R.I.P. HOWARD MARKS – “MR NICE” ( 13 AUGUST 1945- 10 APRIL 2016 ) ….LONG FEATURED HERE AT THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION, LITTLEDEAN JAIL

 R.I.P MR NICE

ABOVE : Howard Marks in his prime …

WHETHER ONE LOVE’S HIM OR LOATHES HIM … HOWARD MARKS , DESCRIBED AS BRITAIN’S BEST LOVED , RETIRED INTERNATIONAL DOPE DEALER , SADLY LOSES  HIS  BATTLE WITH CANCER, AND PASSED AWAY AGED 70 ON 10 APRIL 2016 , WITH HIS FAMILY AROUND HIM . 

FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL …AS A LONG STANDING FRIEND  WE WISH HOWARD’S FAMILY  ALL THE VERY BEST DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES

 

ABOVE IS A BRIEF  VIDEO NEWS RELEASE OF THE SAD DEATH OF HOWARD MARKS

 

 

 

ABOVE AND BELOW : A BRIEF LOOK AT SOME OF THE HOWARD MARKS COLLAGES ON DISPLAY HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL …

BELOW IS A  PREVIOUS NEWS ARTICLE ANNOUNCING THE SAD NEWS THAT HOWARD WAS BATTLING INOPERABLE BOWL CANCER ………..       

Drug smuggler-turned-celebrity author Howard Marks, 69, reveals he has inoperable bowel cancer

• Diagnosis was in autumn last year but he has now ‘come to terms with it’
• Mr Marks, who spent seven years in a US prison, has no regrets
• His bestselling memoir Mr Nice was turned into a film starring Rhys Ifans 
• Now, his aim is to continue his battle for the legalisation of marijuana 
• Celebrity friends are holding a concert in his honour to raise funds for treatment and to set up a charitable foundation 

PUBLISHED: 13:37, 25 January 2015 | UPDATED: 16:49, 25 January 2015

Former drug smuggler Howard Marks – once known as Mr Nice – has revealed he has inoperable bowel cancer.

The 69-year-old, who spent seven years in a US prison, was diagnosed in autumn last year but said he has now ‘come to terms with it’.

And after selling more than a million copies of his memoir, published in 1996, and being captured on screen by actor Rhys Ifans, Mr Marks says he has no regrets.

A recent photograph of Howard Marks , February 2015 , at the time he revealed that he had been diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer

Above is a picture of Howard Marks at his most recent event , staged at the Forum , London on 27 February 2015.

HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL WE TOUCH UPON A GREAT MANY TABOO AND TRUE CRIME SUBJECT MATTERS THAT NO OTHER VISITOR  ATTRACTION DARE COVER . (IT’S HISTORY FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!!!…ISN’T IT ?)

A VERY BRIEF PICTORIAL MONTAGE INSIGHT INTO THE EXPLOITS AND INTERNATIONAL HEADLINE NEWS SURROUNDING ONE OF THE UK’S MOST INFAMOUS AND NOTORIOUS DRUGS SMUGGLERS …… NOW FAMED AUTHOR HERE ON DISPLAY AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL

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ANDY JONES OF THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL SEEN HERE WITH HOWARD MARKS AT A PRIVATE BASH IN LONDON BACK IN JANUARY 2011

AN INTRIGUING INTERACTIVE VIDEO INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HOWARD MARKS  …NR NICE

Howard Marks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dennis Howard Marks (born 13 August 1945) is a Welsh author and drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug Enforcement Administration. At the height of his drug career, he was said to have controlled 10% of the world’s hashish trade.^[1]

He currently lives in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.^{[citation needed}

[edit]Early life

Marks was born in Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, Wales, and attended the Garw Grammar School in Pontycymer (he is a fluent Welsh speaker^[2]). This was followed by Balliol College, Oxford, between 1964 and 1967, where he studied natural science with nuclear physics. Among his friends at Balliol was the epidemiologist Julian Peto, and the journalist Lynn Barber. After this he studied Physics (Grad. Inst P.) at the University of London (1967 to 1968). Then, he went back to Balliol, Oxford (1968 to 1969) to study History and Philosophy of Science (Dip. H.Ph. Sc.) and then he went on to theUniversity of Sussex (1969 to 1970) to study Philosophy of Science.

