Playing with Lego as a child and enjoying drawing instilled a desire in Stone,
33, to seek a creative career, making things happen. He chose a product
design course at Brunel University, West London, and graduated with a first
class honours degree. He joined the design management team at British
Airways in 1996 and led the design of the Club World Flat Bed introduced in
2000and the new World Traveller Plus cabin.
In 2001, he left the skies for the tracks, becoming head of design for GNER
and championing the redesign of its main fleet of trains. Back at British
Airways, he has been in charge of the design of the Club World cabin and
continues to travel the world regularly in search of ideas.
ENTERTAIN: I am a very keen sailor and my idea of the best place to entertain
is aboard a yacht almost anywhere in the world. I love being out on the
water, especially with friends, family or colleagues. It is a terrific way
to bond: experiencing new stuff, getting an adrenalin rush when the wind
gets up. My first choice would be Eagle Rock, the 47 footer I was lucky
enough to sail on from Sydney. We went up to Pittwater at the far end of
Sydney’s northern beaches, with storms raging out to sea and a vivid light
over the dramatic coast. It’s possible to charter the yacht and entertain
eight people, combining the excitement of being at sea with seeking out a
quiet cover, dropping anchor and enjoying a gin and tonic before getting all
the kitchen equipment into action.
RELAX: There’s a very special place for getting away from it all that I will
reveal only because it’s secluded and difficult to find. Leave Boston and
the hubbub of a big city behind and head up Highway 95 through New Hampshire
into the White Mountains at the northern end of the Appalations. There you
will find some wonderful, peaceful lakes. Conway, where my partner’s family
has a property, is my favourite. It offers the best of both worlds for a
break: the opportunity to head up into the hills and hike between mountain
huts or to hang out by the lake, with a little dinghy sailing or waterskiing
if the mood takes you. It’s a place that ticks all the boxes.
SLEEP: The best night’s sleep I ever had was at Estancia Las Pircas near
Mendoza in Argentina. The ranch is at the end of the plains at the foot of
the Andes, far out of the way from any towns and villages and reachable only
by a 4x4. No lights are visible outside at night and you just look up at the
incredible stars in an inky black sky. For someone who lives in London, it
was amazing. After a day’s riding in the mountains on horses rounded up by
gauchos followed by personalised service in the family-run ranch, I slept
perfectly in a homely bedroom.
EAT: Thinking of all the places I have been lucky enough to eat in around the
world, my mind comes back to somewhere close to home: La Trompette in
Devonshire Road, Chiswick, West London. It exceeds any dining experience I
have had. The interior is low lit, with a fascinating feature wall with a
metallic finish, the quality of the food and the variety on the menu is
exceptional and the service just happens. You never have to ask for
anything. You could describe the food as modern British or modern French
with starters such as cream of pea soup with goats cheese, main courses
including confit belly of pork and a board of well-kept French and British
cheeses. It’s good value and a place to stay for hours.
