Page 20 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 59

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

The life and times of a former Secretary

of the ACC Association

By Major (Retd) Wally Vincent

Having had the privilege of the Natural History Museum. Previously, this
of being the Association’s was the private museum of Lionel Walter, 2nd
Secretary for nearly 5 years Baron Rothschild and it houses one of the finest
before handing over to Major collections of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and
Eric Lewis, I am acutely aware insects in the UK. I visited the museum frequently
of the lack of information we mainly because the father of a great school mate
hold for so many of our mem- was the head of Entomology (I think) at the
bers, not least when it comes to sadly having to draft museum. Being a Dutch family, they had portraits
an obituary for inclusion in ‘Last Post’. It’s also an of naked ladies on their walls which was another
unwelcome reality that we often only get to know good reason to visit. Anyway, they had a great house
about someone’s life after they have passed away, and garden next to the museum and adjacent to
unless the individual has the foresight to pen their Tring Park, which is where we spent most summer
final words in advance of the dreaded day, which holidays until they routed the A41 bypass through
very occasionally does happen! I promised that the middle of these idyllic surroundings.
I would write an article about myself on the basis I have no particularly fond memories of Tring
that so many Association members will know little, Junior School and my class teacher assured my
if anything, about my service in the ACC, briefly in Mum that I would make a “good dustman” when
The RLC and during a civilian career afterwards. I left at the age of 11, not that there is anything
As an aside, I have no plans to depart at any time wrong with that career of course, just not quite
soon just in case you are wondering! Just a small what I had in mind. Needless to say, I didn’t make it
caveat though, I really do have a fairly poor mem- into Berkhamstead Grammar School but was duly
ory for events and times so this article might be a) packed off Tring Secondary Modern, in those days
quite short and b) fairly inaccurate so please forgive a very poor academic institution that bred a good
any errors and omissions, they are entirely my own. number of bullies (I remember those well enough).
I had a challenging start to life in some ways and Some students were lucky enough to go on to a
not a great education, initially at least. My father, sixth form college, in Aylesbury I recall. Thankfully
who was a young RAF serviceman and only child, Tring Secondary Modern became a comprehen-
passed away suddenly at the age of just 21 from sive around 2 years before I left and the academic
a brain hemorrhage just 3 weeks before Wallace standards increased, along with my interest and
Edward Van Niekerk (my name at birth) was born.
A young Wally Vincent
I cannot imagine the emotional and physical impact
showing early promise as
on my young mother at the time, but as a result I was a chef in a school play!
a bit unwell when I was born, apparently. Anyway, Late 1960?
nothing too serious and I have vague memories
of growing up as a toddler on a caravan park near
Chertsey, close to what was then gravel pits. I think
it might now be Thorpe Park, you will see the ‘lakes’
as you drive past on the M3. Clearly Mum didn’t
have much income at the time, but I had a generally
happy early childhood. I was joined a few years
later by my two brothers after Mum remarried
when I was 5 years old, I was formally adopted
by my new Dad and became a Vincent. Sadly,
I can’t remember the wedding, but I have a photo
to prove I was there! Some time later we moved to
a small ‘2 up – 2 down’ terraced house with a coal
fired range in the kitchen and a loo in a shed in the
back garden, in a small market town called Tring,
Hertfordshire. Notable for its weekly cattle market
which was messy and smelly but always good fun;
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts (then
the Arts Educational School, which was very posh,
I was never invited to visit); and what is now part

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