Stephen Tompkinson reveals that San Francisco is a golden city.
“When I was a kid we had four years running of going to the Castle Hotel in Largs. I loved it. It was the perfect place to go touring from and we’d have days out in Oban, Stirling and Glasgow.
“I particularly remember the summer of 1976 when the weather was absolutely brilliant.
“I’m a huge cricket fan and I recall England beating Australia and Geoff Boycott scoring his 100th 100. That and scoring a hole-in-one on the putting green were some of my highlights.
“Cricket has actually played a big part in my holidays.
“The first big foreign one was going to Antigua to watch England get thumped by the West Indies. But I did get to see Brian Lara break the world record and Gary Sobers come in to sort of hand over the crown.
“It was quite emotional. Bizarrely I found myself sitting next to Nick Hancock whom I’d played cricket with about six weeks before.
“I had dinner with Brian the night before he broke the record and my great claim to fame is that I outscored him in a charity game.
“The loveliest city I’ve visited has to be San Francisco. I’ve been three times and it’s like the world’s biggest film set every time you turn a corner you’ve seen it in some movie or other.
“You can start at the ocean, walk a couple of blocks and you’re in Little Italy. There’s almost like a village green with a couple of old boys playing Bocce ball.
“And there’s a place called Mario’s Cigar Store Caf where there’s a jukebox that only plays opera.
“There’s the white church where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe got married. But just another few blocks and you’re in the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia.
“I obviously know South Africa from Wild At Heart and have been to Cape Town for the cricket.
“Franschhoek, right in the middle of the wine country, is worth a visit just to see these incredible animals in the environment where they’re supposed to be. It puts you off ever going to a zoo again.
“The reserve where we filmed the series was gorgeous and every year you built up a trust with the animals and they let you in a little more. I did a Great Railway Journeys series from Singapore but there’s a lot more of Asia I’d like to see.
Stephen Tompkinson is one of the most familiar faces on British TV.
The actor starred for years as vet Danny Trevanion in ITV’s Sunday night favourite Wild At Heart. And he’s just about to start work on a new series of detective drama DCI Banks.
This week he narrates a new run of Choccywoccydoodah: Starstruck (Watch 8pm, September 18). It follows the team at the Brighton-based chocolatiers as they make cakes for big names including Sir Richard Branson, Wesley Snipes and Tinie Tempah.
Stephen has a daughter Daisy and met Scots girlfriend Elaine in Glasgow.
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