Huw Miles
Managing Partner at Paris Smith
Huw Miles became managing partner at Southampton and Winchester firm Paris Smith earlier this year. He shares his passions and interests with The Brief.
How do you like to start the day?
Black coffee – a large one.
What’s your favourite object in your office/home office?
A large print of the photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper”. It’s the one of workers on the RCA building in Manhattan having lunch, sat high up on a girder on the 69th floor, seemingly without a care in the world.
Who is your closest colleague?
A question so full of mischief I can’t give a straight answer.
Do you have a favourite family heirloom?
My family is not the heirloom type. My upbringing is the gift.
What’s your favourite song of all time?
“Let it Loose” by the Rolling Stones, off the album Exile on Main Street. I have always regretted not choosing it as my wedding song, but the lyrics don’t quite fit the occasion.
What’s your favourite play?
The most recent one my son has appeared in. He is aspiring actor. The latest was The Ramayana Project – a clever way of using a 2,500 year-old story in modern times.
Who’s your favourite movie star?
Leonardo DiCaprio. Lots of good films and he is great in all of them.
What’s your favourite book?
This is a tough one. I have always loved fiction and there are so many to choose from. As I have to choose: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Small. Beautiful. Perfect.
What book are you reading right now?
I’ve just started All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, but am literally two pages in. It’s been a busy week!
What book do you wish you had written?
I don’t experience envy – there isn’t one.
What’s the greatest invention of all time?
The rugby ball.
Is there a sport you wish you could play?
See above!
Who inspires you in business?
Mentors at Paris Smith – Richard Smith, Peter Taylor and Nick Vaughan, all as former managing and senior partners, have taught me a great deal.
In the office do you dress up, dress down or somewhere in between?
I have the worst dress sense imaginable, so I follow the advice of my wife on all occasions. My preference is trousers and shirt, no tie.
Where do you go to relax?
The New Forest, preferably on a bike, running or walking with Juno, a working cocker spaniel.
What country have you always wanted to visit?
I dream about a voyage on an icebreaker: Greenland, polar bear and lots of ice.
Besides your phone, what do you always have with you?
A sense of humour.
What’s the best part of your job?
People, especially when they are working towards shared goals, supporting each other.
How do you unwind after work?
Until very recently, the Netflix series Ozark, which has just finished. It has Jason Bateman and Laura Linney in it, who are both great. It probably had the right ending, but not the one I wanted!
Finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?
Pizza, in all its forms, shapes and sizes. Ideally, eaten in Rome.
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