The Lady Anne

This is a story of two men and their families. They are officers in opposing armies at the end of world war 11. Their initial meeting is as interrogator and prisoner-of-war. They strike up an unlikely friendship which leads them to take advantage of the chaos in post-war Berlin. They become embroiled in the dangerous world of black-marketeering,gambling and diamond smuggling which proves very lucrative for both parties. Yet, they have very different reasons for accumulating this ill-gotten wealth. One is a charismatic charmer, an adventurer, a womaniser and a risk-taker. The other has had a very privileged life and upbringing, used to the good things in life that comes with position, family status and untold wealth. However, the extreme circumstances in which he now find himself calls into question his morality, and the subsequent struggle finds it wanting! Against all odds, a strong bond of support and loyalty develops between the two which lasts a lifetime. As the aftermath of the conflict begins to settle down they have choices to make. One continues in a life of crime, the excitement and the rich rewards proving too difficult to relinquish, whilst the other, chooses the path of respectability. He becomes a well-known horse breeder and trainer. Despite their diverging life-styles and his friends notoriety, their friendship and loyalty to each other remains undiminished. And yet, each in their own way, betray their own families. The river cruiser, 'The Lady Anne', rescued from near dereliction from a canal in Amsterdam, has been instrumental in their wealth creation schemes. It is a constant thread running through the lives of the two friends and subsequently the lives of the children. The boat becomes a catalyst between the generations.