One Hundred Summers

Product Description

Britain's Twentieth century seen through the prism of one extraordinary family. From the embers of a gilded age, through the first and second world wars, until Cool Britannia and beyond o One Hundred Summers is a touching and at times heartbreaking reverie on fortune, fate and passion. A tribute to the many personalities that bind Vanessa Branson's intergenerational memoir as it weaves a vivid tapestry of English eccentrics, heroes, lovers and villains.
Along the way we witness the rough and tumble of the author's post war village childhood, and follow her adventures from opening a London art gallery to the founding of a major arts festival in North Africa, restoring an ancient palace into a world famous hotel and actually finding Neverland o the private island where JM Barrie worked on writing Peter Pan. Cameos include an amorous peacock, Andy Warhol, her brother Richard and the Vice President of the United States.Britain's Twentieth century seen through the prism of one extraordinary family. From the embers of a gilded age, through the first and second world wars, until Cool Britannia and beyond o One Hundred Summers is a touching and at times heartbreaking reverie on fortune, fate and passion. A tribute to the many personalities that bind Vanessa Branson's intergenerational memoir as it weaves a vivid tapestry of English eccentrics, heroes, lovers and villains.
Along the way we witness the rough and tumble of the author's post war village childhood, and follow her adventures from opening a London art gallery to the founding of a major arts festival in North Africa, restoring an ancient palace into a world famous hotel and actually finding Neverland o the private island where JM Barrie worked on writing Peter Pan. Cameos include an amorous peacock, Andy Warhol, her brother Richard and the Vice President of the United States.
Vanessa Branson (born 1959) is an English entrepreneur, who is the sister of Richard Branson. She is the founder of the Marrakech Biennale.
Branson founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986 -91) in Portobello Road, London where she showed a number of emerging artists including William Kentridge's UK debut exhibition. Along with Prue O'Day and Anatol Orient she initiated the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989.
Between 1999 and 2004 Prue O'Day and Vanessa Branson curated the Wonderful Fund collection at the Museum of Marrackech. This involved 15 people investing in the fund with which Branson and O'Day purchased works of contemporary art.
She owns and runs Eilean Shona, an island on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart where J M Barrie wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan.
In 2002 she developed the Riad El Fenn hotel in the centre of Marrakech, together with her business partner Howell James.
In 2005 she became the President and Founder of the Arts in Marrakech Festival, now known as the Marrakech Biennale.
She is a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and The Leila Alaoui Foundation, as well as a trustee for Virgin Unite. She is also on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation.