Stroud Times sat down with Hugh Phillimore.
Hugh is Chief Executive of The Sub Rooms, creating a diverse and exciting programme for the whole of The Cotswolds to enjoy.
Hugh has worked in the entertainment world for over 30 years producing shows across the globe.
In the UK he’s managed events at The Tower of London, Arundel and Warwick Castles as well as producing his own Cornbury Festival in Oxfordshire for the last 15 years.
Settling in Slad and now Cheltenham, Hugh has worked with and met some amazing people over the years: Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and he even had the three members of Stray Cats in the back of his car playing ‘Run Away Boys’. The rest, as they say is history, and today he is a successful booker having organised celebrity parties over the years, including the weddings of Pierce Brosnan, Paul McCartney, Sting and Elton John, as well as Prince Williams’ 21st and Prince Charles’ 50th, just to name a few.
When were you at your happiest?
When my daughter Rose was born.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Not booking Ray Charles or Leonard Cohen for shows (I got close) or seeing Edith Piaf live – I was 4 when she died!
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Late-night jelly babies & Fernet Branca.
What is your favourite smell?
Miller Harris Eau de Vert.
Who would play you in a film about your life?
Bill Nighy.
What public figures do you most admire?
The Queen, Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall.
Who is the most famous person on your phone?
HRH Prince William.
What are your best and worst qualities?
Dogged determination (is that a quality ??) / talking loudly ALOT.
What do you like most about Stroud?
The Farmers’ Market and the people
What would you improve about Stroud?
More independent shops to replace empty ones.
What is your ideal weekend?
3 nights in Venice.
What is on your bucket list?
To go to the Opera in Verona.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Nothing lasts forever.
What book and song would you take with you if stranded on an uninhabited island?
Rock Stars Stole My Life by Mark Ellen – The Letter by Joe Cocker from Mad Dogs & Englishmen.
