“What's the weather like in Singapore? What does it feel like when it rains?” a friend asked.

“Erm, wet.” I said, not quite sure how to answer. I had returned to the UK for the first time since moving to Singapore.

However, once the clouds bubbled up over the English countryside I understood the question. There was a looming feeling, a heaviness across the shoulders, a tightening across the brow. The skies darkened as if nighttime had fallen early. The wind picked up, rustling dried leaves in a distinctly autumnal way, even though it was only July. And then of course it rained. Cold and blustery. A pervading dampness was sucked into the bone marrow. The road turned into a trickling muddy stream, and the seeds were striped from the trees, adding to the mounting detritus on the pavements.

Of course it didn't feel like this in Singapore.

I woke up this morning in Singapore to a yellow, sulphuric glow in the room. Was it sunshine? Had I overslept? I looked at the clock but it was only 7am. Then my ears woke up and I could hear the rush of water. Rain in Singapore is different. It happens nearly every day. And it still surprises me.

You first notice the colour of the sky. The clouds aren't always dark and threatening. This morning it was bright, but the yellow pallor was radioactive rather than fresh and cheerful.

And secondly you notice the intensity. The rain just rains. Rarely a breath of wind. It falls straight down. With such force it splashes through my umbrella. It's cleansing, washing the paths clean and turning the roads into gushing rivers.

I wouldn't usually want to go out in such weather, but after two hours the downpour showed little sign of abating. I had an appointment to keep, and with no car, the only option was a dash to the bus stop. Taxis are magic in Singapore. They disappear during rainstorms.

However inconvenient it is, at least it's warm. The rain often gives a short reprieve from the stifling humidity, and when you get wet you're unlikely to catch a shiver, unless you have to shelter in an over-air-conditioned coffee shop. You just fold away your umbrella, put it in into the handy plastic bag provided by most shopping malls to prevent everything else getting wet, and get on with the day.

Often the rain is accompanied by roaring thunder. This is no innocuous rumble. This is ear splitting, often shattering tree branches with its intensity. And then there are the lightening shows that dance across the sky. John Michel Jarre's laser shows can't even compare.

So the question “what does it feel like when it rains?” isn't so dumb after all.

Each time I travel, I step into a time machine. An understanding of the past gives me an appreciation of the present. From there I can allow my mind to wander around the possibililities of the future.

But travel can also send me to new worlds that are full of drama and excitement, especially if the destination has been part of a film set. Sometimes I turn a corner and feel the familiar sense of déjà vu. The familiar scene I see however, evaporates with the realisation that I’ve only seen it on the silver screen.

Today, computer generated graphics are so realistic it’s often a challenge to work out film sets that are real, and those that are digitally created. So if you fancy stepping into a film here’s my top three untouched sets. Click the links for more information about each destination.


New Zealand & Middle Earth: no trip to New Zealand is complete without wandering around like Bilbo Baggins. The Lord of the Rings films are virtual adverts from the tourist board, with beautiful vistas of rolling green hills and craggy snow-capped mountains. Here’s more information about a trip to JRR Tolkein’s fantasy kingdom. 

• New Zealand in pictures

Jordan & the home of the Holy Grail: The Treasury at Petra, in Jordan, provided the stunning backdrop to Indiana Jones and the Crusade, as the entrance to the temple housing the Holy Grail. You used to be able to go inside The Treasury, but it’s now roped off. However, you would have been disappointed. It’s a plain dark square cavern. There are no curtains of cobwebs or wobbly stone floors waiting for an unsuspecting gold digger. Travel around Jordan for a week or more and travel through time from Roman rule to Lawrence of Arabia's desert.

• Jordan in pictures

Cambodia and the Temples of Doom: Ta Prohn, near Siem Reap, is the Angkor Wat temple that became part of Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider set, and Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom was also filmed here. Tree roots cling to and ooze over the ruins. Luckily I wasn’t offered any monkey brains. 

• Cambodia in pictures

Here’s a few more out of the way sets to explore:

• USA, Lower Manhattan, New York: The Tribeca firehouse at 14 North Moore Street made a star appearance in Ghostbusters.
• USA, Astoria, Oregon: the 19th century Captain George Flavel House Museum, was the Pirate Museum in The Goonies, where Mikey’s dad worked.
• UK, Monson Road, London: home of The Winchester pub in Shaun of the Dead, now renovated.
• UK, Carlton Street, Edinburgh: The stone bridge archway is the site of the opening scene in Trainspotting when Renton tries to run away after shoplifting.  

Where’s your favourite film set? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line.

Win a 2-4-1 weekday stay in August at the historic Hope House. Click for details.

As I walk up the stairs I feel myself lean to the left. I haven’t even had a glass of wine so I can’t blame my instability on intoxication quite yet.

The horizontally challenged treads mark the passing of time; the three hundred years that have passed since this house was built.

Hope House, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, UK, is dripping with history. It’s a time machine that transports you back through time. It’s not just the horsehair plaster and original paneling. It’s the stories and family legacy that accompany the bricks and mortar.