He spent seven years imprisoned in the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, Indiana. During his smuggling career, he claims not to have used violence and to have refused to deal with hard drugs. Both he and his now ex-wife Judy Marks were extradited from Mallorca, Spain to Florida. They have three children together: Amber, Francesca and Patrick. He also has an older daughter, Myfanwy, from a 5-year relationship with Rosie Lewis.

[edit]Life after release

Following his release from prison, Marks published a best-selling autobiography, Mr Nice (Secker and Warburg, 1996), which has been translated into many languages. In addition to Mr Nice, he compiled an anthology called The Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories (Vintage, 2001) and more recently a follow-on from his autobiography; Señor Nice: Straight Life From Wales to South America.Señor Nice differs from his previous book as drugs are not central to the story and, while autobiographical, the book is more Marks’ own exploration of his ancestor, the pirate Sir Henry Morgan.^[3]

Marks is a campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis and tours the world with a one-man show. He also appeared in the documentary Stoned in Suburbia which aired on Sky1 in the UK. In October 2010, Howard hosted a documentary on Current TV titled ‘Howard Marks On Drugs’, which investigated drugs laws in the UK.

Judy Marks has also written her autobiography of their life together entitled “Mr Nice and Mrs Marks” published by Ebury Press, 2006.

Marks recorded the song ‘Grow More Weed’ with the UK dub punk band P.A.I.N.

Within the world of music, Marks co-recorded a song ‘Three men in a boat’ with his long time friend Lee Harris. The record was later remixed by River Styx (Musician, rap poet) and released on the album ‘Angel Headed Hip Hop’ on Genepool/Universal Ltd.

Marks stood for election to UK Parliament in 1997, on the single issue of the legalization of cannabis. He contested four seats at once: Norwich South (against future Home Secretary Charles Clarke),Norwich North, Neath and Southampton Test. The average vote was over 1%. This led to the formation of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) by Alun Buffry in 1999.

From 1999 to 2000 he was the honorary rector of Glasgow Caledonian University.

On 28 October 2010 he appeared as a guest on the BBC music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Marks is the voice-over for the television series Dirty Sanchez.

[edit]Films

Marks had a role as a customs officer in the planned film Ecstasy, based on the bestselling book by Irvine Welsh and also made a cameo appearance in the 1999 film Human Traffic (in the “spliff politics” scene).

In 2010, he played a fictional role in the infamous gangster movie Killer Bitch directed by Liam Galvin.^[4] He is also the subject of a biopic starring Rhys Ifans as Marks entitled Mr Nice, named after hisautobiography of the same name. Chloë Sevigny plays the role of his wife Judy. The film was released in October 2010.

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RONNIE BIGGS … THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY 1963 ….

RONNIE BIGGS POLICE MUGSHOT 

Ronald Arthur “Ronnie” Biggs is an English criminal, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, for his escape from prison in 1965, for living as a fugitive for 36 years and for his various publicity stunts while in exile

16TH JULY 2013 – RONNIE BIGGS WITH ANDY JONES FROM THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION

ABOVE ARE A  FEW PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING A RECENT PRIVATE VISIT WITH RONNIE BIGGS AT HIS NURSING HOME RETREAT ( 16TH JULY 2013 ) . CERTAINLY ON FORM DURING THE VISIT AND ENJOYING THE GREAT BRITISH SUNSHINE !!

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VARIOUS PICTORIAL SLIDESHOW, VIDEO FOOTAGE, PICTURES AND NEWSPAPER REPORTS COVERING THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR RONNIE BIGGS’S NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY BOOK LAUNCH “ODD MAN OUT: THE LAST STRAW” HELD AT THE SHOREDITCH HOUSE , LONDON ON THE 17TH NOVEMBER 2011 . THE EVENT WAS ATTENDED BY MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS AND JOURNALISTS EAGER TO ASK RONNIE LOTS OF QUESTIONS DESPITE HIS CLEAR DISABILITY IN BEING UNABLE TO VOICE HIS ANSWERS . RELIANT SOLEY ON HIS SON MIKE AND HIS SPELLBOARD

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RONNIE BIGGS …THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBER USING HIS SPELLBOARD AT HIS BOOK LAUNCH … NOW ON DISPLAY AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL ALONG WITH VARIOUS OTHER GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY MEMORABILIA ITEMS .

