01

Where is your favourite travel destination and why? 

02

What is your most memorable holiday?

Top of the list must be traveling the world with my wife, Charlotte. We flew from London to New York City for a friend’s weekend wedding, armed only with hand luggage. Weeks later, momentum had carried us on - we had visited 7 cities, stayed with friends in remote places, attended parties and film galas (thanks to Charlotte’s characteristically pragmatic prescience, I never travel without an emergency dinner suit), and eventually landed at a private island in the Maldives. Fortunately, I was able to capitalise on the moment and propose to her with a rare sapphire I purchased in Hyderabad from a well-known local jeweller. Even more fortuitously, she said yes! We then continued our trip dotting throughout Europe as a newly engaged couple until returning to London smiling, tanned and pleasantly exhausted.

Second on the list is Positano as a child with my parents. This lives as a sepia-tinted memory in my mind, with the backdrop of the old palazzo we stayed in and the wonderfully chaotic energy of the old fishing village. Truly a dolce far niente hazy summer as it is meant to be.

03

What is your favourite season?

All of them! I acknowledge this is somewhat of a cop-out and yet it is true, I relish the individual joys each season brings.

04

Where in London do you go to let your hair down?

We rarely go out on the town like we used to but, if we do, the chances of ended up at the Chiltern Firehouse are higher than one should publicly admit.

05

Describe your perfect day in London?

A sunny walk across Hyde Park on a brisk Autumnal day with my family, visiting old memories and making new ones. Followed by a stroll through the RA or Tate Modern and a late seating somewhere that makes a great pasta Amatriciana and an (extra) dry martini.

06

Where in London do you recommend for a first date?

When my wife and I first met we took great joy in just walking a neighbourhood, discovering new spaces, and letting the city unfold before us. Afterall, what could be more fun than an unscripted adventure?

07

What is your favourite flower?

Picking a single flower is like choosing a favourite flavour. It is their tactful combination that fully rewards a happy palate. Fortunately, you are the gourmet chefs of floral design, so I need not pick one.

08

If you could send flowers to only one person each week, who would that be and why?

My wife, always. And – if I may – a bloom or two to place aside in memory of our loving daughter.

09

What is your favourite film of all time? 

At the risk of sounding clichéd, Martin Scorsese’s 1990 masterpiece, Goodfellas. It has always felt like a perfectly cadenced film with incredible direction, script, nuanced performances, sound, music, and cinematography. However, I most excited about Charlotte’s upcoming films – I won’t provide any spoilers but no doubt they will prove to be fast favourites to many.

10

Do you have a favourite book or author?

This list is longer list than what I can mention here, but I recently enjoyed Hernan Diaz’s Trust, a Pulitzer Prize winning fiction set in 1920’s America. It explores the themes of wealth, power, and deceit in a roaring and growing New York City.

No doubt this will become a Hollywood film soon, which one hopes does not butcher the story. To quote John Le Carre; “Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes”.