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We had a VW caravanette (which my mum used to take on the school run) and we’d head off in the holidays to places like the New Forest. Most read in Celebrity News. Sometimes the most unexpected places turn out to be the best, like Bulgaria. We never got as far as the Isles of Scilly but they loomed large in family legend. Helicopters operate between Penzance and Tresco (01736 363 871; islesof scillyhelicopter .com); however, the service will come to a permanent end on 31 October. It's somewhere else altogether – a completely independent entity with its own unique and precious culture. Get directions on the map → France is so great with kids: you have patisseries and boulangeries, you’re sorted. By about the third day I'd hit my holiday stride: wearing the same trousers, no socks, having plenty of naps and feeling good. You'll just sit there colouring and you're happy to do that? Claridges. It’s great to mix it up on holiday: three nights camping and then a luxury hotel. The first person I ran into when we went to the bike-hire shop was Oliver Spencer, the fashion designer. Also, remember you don’t have to go for a weekend –Big Feastival‘s easily accessible by rail, you can go for a day and get the vibe without having to camp (and under 12 tickets are free). She's really good at painting and drawing; she's got visual acuity. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. From the moment we boarded we left the world behind. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. We went to New York recently and really enjoyed it. I grew up in a hotel (in Bournemouth) and because I was on the road so much touring, I feel really at home in one. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. There's a unique collection of figureheads from ships wrecked around the island, too. The gale reached a stonking 70mph, enough to knock my dad over, which he rather enjoyed. The Big Feastival is a three-day festival celebrating good food, good music and good times for all the family on Alex James’ idyllic farm in the heart of the Cotswolds. Azure blur: one of Tresco's dazzling beaches, Lush life: exotic plants and flowers in Abbey Gardens. We stock up on food, like Iberico ham and cheeses which are so good, and buy shoes as they’re much cheaper than at home (for five, you can imagine it’s expensive). Ours is about music, food and family – I feel I’m well qualified in those areas. Now I have to compete with every aristocrat who decides to have a party in their back garden! Watching the waves breaking over the rocks was mesmerising – a very good morning's work. Kids love America. She's a glass artist and has made a few pieces for Damien Hirst. Wild and free: Alex James and family retreat to the Isles of Scilly. Meeting my wife Claire happened at the same time that Blur sort of stopped, so it felt like a new part of my life was starting. We treated it like a walking holiday, it was good to be pedestrians and it’s important for the kids to experience cities because they live in the countryside. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? Claire (Alex’s wife) and I bought our farm on our honeymoon – it was totally run down and to now see it come alive each year (it’s now in its seventh year) with 25,000 people is amazing. The place was, if anything, even more beautiful when it was taking a hammering from the elements, especially the next day when the wind had died but the sea was still immense. The Old Mill, where we were staying, is said to be a favourite of Pete Townshend from The Who. Also, I don’t think you can go wrong with the three W’s: wet wipes, wellies and whiskey. I've got five children and people say, "are you busy?" It was shocking! I didn't see anyone on a mobile all week. I think they all liked it. Before Blur headline the closing concert for the London 2012 Games, Alex James took his family to the Isles of Scilly for a proper seaside holiday. Tiny green jewels of fields are tied with beaches and stitched together with hedgerows, then decorated here and there with nestling clusters of houses. The English countryside is the best in the world. What advice do you have for families going to a festival? We spend a lot of time in Somerset which is like another world and the Dorset coast is great. The weather was about to take a turn. My parents mooned about holding hands. We had sardines for lunch on a terrace overlooking a lagoon at the just-refurbished-for-the-21st-century hotel, Hell Bay, which, I couldn't help noticing, houses a significant art collection of the St Ives School: Hepworths, Herons and so on. Not just paradise on Earth, it's paradise in Britain. It's pretty simple but it's about as good as it gets. Alex James Law, Pure Offices, Broadwell Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 4BY Tel: 0121 314 8768 E-mail: info@alexjameslaw.co.uk. To be honest, I don't know how people do it with less than five. What’s your favourite thing about festivals? I’m in London and need to be on the farm as they’re erecting a small city over the next week in time for the festival. Home. "Have you been here before?" Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. My mum and dad came on tour with Blur at the height of Britpop and loved it. No one ever regrets having children. I managed to get the iceberg as far as Reykjavik in a cool box but then had a big night out and left it in a hotel – I still think about that iceberg. For the kids, the iPad (iNanny!). