Laura Bailey — model, photographer and woman of many talents — looks for inspiration and joy wherever she goes. That often brings her — on her bicycle! — to The Park, where she recently joined us for lunch alongside her friend, Josh Wood.
Is the Long Lunch a habit or aberration for you?
A rare but relished treat. About five years ago, I made an optimistic commitment to myself to take Fridays for family and personal work and tennis and relaxation. This may well include, in an ideal world, some combination of a Portobello market stroll, a matinee movie and a Long Lunch!
What makes a Long Lunch enjoyable, versus a chore?
The location, the company, and a certain state of mind. The sense of both disconnecting and reconnecting — no phones , no distractions. An element of escapist fantasy and of the opposite — rootedness, comfort, tradition and ritual. The gift of true presence is modern luxury to me.
What are the qualities endemic of a superlative lunch companion?
My favourite dates exude both wit and wisdom, curiosity and empathy.
Who was your companion at The Park?
I invited my oldest, closest friend, Josh Wood, a longtime cherished confidante. A world renowned colourist, he is the founder of the Josh Wood Atelier in Holland Park and the Josh Wood Colour business. Try the Miracle Mask — a summer beauty hero! Josh is also a patron of AKT, the only UK charity dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness. Look it up this PRIDE month and support if you can! He is also an ambassador to the British Beauty Council, working directly with the government, advocating for apprenticeships, access and opportunity. Josh is a hair guru to many, but to me he is also (along with his husband Jonathan) my favourite travel buddy as well as a connoisseur across diverse worlds, from art to food and fashion. We lived together in the 90s — he’s my daughter’s godfather, and family, really. And I confess that whilst he has always been an instinctive and creative cook, I only occasionally contributed a jacket potato or shop-bought dessert. I overcompensate with flowers and a pretty table. Only last night he whipped up supper in the countryside for twenty-five, and he credits our mutual friend Ruthie Rogers as a longtime mentor and inspiration. I’d probably serve a cheese plate which has also been our post-party debrief midnight snack over the years! Josh’s work day rarely allows him a proper lunch break, and I am more likely to pick up a wrap or some veggie sushi between meetings or on set, so a Long Lunch at The Park is a proper treat for the two of us, a moment that allows us to reflect and to plot. We got deep into the dolce vita Italian planning over coffee — daydreamed dates and ideas doodled over my diary. And suddenly, we’re late, and Josh has a train to catch. For me, it was a bicycle ride home through the rain. But I’m glad that just for an hour to two, time stood still.
What did you eat and drink today?
I’m a vegetarian so my go-to favourites are the poivrade artichokes plus all the sides, which we shared along with bruschetta. Josh ordered the crab cakes and a Caesar salad. I had a glass of rosé because it felt like nearly summer and a celebration of sorts even if our lunch fell on a grey and stormy Thursday!
What will you order on your next Long Lunch at The Park?
It’s more likely to be a weekend breakfast after a park run with the dogs, so poached eggs on toast with a side of sliced avocado (never mushed). Happy (though too rarely) solo with the papers!
Tell us about your favourite Long Lunch of all time.
My traditional birthday picnic in a cabana at the Hotel Du Cap, surrounded by friends and family, all in swimwear, straight out of the sea. Or at Le Colombe d’Or in St Paul de Vence after a jaunt to Fondation Maeght (though perhaps even more special early evening). And one special Long Lunch comes to mind, about ten years ago at SOL’s in Comporta with Josh and Jonathan and my kids. One of those magical seaside days when lunch turns into an afternoon of card games and laughter and reading and one last swim and one last ice cream and even in the moment I knew that this was the real magic… A special mention to Lo Scoglio in Nerano on the Amalfi Coast, a scene of many friends-and-family gatherings over the years. I will have started my day with a three-hour hike — the Walk of the Gods — and the zucchini pasta, a local speciality, along with all the local salads and vegetables is perhaps the Lunch of the Gods! I am also thinking about Madrid with Leona, Hydra with Jemima and Christiane, Lake Como with Hannah and Chantal , and most recently, Cafe Clement with Alice and Gala. Lunch is never long enough!
If you could Long-Lunch with absolutely anyone on the planet — no offense to Josh — who would it be?
Sir David Attenborough. I have a thousand questions but mostly just want to say thank you! Although my kids, Luc and Tiger, are my forever favourite dates.
On the days that you are Long-Lunching, do you dress differently?
My daily life is sporty and creative and I am often scruffy and biking and hiking, but I love the idea of dressing up a little for a Long Lunch date. A Chanel jacket, a boot, a little lipstick. A hint of a Parisian mood in London perhaps.
Would you mind sharing some details about what you wore to The Park?
A Chanel cream jacket over a black Petit Bateau tee, a black Jaeger X Marks & Spencer long kilt, and Chanel boots. Plus shades. Chanel, always. And trainers in my bag for biking.
What is your favourite time of year for a Long Lunch?
Summer.
The best day of the week for a Long Lunch is….?
Friday or Sunday.
LAURA’S DOSSIER
Birthplace: Oxford.
Neighbourhood: Ladbroke Grove.
“Short” lunch strategy: Maybe a takeout salad from Clarke’s cafe or The Corner Shop — if I’m coming from the West End — eaten whilst working in my garden, my favourite office).
Cocktail: Tequila on the rocks.
Workout: Tennis, The Method, and Sophie-Rose Pilates, plus long walks with my dogs.
Bookshop: Daunt Books, on Kensington Park Road.
Favorite park (besides Hyde Park): Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris. It’s also one of my favourite places in the world to play tennis!
Current projects: Modelling, shooting, writing & tennis! I’m deep in a special design collab and also consulting and shooting on an independent film, alongside long-term philanthropic work with Save The Children & The Women’s Prize. I’m super excited about upcoming travel assignments and also a stolen few days in Florence with Josh! My kids, Luc and Tiger, are 21 and 18 now, so I have a new sense of freedom and adventure ahead.
Any recommendations for us? The best film I’ve seen recently was the indie horror film Obsession, and I also loved Tuner. I’m so excited for both the Frida Kahlo and Ana Mendieta exhibitions at Tate Modern, and Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld was a highlight this week! For me, London is the best city in the world.