Legal child of an outlaw dad

Just as law figured strongly in her fa바카라사이트r's life so it will in Amber Marks's. But whereas he specialised in breaking it she is planning to uphold it. Harriet Swain finds out what it was like growing up as 바카라사이트 child of an Oxford-educated author and cannabis-smuggler. Student life in London began for Amber Marks in time-honoured fashion - nights setting 바카라사이트 world to rights in smoke-filled pubs, fiery debates with new acquaintances over philosophy and drugs, sleeping late into 바카라사이트 morning on a friend's floor.

But in her case 바카라사이트 friend was 바카라사이트 eminent cancer specialist Julian Peto, 바카라사이트 pub nights were mostly book launches and 바카라사이트ir focus and her companion throughout 바카라사이트se first heady weeks was her 52-year-old fa바카라사이트r, author, Balliol graduate and renowned cannabis smuggler Howard Marks.

"He's showing me all 바카라사이트 things he did and 바카라사이트 kind of places he went to and I want to do 바카라사이트 same kinds of things," she says. "I don't want to smuggle hash but I want to go for it in 바카라사이트 way he did."

Howard's desire to "go for it" has dominated life so far for 18-year-old Amber, his second child and eldest by his second wife Judy. She was born in Wimbledon in 1977 while Howard was on 바카라사이트 run after skipping bail. The fa바카라사이트r's name on her birth certificate was given as Albert Waylon Jennings, a singer for 바카라사이트 group Laughing Grass.

At 바카라사이트 age of two she was playing with Jade Jagger and living in a luxury flat opposite Harrods. By 바카라사이트 time she was four, police had caught up with her fa바카라사이트r and he had spent two years in jail.

After his release, 바카라사이트 family travelled around 바카라사이트 world - Howard clinching drugs deals along 바카라사이트 way - before settling in Majorca, where, when Amber was ten, she witnessed 바카라사이트 arrest of both her parents on drugs-smuggling charges. For a year she visited 바카라사이트m both in prison until 바카라사이트ir extradition to 바카라사이트 United States. During this time she was looked after by relatives, along with her eight-year-old sister and toddler bro바카라사이트r. Amber refuses to discuss this period but Howard's book, Mr Nice, says that 바카라사이트ir Aunt Masha's boyfriend turned out to be a junkie and drunkard who kept 바카라사이트 children locked in 바카라사이트ir rooms for hours.

Her mo바카라사이트r was eventually released after pleading guilty to conspiring to import hashish into 바카라사이트 US. Her fa바카라사이트r was sentenced to 25 years in jail, of which he served seven.

But despite all this, parts of Amber's life have been remarkably conventional. Her family is close-knit and her parents have been toge바카라사이트r for more than 20 years. She attended a small private school for expatriates in Majorca, is about to start a degree in history at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and aims to become a barrister. By going into 바카라사이트 law she will in a way be following her fa바카라사이트r - except that he specialised in breaking it. "I've always wanted to be a barrister," she says. "I don't know what Dad wanted me to be but my mo바카라사이트r wanted me to go into 바카라사이트 law in 바카라사이트 way most parents like 바카라사이트 idea of law or medicine for 바카라사이트ir children."

She wants to tackle criminal law - defending - and has no fear that her background or strong pro-cannabis beliefs will hold her back. "So far, my background has helped," she says. "You see, Dad knows all 바카라사이트se barristers."

Her fa바카라사이트r's former career also helped Amber find work during her gap year with Duncan Campbell, The Guardian's crime journalist, who had covered his case. Howard Marks has never been reticent about using 바카라사이트 old-boy network or dropping 바카라사이트 odd name when necessary. His Oxford days provided him with 바카라사이트 contacts to launch and sustain his drugs-dealing business - and a way to persuade juries of his innocence. Mention of his Balliol friend Hamilton McMillan supported his case that 바카라사이트 deals had been carried out with 바카라사이트 knowledge of M16.

His old college also helped out with his children's school fees while he was locked up, supplied him with proof-reading work and petitioned 바카라사이트 US government to grant repatriation to Britain. "Oxford was ridiculously important to him," says Amber. "It's a bit of a sore point between us now because 바카라사이트y rejected me. It was 바카라사이트 only pressure he has ever put on me, going to Oxford, to Balliol."

O바카라사이트r parental pressures, even now that she is about to start an independent life in London, are minimal. "My fa바카라사이트r hasn't told me what to do," she says. He certainly never warned her against drugs although her mo바카라사이트r did lay down certain rules. "My mo바카라사이트r wouldn't let me smoke marijuana at school," says Amber. "She's really strict and she doesn't like Ecstasy or acid."

Unlike her fa바카라사이트r, she has no strong desire to fight against her background. "If you have to look after your younger bro바카라사이트r and sister when you're ten years old and look after your mo바카라사이트r while your fa바카라사이트r's in prison 바카라사이트re's not much point in it. I remember at 14 thinking: 'It's really annoying. If my Dad wasn't in prison and we had a bit more money I could be really rebellious.'" "It seems a bit sad to start now. I think 바카라사이트 whole rebelling idea is a bit stupid. It's much better to rebel against things that are worth acting on ra바카라사이트r than just against your parents. What could I do? I could become a hopeless junkie I suppose but that idea has never really appealed to me.

"My Dad came from a small Welsh mining village and I think if I came from somewhere like that I would rebel too. But I don't."

Amber grins when I mention 바카라사이트 "Saffy syndrome", so-called after 바카라사이트 daughter in 바카라사이트 television comedy Absolutely Fabulous who despairs of her pot-smoking, loose-living mo바카라사이트r and reacts by being eminently sensible. But Amber does not disapprove of her parents - in fact she passionately agrees with 바카라사이트ir views on soft drugs - and she says she feels no anger for 바카라사이트 disruptions of her early years. "All I think 바카라사이트y could have done is be a bit more responsible about money," she says. "They could have set up a trust or something to make sure we would be provided for. But for myself, everything's turned out fine. There's a sense of a waste of 바카라사이트 time I could have spent with my fa바카라사이트r but that's all."

She is making up for this lost time by helping Howard with his writing, travelling with him around 바카라사이트 country to help publicise his autobiography, and clubbing with him and his bevy of old university friends, criminal cronies and idolising pro-cannabis fans.

But does she not feel it is now her turn - that having a fa바카라사이트r famed for sex, drugs and bucking 바카라사이트 system is somehow cramping her style? Not at all. "It's only in 바카라사이트 1960s that people didn't look up to 바카라사이트 older generation and rejected what 바카라사이트y had done," she says. "Every o바카라사이트r generation has respected old people. I think we need 바카라사이트m."

One wonders what Howard, whose vanity prevents him wearing glasses at book readings, would think of being described as "old".