James Buckley's City
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James Buckley is a European Fund Manager at Barings. He went to business school, saw some crazy things (unchecked ambition, unbridled lust, etc.) and decided to write a book (loosely) based on his experiences.
Celebrate Myself is named for the Shoegazing scene of the '90s, but describes the B-school set pretty well too. James lives in West London with his wife and young son, and tells us about his life in the Square Mile.
HITC: Is there a spot that to you represents the heart - or essence - of the City?
JB: The Gherkin - it's brash, pretentious and owned by Germans. Bit like how the rest of the UK views the City?
HITC: What's the craziest thing you've ever seen in the City?
JB: The incident of when the broker backstroking naked up the swimming pool in front of a cheering audience is regaled to a rapt audience of business students in chapter six of Celebrate Myself, the inspiration is taken from real-life in the City. His state of excitement may have inspired the design of the Gherkin, only Lord Foster knows.
HITC: The City has some great hidden drinking spots. Do you have a favourite?
JB: Shoreditch/City border's a great boozing spot. Drinking absinthe in the Ten Bells on Commercial Street offers bohemian escapism for the well-indentured wage-slave.
HITC: Who made the suit that makes you feel like a Banker (with a capital B)?
JB: Who wears suits?! It's all about the man-bag now, (unless you want to be mistaken for an American hedge fund manager in these dress-down days). Personally, I favour the post industrial Swiss eco-chic of the Freitag. Made out of recycled truck tarpaulins and seat belts. Bespoke of course.
HITC: How do you manage having a life as a banker, author, father and husband?
JB: By reversing that order of priority.
HITC: Any advice for other aspiring banker writers?
JB: Keep it real (but not too real or you might get a nasty lawsuit/P45).
HITC: Is there a spot that to you represents the heart - or essence - of the City?
JB: The Gherkin - it's brash, pretentious and owned by Germans. Bit like how the rest of the UK views the City?
HITC: What's the craziest thing you've ever seen in the City?
JB: The incident of when the broker backstroking naked up the swimming pool in front of a cheering audience is regaled to a rapt audience of business students in chapter six of Celebrate Myself, the inspiration is taken from real-life in the City. His state of excitement may have inspired the design of the Gherkin, only Lord Foster knows.
HITC: The City has some great hidden drinking spots. Do you have a favourite?
JB: Shoreditch/City border's a great boozing spot. Drinking absinthe in the Ten Bells on Commercial Street offers bohemian escapism for the well-indentured wage-slave.
HITC: Who made the suit that makes you feel like a Banker (with a capital B)?
JB: Who wears suits?! It's all about the man-bag now, (unless you want to be mistaken for an American hedge fund manager in these dress-down days). Personally, I favour the post industrial Swiss eco-chic of the Freitag. Made out of recycled truck tarpaulins and seat belts. Bespoke of course.
HITC: How do you manage having a life as a banker, author, father and husband?
JB: By reversing that order of priority.
HITC: Any advice for other aspiring banker writers?
JB: Keep it real (but not too real or you might get a nasty lawsuit/P45).
