Tim Brice: Dapper Chap

Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Tim Brice: Dapper Chap

Q: How long have you worked at Cordings?
A: I’ve been the general manager at Cordings for one and a half years now; I’m also currently studying a Masters in Maths.

Tim with winners of the Dapper Chap and Dashing Dame at the Tweed Run

Q: What is your most memorable Cordings moment since working here?
A: Apart from not recognising Sir Daniel Day Lewis in the shop last week, it has to be from last year. I had only just started working at Cordings; I’d been here a few weeks at most. The shop hadn’t opened yet when one of the staff mentioned someone was rapping at the window. As the shop wasn’t open for another 15 minutes, I asked the member of staff to let the offending ‘rapper’ know that we were not open yet. The staff member turned around to me and said, “Tim, it’s a man in drag and he is asking for you by name!” I turned around to see that it was none other than my old school friend, Eddie Izzard. He still pops into the shop every now and again.

Wax On! Words to live by.

Q: What’s your favourite Cordings item?
A: Tweed Plus two’s. I own 5 pairs including the House Check, Sporting Check and my favourite, the Skipton tweed. They are my cycling essentials! I think most people would prefer to see me in tweed rather than Lycra.

Q: What is your favourite shop, that isn’t Cordings?
A: Geo F Trumper, I usually go to the one near Cordings on Duke of York Street, but they have another one in Mayfair. I go there to have my haircut, sometimes one of their traditional wet shaves, but mainly for my moustache! I buy all my wax and combs from them as well as my fragrances. It’s definitely where James Bond would go if he had a moustache!

Q: Where else have you worked?
A: I used to run and consult restaurants before I turned my hand to managing the Cordings shop. I was involved in Kensington Place, Avenue, Launceston Place, River Café and The Baltic to name but a few. It is a completely different pace of life, now I work at Cordings I work half the hours I did back then. It is a lot more enjoyable at Cordings, plus the customers are sober, usually.

Q: What is your social event of the year?
A: Well, apart from my birthday, it has to be without a doubt, the Tweed Run. As an all-round bike, tweed and moustache enthusiast it is one of the best days out in London for me. This year I ran my own pop up stand, Tim’s tip top moustache pit stop. For one day a year I feel normal.

Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. My father set up Procter and Gamble out there; we lived in Jeddah for 3 years after I was born.

Q: What is your favourite meal?
A: Whatever is put in front of me?! No, in all seriousness, it has to be a curry from The Prince of Wales in Southall. Fantastic place.

Q: What is your favourite hideout in London?
A: The American bar at Zedel’s. They do a mean gin martini straight up with a twist. It is one of the best value lunches in town and you almost feel like you’re in Paris.

The American Bar at Zedel – a minutes walk from Cordings

Q: What is your favourite tube station?
A: Southwark or Westminster.

Q: What is most played on your iPod?
A: I listen to a lot of Mozart piano concertos and a fair amount of Led Zeppelin

Q: Do you have any fashion advice?
A: WAX (your moustache)!

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