My Week: James Massey

Words by
Jemima Sissons

3rd May 2022

The effortlessly charming founder of PR agency Massey Style loves Chiltern Firehouse, adores a vintage ashtray, but draws the line at Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

Favourite restaurant of the moment
I am a creature of habit, so for me it’s always either Scotts (the bar), 34 (table 7) or Chiltern Firehouse (wherever I am put!). I love breakfast at Chiltern too. The staff are fun and the menu is great

Your cultural picks...
The last film I saw at the cinema was Sonic 2 with my little boys. We walked out. Even they agreed it was terrible. We are all really looking forward to the Obi Wan series on Disney +, which is something even my wife will watch with us. I read far too much news (FT, New York Times, CNN, BBC, Telegraph and more) and not enough books. 

Places in London you trust...
Whenever my Crockett & Jones need repairing (not often as they’re tough as hell), I take them to James Taylor & Son in Marylebone. They are brilliant. I have my hair cut at Pankhurst underneath Thom Sweeney. Brent has cut it for more than 15 years and his team are lovely too. An old florist friend of mine Orlando Hamilton is working again, which is exciting. I hope he opens a shop again. He is fantastic company and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Best place for a drink...
Coffee at Souli in Marylebone. I don’t drink but if I did, I would live in The Connaught. I’m looking forward to George re-opening in the Autumn.

Best recent purchase
I just bought a friend of mine a very chic Hermes ashtray, which is beautiful. It would be a shame to ruin it with cigars! I’m a sucker for sneakers – mainly Air Max 90’s and Jordan 4’s – so I buy a new pair every month or so…

The last event you went to...
I went a lovely dinner the other evening at the River Café hosted by Mats Klingberg of Trunk. I hadn’t been there for years – and now I cannot remember why!

A place you have discovered....
I am happiest in the garden with my wife (the artist George Taylor) and boys in Gloucestershire. They put up with me being away several nights a week and I miss them hugely, so getting me to leave the house at the weekends is nigh on impossible.

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