Contents
- 1Fred Sirieix, maître d’, C4’s First Dates
- 2Lorraine Kelly, TV presenter
- 3Adil Ray, actor-comedian, Citizen Khan creator
- 4Sian Anderson, DJ, Radio 1Xtra
- 5Juno Dawson, writer and activist
- 6Shappi Khorsandi, comedian
- 7Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train Your Dragon
- 8Russell Norman, co-founder Polpo restaurant
- 9Huw Stephens, Radio 1 DJ
- 10Martin Morales, chef, founder of Ceviche
Fred Sirieix, maître d’, C4’s First Dates
Where are you going?
Western France. I’m going with my two children – eight and 13 – and renting a place with my parents in the Vendée. The weather’s not so good there – it’s like Cornwall. I’ve been going since I was a boy.
First thing you’ll do?
Have a catch-up with my mum and dad – talk about the politics going on in France. And then its oyster time!
What’s on your reading list?
I am going to bring Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and read it again. I like the stoicism of the book. When everything’s going well you don’t need philosophy, it’s only when you have trouble.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
Stephen Marley – Revelation Party
Fly and flop, or active?
I was in Canada not long ago and had a very active time. Last year, I went to Jamaica and just lay on the beach waiting for time to pass. It was perfect.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I work all the time: I can’t cut myself off. I enjoy what I do, so it’s not a problem. And as much as I enjoy it, it’s paying for my Christmas. I can’t afford not to do that.
Eat in or out?
I like to eat well on holidays. We cook on the BBQ and drink wine.
Where’s on your bucket list?
Tokyo. I’ve read lots of books about Japan; I like the philosophy, the tea ceremony, the design. It’s a fascinating place. I’d love to visit Kazakhstan and see those endless plains. You can just imagine running and never stopping. I’d like to go to Israel and Jerusalem; it’s the cradle of humanity – I want to see it for myself.
Best holiday memory?
All my holidays when I was a kid, up to age 15 or so. I didn’t think about work … it was just playing, meeting friends, kissing girls. We went all over France. My parents don’t go anywhere else.
Least like to be stuck next to on plane?
You need a list? Nigel Farage. Theresa May. Donald Trump. But Nigel is number one, I think.
Ideal travel companion (alive or dead)?
Shakespeare. We would talk about life, philosophy, people. The reason why he was so good at depicting people is that he was such a good observer.
Secret Service: Lifting the Lid on the Restaurant World, by Fred Sirieix, is published in October
Lorraine Kelly, TV presenter
Where are you going?
I’m off to Singapore to see my daughter Rosie who is working there. It’s a city I love. There’s so much to do and it makes a perfect base for exploring other parts of south-east Asia.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when you’re there?
I unpack while watching the local news channels then I go for a walk, buy a newspaper and sit and have a coffee.
What’s on your reading list?
The new Marian Keyes novel The Break – I was lucky enough to get a preview copy. I love travel writer Colin Thubron and I have South by Sir Ernest Shackleton in my rucksack.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
Biffy Clyro, Ne-Yo, The Proclaimers, Gloria Estefan in Spanish, George Michael, Bowie, the Cure, Hue and Cry.
Fly and flop, or active?
Always active. I’d be bored after half an hour lying on a beach. I steep myself in the culture and usually spend a couple of days in one place before moving on.
Checking emails or digital detox?
I’m addicted to social media. I was in Antarctica and South Georgia this year and couldn’t get a signal very often. Apart from it being the best place I’ve seen, I enjoyed the digital silence.
Eat in or out?
Always out. It’s one of the joys of going away. I love Indian and Asian food, anything hot and spicy, and I like to try local delicacies.
Never travel without?
A big wrap to protect from cold nights and a sarong for the hot sun. Plus mozzie repellant and headache pills.
Where’s on your bucket list?
I’ve been lucky enough to go to my top destination and follow in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton. I want to go to Greenland and Siberia, and would go back to South Georgia tomorrow.
