My London: Charming Baker

Home is…

On the border of Lewisham and Greenwich with my wife and the two youngest kids. My stepson James went to Newcastle University recently to become a doctor and has left a massive hole in the house.

Where do you stay in London?

The Groucho. They gave me a life membership seven years ago and I love the place. It’s like home. Of course, it’s got a reputation, too. Sometimes I’ll book into a small room to hide from the hangover and the night bus home.

Favourite pub?

I love the French House in Soho. They used to throw you out if your mobile rang, and it’s the only pub that celebrates Bastille Day. It’s bonkers. They don’t serve pints but when Bernie Katz, the late front-of-house manager at the Groucho, died, everyone was allowed to have a pint if they said it was for Bernie.

Where would you go on a first date?

Gordon’s Wine Bar near Charing Cross. It’s not quite as good as it used to be because more people know about it, but it was one of the first places I went with my wife. If you ran out of things to say you could always people watch.

Is Charming your real name?

Charming is a nickname that everybody seems to be calling me now. Except for my wife. She doesn’t often call me Charming.

Last play you saw?

The Book of Mormon. My wife bought tickets for my birthday the year before last. It was brilliant. I’m not often shocked, but it was shocking in all the right ways.

What do you do to keep fit?

I run east from Greenwich along the river path. You can go as far as Woolwich, which is a good 10 miles if you want. It used to be really industrial, with boat scrapyards and gasworks, but apartments have been built there now. The whole flavour of the place has changed. But there’s still a bit where big barges unload stone. It’s beautiful, in a rough kind of a way.

Best meal you’ve had?

There was this tiny pasta place called Ruby Café in Hoxton where everyone spoke Italian and they served dishes they just made up, like poussin with lentils, and a different pasta every day. It was cheap, simple and always full.

Favourite shops?

Paul Smith for formal stuff; Atlantis in Hackney for art supplies; hardware shops, where I’m always buying things like sheets of wood or screws. There are still little ones in Mayfair and Soho, which I don’t understand. How much money can you make on half-inch nails?

What makes someone a Londoner?

My father was in the Army so we moved around a lot when I was young and I always felt like an outsider. On the Isle of Wight, if you move there, you’re always an ‘overner’ (someone from the mainland), never somebody who is from there. But if you choose to make London your home, you are a Londoner. That’s the great thing about it, the acceptance.

What’s your greatest extravagance?

Stealing time. If I ever get a chance I walk home at night to see the city, or stop by the river and sit there for a bit.