Why? My wife Cherry and I had a wonderful touring holiday there. It is still one of those happy places I can take myself off to when I get stressed out and need to relax. Like last year. Then I almost lost my heart in the Brompton Hospital. I was rushed in for a double bypass operation.

What's the best thing? The hospitality of the people in even the smallest of communities. We loved Kato Zakros, a little village on the far east of the island which overlooks the Mediterranean. It was so inviting there that instead of staying just one night as intended, we stayed three.

Our room was very romantic but terribly basic - with a little basin in the wall but no running water. Outside, there was a cold shower, with a bit of pipe stuck out of the wall. We would have stayed there longer if our personal hygiene could have coped - after three nights both of us were dying to find something with a bath.

My ideal day: If I was there now, it would be at a fabulous villa on the outskirts of a village. I'd take Cherry and our three children. When not lounging around the pool, we'd pop into the village and browse at a stall or shop or have a drink in the local bar. Supper would be back at the house, al fresco.

My advice: If you take a ferry across to Crete, try to avoid travelling on religious festivals. We took one boat and it was packed to the gunnels with a festive crowd. They all seemed to be playing radios and all the children had whistles - the noise was extraordinary.

Getting there: Cheapflights (cheapflights.com) has flights between Crete and London Gatwick from £175 return or Manchester and Crete from £183 return.

Perennial children's favourite Brian Cant presents Channel 5's Dappledown Farm (6.30am, Sunday-Friday). He is also directing a new production of The Railway Children, due to tour the UK and premiering on March 25 at The Derngate Theatre, Northampton (box office: 01604 624811).