Best holiday memory?
Standing at Shackleton’s grave in Grytviken, South Georgia, and toasting him with a dram of the finest malt, while watching seals and penguins.
Who would you least like to be stuck next to on a long plane journey?
Donald Trump. A self-obsessed bore.
Adil Ray, actor-comedian, Citizen Khan creator
Where are you going?
Australia. I’ve got family in Sydney.
First thing you’ll do?
Go for a nice dinner. It will probably have to be something Pakistani. Years ago, I did try crocodile meat and barracuda – rubbery chicken, as far as I’m concerned.
What’s on your reading list?
How Not to Be a Boy, Robert Webb’s book coming out in August; The Wit and Wisdom of Test Match Special by Dan Waddell; and, after hearing about it on Radio 4, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
I’ve just discovered a great album by Harleighblu, called Futurespective. It’s sort of soul, jazzy. I listened to Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die in the Caribbean – when I hear it now, it takes me back to looking at the ocean in St Lucia.
Fly and flop, or active?
I might go and have a look at the Great Barrier Reef, maybe on a boat – I’ll look over the edge and then sit back down.
Checking emails or digital detox?
I switch off my Twitter feed, so I’m not checking news all the time. It’s so difficult to completely turn away from what’s going on in the world.
Eat in or out?
Out. I loved Al Fassia in Marrakech. It was run exclusively by women. We had the best 48-hour-cooked shoulder of lamb; it was so beautiful, soft and tender, melt-in-your-mouth type stuff.
Where’s on your bucket list?
I’d love to visit Cuba while it’s still raw. I haven’t seen any of south-east Asia, so I’d love to do Vietnam and Cambodia.
Best holiday memory?
My dad took me to Pakistan in 1986 and I spent the entire time with my eyes wide open, amazed at what I was looking at. It was so different to what I had experienced, especially the rural life. There were no toilets; you had to do your business in the field. My dad lives between here and Pakistan, so I’d love to go back.
Ideal travel companion?
Magenta Devine. When she was on [BBC2’s] Rough Guide in the 80s she was different – brash, opinionated. I’d like to do Route 66 with her.
Sian Anderson, DJ, Radio 1Xtra
Where are you going?
St Lucia: it’s where I’m from and I haven’t been back since August 2011, which is a really sad story.
What’s on your reading list?
Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. I have heard so much about it. The title is super-controversial, so I want to be in a space that allows me to really relax and take it in with an open mind. The beach is perfect!
What’s your summer soundtrack?
Tion Wayne and Kojo Funds’ I’m On. It’s lovely and bouncy with loads of fun flows and a smooth sing-along chorus. I played it on my 1Xtra show and it took me to a tropical place immediately. I want to listen to it in the Caribbean, feet in the sea, with a cocktail or two. Also loving JD Reid’s Interior with 808 Ink, Slowthai & Oscar #Worldpeace, I haven’t heard anything like it, it’s dark lyrically but there are some joyful offbeat moments.
Fly and flop, or active?
Ooh, usually fly and active, but St Lucia is more of a continuous street party than a club night, so I might flop.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I am a nightmare for this: I’m 100% going to end up on my emails. If there’s a paid opp to go and DJ in, like, Australia, I wanna know about it lol!
Eat in or out?
Definitely out: I love choice, ordering various things on the menu and having a bit of everything. I’m a foodie, always looking for a restaurant or recipe to try. I always find that I’m not hungry after I’ve cooked, something about the process feels satisfying and relaxing and I just want to chill after.
Where’s on your bucket list?
China. I want to experience a way of life that isn’t dominated by social media. It’s beautiful from what I’ve seen, so I think I’d be able to meditate and reach a new level of spirituality.
Best holiday memory?
Definitely Croatia. I had about an hour to kill before going to the airport after Outlook Festival 2014 and fell asleep on a rock by the sea, fully clothed with my head on my suitcase.
