Summer dreaming

THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN CHILLING OUT ON A NICE WARM SUMMER'S DAY AND DRIFTING AWAY- AT LEAST ACCORDING TO STEPHEN GATELY. . .

What does summer time mean to you?

Summer is a good time! I must admit though, that I'm not majorly mad on heat! I actually grew sunflowers this summer in my garden, believe it or not! Eloy bought them for me in a pot. They grew really well too although they are not as big as I thought they might be!

What do you reckon the best bit about summertime is?

I love going out on my boat in the summertime! We have a lake at the back of our house. There are loads of other houses on it too but it's right at the back of our garden! I love doing a lot of barbecuing in summer as well! I am quite the barbecue chef too, but it is not really that hard is it?! I make my own things to cook too! Like mincemeat with cheese and stuff in it, wrapped in bacon!

What do you like least about the summer?

Oh, the heat! When it gets too hot I am not very good! I get claustrophobic if it's too hot. That's the one thing that I can't handle. I like sitting down in summer on a nice day when there is a cool breeze but otherwise I'm not really keen on it.

Have you experienced any really hot days this year?

When I was in Asia it was really warm. You get out of the car and the heat just hits you and then you get back in the car and the air-conditioning is on and you cool down again. It's mad! You have to shower about ten times a day too, when it's that hot.

Did you get a chance to go on holidays this summer?

Unfortunately, I didn't cos I was too busy working all over the place! I am hoping to go away for a holiday next summer. Before that though, I am going to go to New York, shopping for Christmas- it'll be great, yeah!

What is your fondest memory of summer?

It was swinging on the swings in the park! There was a playground near my house that had a boys bit and a girls bit. The boys bit had an area where you could play football and throw darts and that kind of thing but the girls area was better 'cos it had all the swings and slides and stuff. Hundreds of kids used to go there and just muck around and play games! It was a really good playground actually and it has been knocked down now which is a real shame!

Are you the type to happily laze about on the beach or do you have to keep yourself busy?

I can definitely happily laze on the beach and read a book or something. I would probably just lie back and read a Harry Potter book or something like that. Maybe the third or fourth Harry Potter books 'cos I haven't read them and they take you into another world!

Do you daydream away while you are lazing about?

I am a big daydreamer. What don't I daydream about?! I am always drifting off into another world. I like my own space and I like being able to have time to myself.

What album was in your stereo this summer?

Gabrielle! It's such a great album and she's a really nice laydee. I have met her quite a few times now and I saw her last night actually! It's great music to cruise around in your car in!

When you were younger, how did you spend your Christmas hols?

Well, we never really went away 'cos we were too poor. We used to get sent to one of out aunts for the week in a different part of Dublin or our cousins would come to visit us for a week! That was a lot of fun though! I once went to a place for disadvantaged children called Sunshine House! It was like a holiday camp!

Describe the perfect summers day and holiday?

Perfect summers day would start with getting up early and going for a stroll along the beach with Eloy and the dogs. Then I would go and eat lunch somewhere out in the sun at a caf� or something. Then go home and have a bbq with a nice glass of fizzy-pop and chill out!