50th nominees brought back memories

After reading the announcement of the names of the nominees for the 50th Anniversary Awards, I note with great interest and pleasure that the awardees included seven journalists. However, some of the names of major players were missing. This record breaking historical precedent propelled me down memory lane which focused on my late father Johnson Arthur Ince, who was a Journalist for over 60 years.

Johnson’s passion for his chosen life career was so intense that as soon as he graduated from Queens Royal College he immediately applied to the Guardian Newspaper for a position as a trainee reporter. After a few years, he was lured away by the Port-of-Spain Gazette Newspapers also on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain.

However, this love affair only survived eight years and he subsequently returned to the Guardian. But history would record that after 20 years at the Guardian; his roving psyche emerged and he headed off to British Guyana where he was employed at the Daily Chronicle as a Sub Editor.

After three years he decided to return to his first love - “The Guardian” where “he would remain put” completing 46 years of service with the company. After returning to the Trinidad Guardian his job description and terms of reference changed as it included producing fiery, fearless and well balanced editorial commentaries which resulted in a burning ritual of a copy of the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper in Woodford Square.

I firmly believe that Johnson Ince literally perceived Journalism as a consummate lover which “he could not get out of his blood,” as he came out of retirement to be the Editor of the Anglican Out Look Newspaper operating from offices at Queens Park West, Port-of-Spain, greatly assisting my late wife Rhona Ince and myself in producing the monthly newspaper for the Diocese, and if this was not enough, he joined the Newsday Newspaper as a member of the team for a few years. Johnson Arthur Ince died on the August 6, 2001 at the age of 90.

I believe that he was also the first citizen to be the Editor of the Guardian, paving the way for Therese Mills. Tucked away in my childhood memory vault are the very many bicycle trips daddy and I made around 9 pm to the Trinidad Guardian printing room where there was a massive black printing press located on the ground floor of the building to ensure that the broadsheet newspaper was “put to bed.”

Vaughn Ince
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