Any holiday romances?
When I was about 18 there was a guy in Portugal I thought I was going to be with for the rest of my life. We met at a foam party, and he lived about three doors down from where I was staying in Quarteira on the Algarve. We raved all night and got on so well. He gave me his address and I knocked on his door for three days straight, but he never answered. I am still heartbroken – I will never have a holiday romance again.
Least like to be stuck next to on plane?
A talker. I love flying: I love plane food, films, listening to music, reading, sleeping and waking up and it feeling like hours but only actually being 10/15 minutes, the whole experience. I talk for a living, so it’s “me time”. Leave me alone!
Ideal travel companion?
Wiz Khalifa. I would like to stare at him, snuggle on his shoulder and fall asleep. Then I could get back from my no-social-media-in-China holiday and change my Twitter biog to “DJ who dribbled on Wiz Khalifa – book me”.
- Eastern Electrics, Morden Park. Sat 5th August 11am-10pm, easternelectrics.com
Juno Dawson, writer and activist
Where are you going?
Like many transgender people, I’m filled with fear when it comes to foreign travel, from being frisked at customs to passport control. And with swimwear etiquette to consider, pool and beach holidays are out. I’ll seek refuge in my garden.
What’s on your reading list?
I’ve just made a start on Emma Cline’s The Girls, which I know was the big book of last summer, but I’m slow on the uptake. I also plan to read Oola by Brittany Newell and A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
It’s a bit cliched, but Lana Del Rey. It’s all languid California suncream and cherry cola. You can roll around in the garden pretending to be Lolita, or Cecile from Bonjour Tristesse.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I duck emails, like responsibilities, at the best of times, but I’d miss Instagram and Twitter.
Eat in or out?
Out, always. Like Sex and the City’s Carrie, I use my oven for storage space.
Never travel without?
Ear plugs, factor 50, a Kindle.
Where’s on your bucket list?
I’d like to visit Mykonos and sing Abba songs as badly as Pierce Brosnan [in Mamma Mia]. Later this year I’m going to Scandinavia for the first time and I’m super excited. I hope to meet a very tall, beardy husband.
Best holiday memory?
Randomly running into Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City in Manhattan’s West Village. How perfect is that?
Any holiday romances?
As detailed in The Gender Games, I had a grand old time on my final gay holiday to Ibiza in 2014.
Least like to be stuck next to on plane?
A Ryanair flight to Dublin last year was peak stag-do hell. Never again. I’d honestly rather swim.
Ideal travel companion?
This is really hard because your best friends aren’t necessarily the best travel companions. I’d need someone who understands that when I do return to the concept of holidaying, I just want to sit in the sunshine for seven days, catching up on reading before having dinner and drinks in an olive grove. Or, alternatively, Alexander Skarsgård.
Shappi Khorsandi, comedian
Where are you going?
I opted for rural Mallorca, with my children. We began in magical Deià, with boating and snorkelling in nearby Port de Sóller. We had a night in Pollensa and then a remote hotel in the hills with daily horse riding and swimming. I could have done with a livelier bar, but the holiday was a total relaxation before Edinburgh [fringe festival] .
First thing you usually do after arrival?
I like to look at adventurous days out seeing new things and looking up places to eat.
What’s on your reading list?
Lois Pryce’s Revolutionary Ride is a warm, funny account of a road trip in contemporary Iran. It’s had my whole family howling with laughter and shedding a few tears. I have to read for my Edinburgh show so pretty much everything else on the reading list is Emma Lady Hamilton and Horatio Nelson-based!
What’s your summer soundtrack?
Imagine Dragons. Their Smoke and Mirrors album is the first album my nine-year-old son is obsessed with. We listen to that when my four-year-old daughter allows us respite from Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling. When they are asleep, my own summer obsession is Stormzy. I’m learning Shut Up for my show.
Fly and flop, or active?
