Jane Shepherdson

The Whistles boss shops in Shoreditch, birdwatches in Camden and pub hops in N1

Home is… A Georgian house that backs on to the canal in Islington. I live with my husband Barry [a solicitor] and Dexter, a black miniature schnauzer. What was the last play you saw? One Man, Two Guvnors. Despite not really liking farce, I laughed all the way through. What advice would you give a tourist? Rent an apartment and go to the pool at Shoreditch House, if you can fi nd a member to take you, or London Fields Lido if not. What’s the best meal you’ve had? I had dinner last summer at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell (right); we sat outside in the little square. The food was light and fresh, the company good and the wine fl owed. Do you have a recurring dream? That I’m being chased by a huge dragon. What’s your favourite high street shop? COS. I’m a bit of a minimalist and it has clean shapes, good fabrics and interesting colour palettes. Which is your favourite shopping street? Redchurch Street in Shoreditch [see p40] has nice boutiques and places to eat. And I love Dover Street for Acne, Dover Street Market and Automat for lunch. Do you ‘do a Mary Portas’ when you go into shops? Oh my God, yes! I’m really critical but I also look for inspiration. It’s never really shopping for pleasure. Are you feeling positive about the future of the high street? Last year was diffi cult but people are now looking for things to lift them out of the gloom. Our sales of bright, interesting colours are very good at the moment. What’s your earliest London memory? I visited as a teenager from Bristol with a friend whose brother lived here. He took us to The Speakeasy club (right) off Oxford Street, where we drank champagne and lived the dream. If you could live in any building in London which would it be? A beautiful pastel townhouse facing Primrose Hill. It would be so uplifting to see the sun rise over the park every day. How big has the ‘Kate effect’ been for Whistles? It’s diffi cult to say; it isn’t really about a