Whenever I hear Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’, I’m always reminded of my first holiday abroad. Like many parents in the 1970s, Mum and Dad struggled to find money for holidays and so by the age of 17, my travels had taken me to the far shores of Bournemouth, Torquay and Wales.
So when I had the opportunity to go to Ibiza, I jumped at it. I fell in love with the simmering heat, with the island’s tranquility and its relaxed atmosphere (yes, I was only 17, but I didn’t even set foot inside a club, instead staying in a quieter area of the island), the soft sands and the piercing blue of the sea. The apartment we stayed in couldn’t exactly have been called luxurious (the curtains were probably the best bit) but it didn’t matter; I was in heaven.
It was when I went for a walk as the sun was setting that I first heard ‘In The Air Tonight’. A bar was belting out the song. I remember just standing there, swaying gently to the music (and no, I hadn’t been drinking – I was only 17!) and looking out over the bay, at the lights twinkling and boats bobbing gently up and down. Life can’t get much better than this, I thought, completely caught up in the moment.
I haven’t ever been back to Ibiza and have no particular desire to, but it was a holiday to remember and Phil Collins’ song is still one of my favourite tracks of all time.
Apologies for the photo – it’s the only one which was taken of me there. I can assure you that fluorescent lime green was in fashion that year. Besides, I think the photo shows the curtains off particularly well.
Esther Chilton 
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