Stay in Edinburgh and Enjoy an Audience with Howard Marks

Stay in Edinburgh this weekend and have an Audience with Howard Marks at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh from 8.30pm. Serviced City Pads supply short and long stay apartments throughout Edinburgh.
Dennis Howard Marks (was born 13 August 1945 in Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales) is a former teacher, drug smuggler and author who achived notoriety as an international hashish smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the IRA, 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.

Marks attended the Graw Grammar School in Pontycymer, followed by Balliol College, Oxford between 1964 and 1967 to study Natural Science, Physics (B.A.,Oxon). Among his friends at Balliol was the epidemiologist Julian Peto, and journalist Lynn Barber. After this he studied at the University of London (1967 to 1968). Then back to Balloi, Oxford (1968 to 1969) to study History and Philosophy of Science and then to the University of Sussex (1969 to 1970) to study Philosophy of Science.

He spent seven years 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 Majorca, 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.

Since his release from Prison, Marks has published a best-selling autobiography, Mr Nice which has been translated in many languages. Along with Mr Nice Howard has compiled an anthology called the Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories and more recently a follow on from his autobiography Senor Nice:Straight Life From Wales to South America. Marks is a campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis and tours the world with a one-man show. He appeared in the documentary Stoned in Suburbia which aired on Sky 1 in the UK.

Judy Marks has also written her autobiography of their life together entitled Mr ansd Mrs Nice.

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

Marks has 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.Serviced City Pads.

In 2010, he played a fictional role in the imfamous ganagster movie Killer Bitch. He is also subject of an upcoming biopic starring Rhys Ifans as Marks entitled Mr Nice, named after his autiobiography of the same name. Chloe Sevigny will play the role of his wife Judy. The film is slated for release in 2010.Serviced City Pads supply Serviced Apartments.