. It’s in a magical, tropical setting and they serve fresh produce from their own gardens, and gorgeous wines.
I LIVE AND BREATHE MUSIC FESTIVALS. I’ve covered Download, Mighty Hoopla, Glastonbury, Benicassim (Spain) and Coachella (California). I love everything from the Killers and Beyoncé to Dolly Parton.
I SAW A DIFFERENT SIDE TO THE UNITED STATES on a three-week road trip. I’d always wanted to do the traditional west coast to east coast drive, but rather than begin in LA, we started in San Francisco. I’m 100 per cent a city girl, but when we saw Yosemite and Glacier Point and stayed in lovely cabins in Evergreen, where we hiked, I loved it. We travelled through Wyoming, which I found intimidating because lots of people have guns and are into hunting, but the landscape was beautiful.
We also went to Chicago and Niagara before ending up in Boston.
ONE OF MY FUNNIEST EXPERIENCES was at my first festival, Witnness, in Ireland. I was 16 and it was just me and my mate in a little tent in a muddy field in County Meath. One morning, as I came to, I realised the top of the tent had vanished overnight, so we were open to the elements and had a crowd of people laughing nearby. I’ve done all sorts of festival accommodation, including tepees, pods and sheds. At the last Glastonbury, I stayed in a Winnebago with a decent toilet and electricity. Luxury.
I DON’T LIKE TO PLAN MY TRAVELS meticulously. A flexible and relaxed schedule is important, so you can spend extra time in a place you like and don’t feel pressured to tick things off on a list.
COVID HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON NEW ACTS at festivals. Until things are back up and running, the best thing we
can do to support new, unsigned talent is to watch virtual gigs, IGTV and the support acts of bigger, more established artists – like those nurtured through Virgin’s Emerging Stars programme.
I’VE STARTED FALLING IN LOVE with places like Liverpool, Snowdonia and Crosby Beach, in Merseyside, which has statues in the water. I can’t wait to get back to Ireland, which has some of world’s most beautiful landscapes.
ONE DAY I’D LIKE TO MAKE IT TO JAPAN. I’ve never been, but the insane hustle and pace fascinates me. Iain [Stirling, Whitmore’s boyfriend] and I are very tall, so we’d definitely stand out!
Laura Whitmore is an ambassador for the Virgin Money Emerging Stars programme, supporting and promoting the UK’s most exciting new music artists (uk.virginmoney.com/brighter-money)