I’m happy to flop for a couple of days but I get very bored and need to do stuff. I’m not a massive sun worshipper and I like to explore.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I’m self-employed! Edinburgh is coming! Of course I check my emails. I do numb out on Twitter when the kids are asleep or I’m in the bath. I make no apology for that.
Eat in or out?
Both. I love good sun-ripened ingredients to splat into a pan. There’s also stuff I only eat on holiday – you will never find me shoving fresh anchovies into my mouth in London, but on holiday, it’s lush.
Never travel without?
Earl Grey tea bags, tweezers.
Where’s on your bucket list?
Nowhere. I am immortal. But I am looking forward to my children being old enough to explore places like the rainforest and Africa without asking for ice-cream every five minutes.
Best holiday memory?
With my little boy in Antigua, his baby sister in my belly. It was a special time because I was having her without a partner so it was the last time my son and I were a family of two, with our third member silently with us as we swam and explored.
Any holiday romances?
In Los Angeles, a hot guy drove me up to the hills to “listen to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony”. I thought it was a euphemism but it wasn’t. We listened to it, then he drove me home. I don’t know what I did wrong! I’ve never had a proper holiday romance.
Least like to be stuck next to on plane?
Someone with a very weak bladder.
Shappi Khorsandi performs Mistress and Misfit at Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, until 28 August
Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train Your Dragon
Where are you going ?
The Bassin d’Arcachon near Bordeaux. It’s a wonderful stretch of coast – with powerful surfing waves on one side, and calm, warm water in the nearby lagoon.
First thing you’ll do?
A lot of France’s oysters come from here, so we’ll go to one of the shacks by the sea and eat some.
What’s on your reading list?
Maggie O Farrell’s This Must Be the Place.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
It’s Radio 4 for me.
Fly and flop, or active?
A mixture: we play Scrabble and card games, but also loads of swimming, body boarding, bicycling and walking.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I try to park stuff in the summer – it’s the only time I get for a proper holiday.
Eat in or out?
Both, as long as it’s delicious – I am very greedy! French markets are wonderful – I love to get fish from the market.
Never travel without?
I always take physical books – never a Kindle. It doesn’t feel the same to me.
Where’s on your bucket list?
Japan, India, or Australia – anywhere long-haul, because for a long time I had a flying phobia.
Best holiday memory?
Taking the children to LA to see How to Train Your Dragon. We stayed at the Chateau Marmont – it was incredible.
Russell Norman, co-founder Polpo restaurant
Where are you going?
We have rented a finca just outside San Miguel in Ibiza. It’s a quiet part of the island, up in the north-west, and we will be surrounded by garlic fields and sheep.
What’s on your reading list?
How Music Works by David Byrne, The Ferryman play by Jez Butterworth, and Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
My daughter Martha is performing at Port Eliot Festival, so we will be listening to her practise.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I’m afraid I am unable to switch off completely, so I will be checking emails and doing a bit of work, too.
Eat in or out?
I love cooking for my family and I’m keen to perfect my paella.
I never travel without …
Vintage sunglasses. I’ve developed a bit of a habit.
Best holiday memory?
Flying a kite in St George’s Bay, Padstow, in 2005. My wife was pregnant with our first daughter. When the sun shines, Cornwall is unbeatable.
Any holiday romance?
I fell head over heels in love with a girl from Manchester when I was 14 on a family holiday to Spain. It was totally unrequited. I was a gibbering wreck.
Ideal travel companion?
Jan Morris, the greatest travel writer of them all.
Huw Stephens, Radio 1 DJ
Where are you going?
West Wales. In March I was at South by South West, in Austin, Texas, and in New York in May, so we’re going to keep it Welsh and see where we land in Pembrokeshire. We did this about five years ago, on the coast between St Davids and Solva, and it’s very pretty. Similarly, I spent the weekend in north Wales recently and Snowdonia is breathtaking. Caernarfon has a real magic to it. I went on a walking tour that musician and archaeologist Rhys Mwyn was doing and it was fascinating.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get there?
