Sunday with Charlie Casely-Hayford: ‘My wife taught me how to relax’
What wakes you up? An alarm clock – aka my six-year-old. We’ve reached the wonderful stage where she knows not to come in before 7am, which somehow feels leisurely now.
A trip out? Breakfast at Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch. In the garden, staring at a grapevine, I can pretend to be in the Mediterranean. My wife, Sophie, and my daughter love flowers, so we’ll pop to Columbia Road market. The pleasure’s lost on me as I have no sense of smell.
Any exercise? My daughter has taken on the role of fitness instructor: our spare bedroom is a DIY home gym, with beanbags and a stepladder. She’s militant when bossing Dad around.
Do you work? Before my wife and I got together I worked constantly. I didn’t do weekends or holidays until we met. I grew up and still work in the family business. My parents worked together from the age of 21 – spending time on designs at home was considered a pleasure, not a chore. Sophie taught me to relax and introduced me to the good life. I’ve not looked back.
Sunday sounds like… Soul music: Minnie Riperton, Bill Withers, Gladys Knight. They were always on in the background during my childhood. Now I play them, too. I lost my dad a year and a half ago. It feels important to do things that remind me of him as much as I can.
How do you dress? Suit and boots are my seven-day- a-week uniform. My missus, however, recently bought me a pair of silk pyjamas. I feel like Hugh Hefner in them, they’re so ridiculous. Sunday is the only day it feels acceptable to put them on.
A special Sunday? The day after our wedding in a decrepit palace in the Algarve. We all sat around the pool hungover, reliving the night before. I almost enjoyed it more than the day itself. Everyone we loved was still with us celebrating, but the day was more suited to my tempo – relaxed and slow.
Casely-Hayford, 3 Chiltern Street, London W1 (casely-hayford.com)