Paul Hageman owns and runs the historic house, as ten generations have done before him. And it’s a family full of colourful and interesting characters including glove makers that received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria; a captain of a merchant ship that sailed the seas to trade with far-flung nations; a high ranking naval officer who fought during the First and Second World Wars; and marital connections to the artistic Dyce family.

After three years overseeing the entire restoration and refurbishment of this Vanbrughian style Grade II* listed property, Paul opened Hope House in 2009 as beautiful boutique accommodation with three individually designed and spacious suites.

Blenheim Palace, the home of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, was built around the same time. The families, however, were not always easy neighbours with the 6th Duke of Marlborough refusing the pay for his father’s coffin in 1841, leaving the owners of Hope House to raise money in the town.

Along with its illustrious history, Hope House has provided a roof over the head of many famous people including Russell Crowe, Diana Ross and Cate Blanchett. We stayed in the same suite as the Sheriff of Nottingham (or Matthew Macfadyen as he is better known).

It’s difficult to see what else you might want from a place to stay. It unique – it’s not a bed or breakfast or a hotel. It’s an historic home. There is a reason why Trip Advisor ranked Hope House the 10th best luxury hotel in the UK in 2013 Travellers’ Choice awards.

The practical bit:

Accommodation: Hope House offers five star accommodation. The suites are spacious with a lounge complete with state-of-the-art entertainment: (LCD TV, surround system, Blu-ray player, wall-mounted iPod docks, high speed wireless internet access). There is a fully-stocked mini bar and personal touches such as flowers, home-made produce and service at the touch of a button. The Hope House breakfast is beautifully prepared and presented with local-resourced ingredients. There isn’t a restaurant but Woodstock is a compact town with plenty of dining options from pubs to upmarket restaurants.

Location: The ancient market town of Woodstock is situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Oxford, an hour’s drive from London.

For more information: www.hopehousewoodstock.co.uk

A bit of trivia: Some of the windows at Hope House include etchings marking family weddings through the centuries. 


If you're looking for the bright lights of the city you might prefer a boutique London hotel.

Every now and then parents need a break from their children. We need to be reminded that we are adults. We need to relearn how to talk to our spouse without conversations edged with condescension and chiding.

Our summer holidays are pretty typical as far as expat experiences go. For four or five weeks we drag our little cherubs from pillar to post visiting relatives and friends in our homeland. This means, however, that we are lucky enough to find willing babysitters. So when we can we take the opportunity to escape to an adult-only bolthole that demands we sit nicely at the table and where it is almost compulsory to have a lie-in because the beds are so comfortable.

The Eccleston Square Hotel in London was the perfect medicine to our parental ailments. Standing on the pavement of the imposing Georgian terrace, the door magically opened before us beckoning us to step inside.

We could have stepped into a black and white movie, or I might have been mistaken for wondering if I’d become colour blind. The hotel interior’s monochrome palette is funky rather than bland though, with theatrical black Murano glass chandeliers and sweeping banisters. Attention has been paid to detail from the fluffy bathrobe and slippers to the multinational plug sockets for the international traveller.

If you’re a gadgetry geek and like technology you'll enjoy the 103" custom-made television in the Media Room, although each bedroom has a 3D plasma television, and there are even six televisions in the lift if you get bored on your way up. The buttons to operate the curtains and lights are non-touch; the glass walls in the bathroom turn opaque at a wave; the in-room iPad acts as a concierge; the main feature of the room is the Hästens electrically adjustable massaging bed. There is filtered fresh air and mood music and lighting; the list goes on. In fact there are so many buttons to press I’m not sure that I was able to get to grips with it all in one night, but it rather captured my husband’s imagination. This hotel is the only suitable for big kids though – no children are allowed.

Eccleston Square has exactly what you might expect in terms of attentive service, but this extends further than most city hotels. Hi-tech services come with a price tag, but the owners have a fair price policy that means visitors do get value. There is free Wi-Fi, free local calls, complimentary coffee, water and DVD library, but the hotel doesn’t take the opportunity to slap a heavy price tag in other areas. The fair price mini bar in your room, for example, means you can have a drink without worrying whether you’re drinking liquid gold rather than beer.

And although small, the hotel also offers room service and has a modern European menu at the Bistro on the Square. If you can, grab the window seat to enjoy your meal overlooking the toing and froings of the square. Or if you want something a little different, the staff will even prepare a private dining table for you in the pretty landscaped Square garden.

It really is a hidden gem, and a perfect excuse to give the grandparents quality time with their grandchildren. Doesn’t everyone win?!

The practical bit:
Location: Belgavia, London. Just around the corner from Victoria train and coach stations, this hotel is in a super, easy to get to, location. Set in a peaceful square with private gardens, a short walk away from shops and restaurants it's worth considering for business or holiday.
Eating: The bistro is small but neatly appointed. The best seat in the house in at the window.
A bit of trivia: This grade II listed late Georgian townhouse has hosted many famous visitors over two centuries including Princess Victoria and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Churchill lived in a neighbouring house.
Need more information? www.ecclestonsquarehotel.com


And what about an escape to the countryside? Here's our insight into a parents' weekend away from the kids in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.