Probably turn the phone off for a bit and start reading. I’ve got about 20 books I want to read now. Also I’m going to drive, I think, and although I passed my test a few years ago, I haven’t driven much yet so I’ll be checking the car and trying not to get too paranoid about it.
What’s on your reading list?
I’ve just started reading a brilliant book by Lizzy Goodman called Meet Me in the Bathroom, Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011. The Life of Rebecca Jones by Angharad Price is an exceptional book that I’d like to read again. It really moved me. The Old Red Tongue is an anthology of Welsh writing translated into English, from the sixth century until now. It’s a big one that I want to get stuck into. I’m looking forward to reading the Brian Wilson memoir, too.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
There are albums by singer songwriters H Hawkline and Nick Hakim, which I love, and beatmaker Don Leisure. New albums by Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar are sounding incredible. I like to listen to shows, not the player: Benji B, Gilles Peterson, David Rodigan, Mary Anne Hobbs, all the good stuff!
Fly and flop, or active?
Flop. The most active thing I’ve ever done was rent a bike in New Zealand 10 years ago and more recently in LA. Even then, I had an ice-cream in my hand. I do love cities: Barcelona and New York are my favourites. But a few years ago, we went to Ibiza and mostly slept in the sun and it was the first time I’ve enjoyed doing that. In my 30s, I’ve realised that stopping and resting is actually quite good for you.
Checking your emails or digital detox?
I like to keep up to date with what’s going on. Although I’m a bit less obsessive with my inbox; I’ll let the junk folder grow out of control and sort it out when I’m home.
Eat in or out?
Out. My wife is a lot better than me at finding nice places. But it’s great just wandering around until you see something you like the look of. In New York recently we made it to Peter Luger’s Steak House in Brooklyn that I’ve wanted to go to for years. They accept only cash and it’s amazing.
Never travel without?
Something, anything to read. I’ve been on enough delayed trains with no signal and bored out of my brain.
Where’s on your bucket list?
Japan! I’m always jealous of bands I interview who have toured Japan, and they all adore it. I’ve wanted to go ever since seeing videos of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci there back in the 1990s.
Best holiday memory?
My wife and I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles last year, through Big Sur. The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo was a highlight, with every room on a different theme.
Any holiday romances?
I snogged a girl on the ferry to Ireland once when I went to Dingle with my sister, in the mid-1990s. I couldn’t believe my luck!
Who would you least like to be stuck next to on a long plane journey?
A Kardashian.
Ideal travel companion?
My wife.
Huw Stephens’ show is on Radio 1 Mon-Wed at 10pm, and BBC Radio Cymru on Thurs
Martin Morales, chef, founder of Ceviche
Where are you going?
Mudeford Sandbank Beach, Dorset. We’ve hired a beach hut, so my wife can relive her childhood memories. Mine are harder to access because Peru is thousands of miles away.
First thing you’ll do?
Buy some fish and seafood.
What’s on your reading list?
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
What’s your summer soundtrack?
The Fania All Stars catalogue.
Fly and flop, or active?
Hectic – until it’s time for a pisco sour – and happy.
Eat in or out?
Both. I like to discover and experiment with others’ cooking and ingredients.
Where’s on your bucket list?
Kerala, New Orleans, South Korea, Laos, Ethiopia, west coast of Scotland. All because of their food and music.
Best holiday memory?
Peru, December 2016. At the hotel Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica in the Madre de Dios rainforest. A real eye-opener, it was the most vivid and magical encounter with nature we’ve ever had and my kids smiled non-stop.
Any good holiday romance stories?
My honeymoon was littered with disaster. Our Airbnb in Sardinia was next to a house with a caged rottweiler that never stopped barking. The first night was devoid of any romance as I was petrified our canine friend would escape. On the third evening, it did stop. Relief, we thought. But alas, “Rottie” had escaped! We moved the next day.
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