The Bucket List with Jamie Cullum
The singer-songwriter shares his dream destinations, past and present...
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Jamie Cullum is a country boy at heart, finds Holly Rubenstein
You’ve toured the world. Which performance location was the most memorable and why?
It can surely only come back to the main stage at Glastonbury Festival. I have been a gleeful attendee of the festival for many years and to play on that stage to a big and boisterous audience was a real moment for me.
Where do you keep going back to?
I have a long- standing love affair with Japan. I’ve been lucky enough to play there a lot as a musician and it is a place that holds endless fascination for me.
Where have you learned the most about yourself?
Touring the vast expanse of America in my 20s really gave me huge insight into how differently people interact with our world and how easy it is to write off other people’s beliefs as small minded. When you spend time in these far- off places, you actually see the context for others people’s lives and you have more empathy and understanding for their views and culture. Everybody has a story to tell.
Where was your happiest holiday?
My wife and I went to Mexico many years ago and it was the first time I’d ridden a horse. We rode on an incredible beach and at a particular moment it started to rain. It was a magical memory that now feels almost unreal.
Country or Town House?
I’m a country boy at heart. I need trees.
What destination most reminds you of childhood holidays?
Cornwall. We went to Looe practically every year of my childhood. Same house, same fish and chip shop, same beach and the same brilliantly changeable weather.
Tell us about a hidden gem?
There’s an incredible music bar in Dalston called Brilliant Corners which will become your new favourite place the second you walk in.
How about the best hotel you’ve stayed in?
George V in Paris. My wife took me once when she was asked along to a fashion show by Louis Vuitton. I actually felt like some kind of king.
Where do you always eat well?
At my kitchen table! My wife is a fabulous cook. Failing that you can’t go wrong at The Wolseley.
What’s at the top of your bucket list?
I would love to do a long hike in the Lake District one day or some wild camping in the Peak District. I’ve also heard that Clos19 has some incredible experiences like a tour of Glenmorangie – as a passionate whisky drinker I am eyeing up one of those up too!
What is your favourite city?
I’m a country boy really but again, I’d have to take it to Spain – San Sebastián, Madrid or Barcelona. We all know how rich the culture is, how good the food is – but it is the people that make it. The Spanish have a twinkle in their eye and, when it really matters, they can step back and not take life too seriously. It bleeds a real enthusiasm for life.
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