Neal' s Yard pioneer dies in car crash
by GERVASE WEBB
NICHOLAS SAUNDERS, the man who coined the phrase "alternative
society" and changed the face of Covent Garden, has died in a
car crash aged 60. The son of a director of the London School
of Economics had been a rebel since the time he tried to blow
up the chapel at his school, Ampleforth. In the Sixties he was
a squatter in Chelsea, and in 1970 he published the vade mecum
for a generation -- Alternative London.
To the outrage of the Establishment, Saunders offered advice
on how to live in London free and how to avoid getting arrested.
His next venture was to buy a derelict warehouse in Covent
Garden 22 years ago. The Neal's Yard Wholefood Warehouse became
a model of its kind -- a successful example of capitalism with
a conscience.
In 1988 Saunders "discovered" ecstasy. He became a fervent
proseletyser for the drug, writing three well-received books about
ecstasy and the dance culture.
Saunders died in a car that swerved off the road in South Africa.
The woman driving was seriously injured. His body will be brought
back to England. He leaves a partner, Anja, and son Kristoffer,
19.