THE SPELLBOARD USED BY RONNIE BIGGS AT HIS BOOK LAUNCH AND NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL

RONNIE BIGGS WITH AJ BACKSTAGE AT HIS BOOK LAUNCH PRESS CALL .

ALSO PICTURED HERE WITH HIS SPELLBOARD USED BY HIM DURING THE DAY AND NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL

RONNIE BIGGS SAT WITH AJ DURING PRESS CALL , PICTURED HERE LOOKING AT HIMSELF PICTURED WITHIN THE LITTLEDEAN JAIL TOURISM LEAFLET.

A J CHATTING TO LEGENDARY DJ (AND SON OF BLUES GUITARIST LEGEND JOHN MAYALL) GAZ  MAYALL  AKA GAZ’S ROCKIN BLUES

OUR … CRIME THROUGH TIME  @ LITTLEDEAN JAIL FACEBOOK ADMIN JULES SEEN HERE LOOKING AS IF HE’S JUST ABOUT TO CLOBBER RONNIE BIGGS AT THE BOOK LAUNCH …

• Ronnie Biggs: I’ll be remembered as a loveable rogue

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 November 2011 20.29 GMT

Ronnie Biggs at a press conference in London to launch his book. Photograph: David Levene

Ronnie Biggs said he would be remembered as Britain’s “loveable rogue” as he made an appearance in public. The 82-year-old Great Train Robber said he was proud of his achievements, despite remorse for his crimes.

Unable to physically speak after several strokes, Biggs responded to questions at a press event to publicise his book, Odd Man Out: The Last Straw by pointing to a word and letter board. Asked how the country perceived him, he spelled out “loveable rogue”.

His son, Michael, speaking on his behalf at the east London event, said Biggs had no regrets about voluntarily returning from Brazil in 2001 to face justice for the 1963 robbery.

He had been working on the book since he was released from jail on compassionate grounds in 2009, the family said.

Biggs is unable to walk or talk. His son described how he developed a life-threatening chest infection every three or four weeks. “This is probably the first and last time he is holding a press conference.”

Launching his book, Biggs expressed sorrow over the fate of Jack Mills, the driver of the robbed mail train, who died in 1970 having never made a full recovery after being coshed. But when asked whether any proceeds from the book would go to Mills’s family, the ex-fugitive’s son said: “That has not been discussed yet.”

The book updates Biggs’s 1994 autobiography and has chapters covering his return to the UK, his time in prison, his release on compassionate grounds and his life since.

He Biggs first suffered a stroke in 1998 and has been admitted to hospital several times since returning to Britain.

Biggs was a member of a gang that made off with £2.6m from a Glasgow to London mail train. He was sentenced to 30 years, but escaped from Wandsworth prison, south London, in a furniture van 15 months later and spent more than 30 years on the run, living in Spain, Australia and Brazil. Biggs says in the book that he is a “very different man to the one who went on the run from HMP Wandsworth back in July 1965”. “Not only are there many, many more miles on the clock, but also there is the damage done to my body and soul by the strokes and other health problems that should have killed me already; and may have already done so by the time you get around to reading this,” he writes.

“I lay no claim to having been a perfect man who has led a faultless life, and never have, but I am a better man for the experiences of the past 50 years, a period in which I spent over three-quarters of my life trying to honestly maintain my family and myself as best I could.

“It has been said by those who don’t know me – and who have never met me – that I have no regrets, but that simply isn’t true. I have always regretted the hurt I caused by my actions, and especially to my own family and friends.”

BELOW SHOWS PICTURE FROM PORTUGESE NEWSPAPER WHICH ALSO SHOWS  OUR JULES (ADMIN) IN ACTION …..THE LARGER THAN LIFE (OR THE OTHER SNAPPERS) CHARACTER SEEN HERE ON THE FRONT ROW