When Neville Abraham (Br. 1950-55) looks back on his life, one theme runs consistently through it: he has always gone his own way. His new memoir, Each and Every Highway, is a lively reflection on a life driven by curiosity, good company and a willingness to follow interests wherever they might lead.
Born in Calcutta in 1937, Neville moved to the UK with his family in 1950 at the age of 13. After studying at Brighton College and later at the London School of Economics, he began a varied early career that took in advertising, the senior civil service and management consultancy. In 1974 he published Big Business and Government: The New Disorder (Macmillan), an exploration of the changing relationship between corporations and the state.
During London’s swinging 1960s and 70s he formed a long and productive partnership with Laurence Isaacson. Together they founded, built and eventually sold several ventures, including the Amis du Vin Group, Groupe Chez Gérard PLC and Creative Business Communications. Neville later chaired the board of Liberty Wines for two decades, and in recognition of his contribution to the sector he was awarded a CBE for services to the restaurant industry.
Food and wine are just two of the passions that weave through the story Neville tells in Each and Every Highway. Restaurants, architecture, cricket and music all feature in a life that Neville describes with characteristic modesty, where he suggests he never excelled in any single field, but discovered a talent for identifying, supporting and organising the gifts of others.
That instinct also shaped his involvement in the arts. Neville and Laurence founded the Covent Garden Festival, and he later oversaw the London International String Quartet Competition. As a Governor of Brighton College he helped guide an ambitious programme that saw ten new buildings created in a decade, designed by leading architects and transforming the campus.
Today Neville continues to channel his energy into philanthropy through his charitable foundation, which provides under-privileged state school children with opportunities for personal development, including music and sport.
Each and Every Highway is available on Amazon in print and Kindle editions.