interview
Island Life - June/July 2010
Anne Ginger
Est. 1980
Manufacturers of fine soft furnishings
Curtains
Blinds
Loose Covers
Headboards
PHOTO: Arriving together at Osborne House for the celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of
the first America's Cup, in 2001. From left, Linda and Anthony, Eve Branson, Richard Branson,
and two to the right his father Ted Branson. Between them, a guest at the occasion. "I take
after my son" says Ted "in appreciating a pretty lady"
Oakley, who had come up with a design of
reached for his solicitors when I published
mast which bent over at its top, so increasing
what I thought Ben Lexcen’s secret keel
the amount of sail. The Lionheart was to
looked like.”
sail with the new design, but the Americans
became suspicious that the mast design
was a winner and outlawed it. “Britain rules
Australia II went on to be the first
the saying goes.” However a keel design,
memory is of a man who enjoyed the
hidden underwater, was easier to keep
company of others, whatever their
secret. Anthony, as proprietor of Seahorse
backgrounds or political differences. Which
magazine, followed closely the work of an
is something Anthony shares. Saying of
Australian, Ben Lexcen, with whom he had
somebody that he or she “has a good brain”
sailed for the Admiral’s Cup. In Sydney,
is the ultimate accolade, and he relishes the
Ben secretly made model boats with keels
company of those who share his loves.
carrying exotic bulbs and wings: Anthony
One such friend was an artist, Jack
was sworn to secrecy. But later, when the
Lawrence Miller, who, until his death was
world knew that “Australia II” had indeed
married to Anthony’s lady, Linda. The walls
been built with such a revolutionary keel (too
of his Ventnor home are hung with Jack’s
late for the Americans to object) he shared
oils and watercolours, which are striking for
the good news with the racing world about
their free lines and energy. Their friendship
what it might look like. And that got him
developed through a shared love of Chopin.
4B Lake Ind. Way
Newport Road
Lake
Tel 01983 407730
Web: www.anneginger.co.uk
“Jack loved Chopin’s Preludes,” Anthony
says, as we look at an extraordinary picture
Cowes in front of the TV men with Ted
which depicts the contemporary holiday
Heath,” he says “The girl interviewer there
makers – Jack himself, Anthony, and
was a bit of a bimbo. When Ted said to me ‘I
Jack’s then-girlfriend – playing with 13th
saw La Traviata last night, her reply was: ‘Oh,
Century occult cards which summon up
what kind of a boat is that?’ The interview
the ghost of Chopin. With Miller, Anthony
didn’t last long after that. But in the
went to Majorca, where Chopin had lived,
background was the financier of Australia
scandalously, with his lover George Sand. “In
II, Alan Bond, who I’d been warned had
their monastery cell, I played Chopin’s piano
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Everything for a
stylish interior
Anthony’s sailing days with Edward Heath
might have been over but the overarching
“There was a sticky moment. I was in
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non-American ever to win the coveted Cup.
the waves, but America waives the rules, as
into trouble.
Extensive library of
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