Manx Tales, Isle of Man - Once the playground of the millions who poured off the Steam Packet Ferries, the Isle of Man - like many resorts captured in amateur 8mm - faded at the hands of the cheap foreign package holiday. But over the past ten years the arrival of private jets has re-ignited this tiny island in the Irish Sea bringing film stars and crew by the bucket and spades load, encouraged by generous tax concessions, a pro-active government and the happy indifference of the Manx people.

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka - Set atop a balding 300m rock amongst vast, endless thick jungle, a glorious view was promised. We continued climbing a combination of rather precarious slippery steps cut into the rock and wobbly cast iron spiral staircases, supplied in the early half the last century by London Underground. The view from the top was nowhere to be seen. Still my guide for the day remained enthusiastic, relating facts, figures and insights into the archaeological remains, together with tales of his family. With the return journey down and exit within sight, events in his family seemed suddenly to take drastic and dramatic turn for the worse. By the bottom it became apparent that payment for the morning was not only going to have to support him but his extended relations too. Given that it was he who had adopted me before the ascent, surely I was the one in a position of negotiating strength. It took less than 15 seconds for my guide to be walking merrily away with more than double the going guide rate.

The Blue Lagoon, Iceland - For many the highlight of any visit to Iceland, is a 5,000sq meter geothermically heated casserole of silica mud, minerals and algae all combining to soothe and nourish body and soul. Leaving the space-age changing rooms, a short dash is necessary through the snow and cold air to the soothing turquoise warm waters. Here you can spend all-day, swimming, luxuriating and marinating while occasionally basting yourself in the unique (and as the gift shop later proved) expensive mud.

Howarth Parsonage, England - Arguably the most complex and interesting of the siblings was Branwell. Described by weekend Parsonage manager, Pat Berry as a genius who wrote, 'in Greek in one hand and in Latin with the other simultaneously.' As a raconteur, he was often called upon by the landlord of the Black Bull pub to entertain newly arrived guests with his intelligent companionship - a vital character inspiring link to the outside world for his sisters who in this stringent Victorian repressive period were denied such contacts. A renegade too in every respect, Branwell spiralled between bouts of anxiety, depression and substance abuse culminating in behaviour then described as 'proceedings bad beyond expression' following the discovery of his affair with the wife of an employer. He died from tuberculosis in 1848 prompting Charlotte to write, "I do not weep from a sense of bereavement, but for the wreck of a talent, the ruin of promise..."

Pendle Hill, England - The chill in the air seems to be that little more piqued this evening. Cold mist blankets the valley and its spiny fingers slowly drift over to blur the golden sodium street light that barley illuminates the graveyard. There is no sound other than the gentle sibilant rustle of leaves on trees. Frank Watson has the perfect atmosphere to begin his tales of terror, murder and intrigue. Beneath this stone slab lies the body of a murderer. His voice slightly lowered and enunciation slowed, there seems to be an extra element of relish and grisly enthusiasm in Frank's explanation of when, by whom and why the deed most foul took place.

Movie Archaeology, Almeria, Spain - Makers of Spaghetti Westerns were the first to arrive and make cinematic magic in the potent light and almost perpetual heat beating down on the arid landscapes of windblown sandstone, scrub and dry river beds of Tabernas, Europe's only desert. Most famously Sergio Leone made this new revolutionary genre of film here and managed to turn the Western (a traditional brand that you messed with at your professional peril) into a new kind of ironic fairy tale that blended grungy close-ups and over-the-top spectacle with a grunting, growling understated dialogue. The interplay of images and music was a further unique feature, with Leone's long term collaborator Ennio Morricone's sparse, unique arrangements and whistling soundtracks used to legendary and iconic effect.Woooeeoooeeooo wawawah.

Roman Archaeology Merida, Spain - Given the vast Romanic legacy visible here, of which that touched on above is only a highlight, the chance encounter with the odd Roman coin or two must surely not be unusual. "You must be kidding!" exclaimed Juani Hernandez. The real extent of Merida's Roman treasure, she explained, was not displayed publicly but kept inside private homes amongst shelving and cabinets. People quickly learned in Merida that if you found a column, a mosaic, coins, glass or any other roman treasure it was best to be kept a family secret. If such an acquisition became public, it was very possible the government would turn up on your door step, pay off the family to move, take down your home and start digging. Many of Merida's finest treasures it seems are living amongst its current population; handed down from generation to generation on the proviso the secret collections were never revealed.