Glenn Tilbrook: My Life In Travel

'On tour I always take a satellite radio. I like to keep up with the news'

When I was about five, I remember going to Lulworth Cove with my parents and some friends of theirs. They had a son and he and I thought it was a good idea to eat some salt and pepper - it was revolting.

Best holiday?

Antigua. It has a very gentle vibe and the people are very friendly. I like staying in the English Harbour, preferably in a cottage because I love cooking.

Favourite place in the British Isles?

The Isle of Arran. It's beautiful and tranquil. The air seems so clean and you can drink the water from the streams.

What have you learnt from your travels?

I only really started to travel properly when Squeeze kicked off. At the time I was quite scared of people being different. It took me a few years to learn that that was a good thing.

Ideal travelling companion?

My family. I have three sons, two of whom live in Brisbane. They come over twice a year and we do a good bit of travelling together.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

I like to do very little except read, eat and sleep.

Greatest travel luxury?

When I first started touring I took a short-wave radio with me. Now it's a satellite radio. I like to keep up with what's going on.

Holiday reading?

I always take a few issues of Granta magazine with me.

Where has seduced you?

Japan. Musicians are generally chaperoned when they visit, but it's great to step away from that and walk around on your own.

Better to travel or arrive?

To arrive, without a doubt. I spend a great deal of time travelling: in the last year I have been to Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the US, Holland, Spain, France and around the UK.

Worst holiday?

I went on a package holiday to Portugal 21 years ago, which I booked the day before. The hotel was full of screaming, drunken people and the tour operator was unable to move me.

Worst hotel?

A hotel that I stayed at in Nottingham a few months ago. My partner came up to meet me, and all the hotels were booked up because there was a conference going on. We managed to find one hotel that had a spare room, and the bed had a plastic sheet over the mattress. It was awful.

Best hotel?

The Savoy in London. It's such a beautiful hotel and the food and views are great. Generally, I prefer pub B&Bs; I'm a big fan of The Good Pub Guide.

Favourite walk/swim/ride/ drive?

I love swimming. Once, on tour, I went for a fantastic swim in Lake Mead, which flows into the Hoover Dam. The temperature was about 40C, but the lake was ice cold.

Best meal abroad?

A meal that I cooked with my bass player, Lucy. We drove all day on the tour bus from Toronto to Kentucky, where we were staying in a national park. Lucy and I cooked a bouillabaisse - which took two-and-a-half-hours - and ate it around the camp fire. It was a fantastic reward for a horrible day of travelling.

First thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

Check out the escape routes, then have a shower

Dream trip?

I'd love to go to China, with a guide. It would have to be someone who could tell me with absolute certainty what I'm eating, because I'm vegetarian.

Favourite city?

Austin, Texas. It's a great music town and very left-centre for Texas.

Where next?

I'm going on tour around the UK, then to the US for about three weeks.

'Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road' is out now on DVD