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My London: Charlie Casely-Hayford

Charlie Casely-Hayford: Nick Harvey/REX/Shutterstock
Charlie Casely-Hayford: Nick Harvey/REX/Shutterstock

Home is…

The old BBC Television Centre in White City. I live with my wife, interior designer Sophie Ashby.

Favourite pub?

The Pig’s Ear in Chelsea. My first job was there. A few weeks in, I shattered a chandelier when the cork flew off from a bottle of champagne I was trying to open. I was swiftly asked by the owners to grab my things and leave.

The Pigs Ear Pub (Alamy Stock Photo)
The Pigs Ear Pub (Alamy Stock Photo)

If you could buy any London building, which would it be?

2 Willow Road, Ernö Goldfinger’s house. It’s the ultimate modernist London home. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Where do you stay in London?

New Road Residence in Whitechapel. Much less hotel, more guesthouse. It’s an 18th-century townhouse. I like the pared-back aesthetic and find it incredibly tranquil.

Bus, Tube or taxi?

Tube. I plug in my headphones and bowl through the underground listening to Popcaan as if I’m in a music video. I call it the sly dutty wine… it’s when you’re breaking to a song but in stealth mode.

Best place for a first date?

Lounge Bohemia on Great Eastern Street. A real gem discreetly hidden in between a newsagent and a kebab shop. The interior can only be described as Eastern Bloc meets communist Prague.

Sheila Atim
Sheila Atim

Last play you saw?

Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe (with Sheila Atim) was amazing. I loved the way the set and props were completely stripped back — it was all about the acting.

Favourite shops?

Willer for interiors, LN-CC for clothes when I’m not wearing Casely-Hayford, Faulkners on Kingsland Road for fish and chips (I grew up in Dalston and have been going since I was five) and Idea on Wardour Street for reference books.

Biggest extravagance?

I eat five meals a day. Two to three of those are pasta. I get proper grief from my wife but for now, pastafarianism is the only way for me.

What do you collect?

Red socks, I wear them every day with my suit, T-shirt and 12-hole black boots. I must have around 40 or 50 pairs.

Where would you most like to be buried?

Springfield Park in Hackney. It’s the one place I’ve always gone for some alone time.

Most memorable meal?

The pappardelle with slow cooked pork followed by Dover sole with mash and Café de Paris butter at Spring.

What’s your London secret?

British Invisible Mending Service in Marylebone. These guys reweave thread by thread over holes in your clothes, from moth holes to cigarette burns. It’s a serious indulgence as it’s not cheap, but for those garms that have a strong sentimental value, it really is worth it.

What are you up to at the moment?

We’ve just opened our first Casely-Hayford men’s and womenswear store on Chiltern Street.

Charlie Casely-Hayford and Joe Casely-Hayford ( David M. Benett/Getty Images)
Charlie Casely-Hayford and Joe Casely-Hayford ( David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Who is your hero?

My old man, Joe. Fortunately I get to work with him every day.

Casely-Hayford, 3 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, W1 (casely-hayford.com)