INTERVIEW
THE RURBANIST
Sheherazade Goldsmith on surfing, pasta pomodoro and dancing every day
A long, rambling walk as you often find the most beautiful deserted corners, teeming with nature and nothing else. Woods are my favourite, particularly those with a stream or river. I used to live in Devon and have never found better walks than those that surround Dartmoor. What always brings a smile to your face? My kids. I love who they’ve become, nobody makes me laugh like they do. What would your therapist say about you? I don’t have one. Maybe that says it all. Favourite independent designer? Phoebe Philo, as she brings her unique style to anything she does. For jewellery, it has to be the legendary Joel Arthur Rosenthal. Instagram accounts you follow? @charliemackesy as his posts have been so poignant during lockdown. The books you’d take to a desert island? I’d have to go with those that always have something new to offer, however many times you read them: Wuthering Heights, Crime and Punishment and William Sieghart’s The Poetry Pharmacy books – a brilliant curation of poems for every emotion. Favourite flowers? Lily of the valley, I love the shyness of the tiny bell-like flowers, the subtlety of their heavenly scent and how the deep green leaves unfurl to reveal the beauty inside. Your signature dish? Pasta pomodoro. My first boyfriend was Italian and we spent long hot summers in a small town outside Naples. His mother was a superb cook, who only ever used recipes passed down through generations. She taught me how to make a fresh pomodoro, one of the simplest recipes and therein lies its deliciousness. Most valuable piece of advice you’ve received?
During one of my trips to India, I visited a palm reader. In India they’re like GPs, every family has one, and at the end of the session he wrote up a prescription on formal headed notepad. Mine was to make sure to sing and dance for 20 minutes every day. Who would write your epitaph and what would it say? My kids and they’d simply say that I was a mother.
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Where did you spend lockdown, and with whom?
I spent lockdown in London. We moved most of our Loquet office to my house, so I’ve returned to preparing the orders which is something I haven’t done for years. It’s been a very creative exercise. I dreamt of surfing. I love the sea, and surfing is something we enjoy as a family. I read somewhere that we all have a blue mind, a sense of general happiness and calm that’s triggered when we’re in or near the water. What did you miss most? Dancing. The kitchen was a good substitute and my girls roped me into a few TikToks, but after a couple of rowdy routines you need your friends. Favourite secret place in London? The woods by the top ponds in Richmond Park. Early evening is the best time to go, as it’s virtually empty and utterly magical. What do you most like to do in the countryside?
FROM ABOVE: Loquet hexagonal locket, £1,600; charms from £30. loquetlondon.com; The Poetry Pharmacy, William Seighart (Penguin, £12.99); water triggers an innate sense of calm
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
Where did you dream of going during those months?
22 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | July/August 2020
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08/07/2020 18:11