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. My dad taught me how to play the piano, but that was the only musical training I had. Plus it’s easy and economical to fly to. Their eyes grew wider still as we hopped on a rib to Tresco and bounced over the wave crests. View the profiles of people named Alex James. Headliners include Basement Jaxx, Craig David and Paloma Faith. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. It's only a mile long and two miles wide – but it's a whole world to get lost in. They're my main source of pleasure, and of pain too, but it's worth fighting for. My grandma was part of a glamorous dance troupe called the Dolly Sisters, so music was in my blood. Also, remember you don’t have to go for a weekend –, The Big Feastival 2018 takes place 24-26 August on Alex’s farm in Oxfordshire. chats to Amanda Statham on the eve of his Big Feastival, Kids love camping. As Claire and I arrived they were steaming through a version of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" and blowing the roof off. Thrushes hopped in and out of the kitchen. It was nearing the end of the week, but it still felt like there were lots of things I hadn't done. I spent much of my time fiddling about with an enormous Weber barbecue in the back garden where an English partridge sat on a clutch of a dozen eggs under a bush just outside the side door. Kids love camping. Where’s your favourite place to go in the UK (outside of London)? A holiday here is always a gamble, though. Birdsong filled the air from dawn until dusk. Traditional and well-executed pub grub; wood-fired pizza in a recently opened and hopping joint called the Ruin Beach Cafe on the other side of the island from where we were staying; and the candlelit Flying Boat Club restaurant with good views of infinity, serving tickety-boo local, seasonal menus with a minimum of fuss and big dollops of hushed glamour. Tresco has been under the stewardship of the Dorrien-Smith family – once known as the Lord Proprietors of the Scillies – for generations, and nearly every one of the 150 residents works to support tourism. My sister decided to move to Spain a few years ago and my mum and I both had our doubts – but in fact, we’ve ended up going there loads and it’s fantastic. We flew to the biggest island, St Mary's: low, zooming along at 1,500ft, the kids all wide-eyed with glee. For more details visit www.thebiglunch.com, The musician and cheese maker talks about his family, 'I need a spreadsheet to keep track of my kids' ... Alex James with three of his five children. Charles and Diana holidayed here. It takes absolutely every ounce of your strength to keep the ship sailing straight, but fucking hell, it's worth it. Somehow, all of us crammed in and that flying tractor felt more glamorous than flying first class to Tokyo ever did. I don’t get that much say in family holidays! But he had a very developed palate so we discovered food together and food is absolutely the focus of family life for me. Alex and James Gaskell, who were married last November, were found dead in a hotel in Agra, surrounded by dozens of packets of sleeping pills, anti-depressants and other strong drugs. What you want out of life changes, and my idea of heaven now is good food with my family. For more details visit www.thebiglunch.com . It can go two ways when your dad's a chef; you're, like, "What's going on here, how do I do that?" The rumour that the island band was playing at the pub on Thursday proved to be well founded. Tresco is not just an idyllic reminder of the Great British Seaside of 50 years ago; it's more than that. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. My mum got doorstepped a bit by journalists when I first got famous but everyone has just enjoyed the benefits and didn't make a fuss about the negatives. I'm protective of my sister, Deborah. It is a very special place: unforgettably pretty. He dressed me for the Brits this year. Andalusia in southern Spain is so cheap we actually save money by being there. There are regular ferries and – for the next couple of months, at least – a helicopter service from Penzance. Bassist #12883. Putting on a festival is like having the Groucho Club in my back garden. This is what all seaside towns should be like: alive and kicking. Alex Jones to front new TV series The Secrets In My Family; Alex Jones close to TEARS on being reunited with son after TV return; BBC. 2/3 … By sea, Scillonian III departs from Penzance for St Mary's (ios-travel .co.uk). What was your first memorable holiday as a child? Tree climbing was a big hit last year, so I think we’ll expand on that. I still think there’s a glamour to hotels, a feeling that anything could happen. The absence of cars promotes a feeling of safety; kids can roam free for the whole day, as I was able to when I was young. Headliners include Basement Jaxx, Craig David and Paloma Faith. 1/3 AN7128208Pentle-Bay-TrescoP.jpg. I thought it would be all over, but it keeps getting better and better as you evolve. She's two years younger and we've always been close but are very different. I was in Greenland with Blur on a boat and fished out a chunk of iceberg – it was incredible, translucent and filled with compressed gas built up over thousands of years. I've been trying to visit Wales for years but never quite seem to manage it. Come back with us they said … come on …. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. For many of us these islands remain relatively unexplored. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Rockstar, cheese-maker and dad of five, Alex James of Blur fame chats to Amanda Statham on the eve of his Big Feastival, running 24-26 August 2018

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