Alec Ward
Alec Ward was born in 1928 in Ewell Surrey, the second son of William Leslie and Gladys Ward (nee Hartshorn) After attending Ewell Boys School 1935-39 he went on to Kings College School Wimbledon. He then did two years National Service in the Artillery before reading Modern History at Christ Church, Oxford. While there he became interested in the Colonies. Churchill might not have wanted to preside over the dissolution of the British Empire, but Alec thought that to be involved in the process could not fail to be interesting and challenging. So in 1952 he joined the Colonial Office. Later he was seconded to the Commonwealth Relations Office and was then absorbed into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
In 1955 he married Sheila (nee Hawking) and within the next ten years they had four children, Jennifer, Anthony, Rosalind and Michael, the last two being born in Singapore.
His overseas service began in 1960 with a four year posting to the UK Commission in Singapore. His work there gave him a high regard for the British Armed Services with whom he had regular official contacts. He was also grateful to the British Army for teaching him how to sail. He took part twice in the ‘Round the Island’ race in a 14ft dinghy.
His next posting was to Pakistan, where after a few months in Karachi the family moved into one of the first houses for diplomats in the new capital, Islamabad, which gave the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas and make memorable visits to Kashmir and Kabul.
This was followed by a period at home and then a short posting to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Ian Smith’s UDI was still in force and a Commission under Lord Pearce was going out to see whether certain proposals for constitutional advance were acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole. Then he spent nearly four years in Sri Lanka before ending his diplomatic career as High Commissioner in Mauritius.
After that for several years he and Sheila ran a residential/retreat house in Shropshire (The Grange, Ellesmere). Alec planted hundreds of trees, grew organic vegetables in the walled kitchen garden and maintained the buildings and grounds including two large wooden greenhouses. He retired again in 2000 and now lives in Dorset but still enjoys gardening visits to the Grange where daughter Rosie and family and the Medlar Press are now based.
His other interests include wood turning, music and walking.
In 1955 he married Sheila (nee Hawking) and within the next ten years they had four children, Jennifer, Anthony, Rosalind and Michael, the last two being born in Singapore.
His overseas service began in 1960 with a four year posting to the UK Commission in Singapore. His work there gave him a high regard for the British Armed Services with whom he had regular official contacts. He was also grateful to the British Army for teaching him how to sail. He took part twice in the ‘Round the Island’ race in a 14ft dinghy.
His next posting was to Pakistan, where after a few months in Karachi the family moved into one of the first houses for diplomats in the new capital, Islamabad, which gave the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas and make memorable visits to Kashmir and Kabul.
This was followed by a period at home and then a short posting to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Ian Smith’s UDI was still in force and a Commission under Lord Pearce was going out to see whether certain proposals for constitutional advance were acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole. Then he spent nearly four years in Sri Lanka before ending his diplomatic career as High Commissioner in Mauritius.
After that for several years he and Sheila ran a residential/retreat house in Shropshire (The Grange, Ellesmere). Alec planted hundreds of trees, grew organic vegetables in the walled kitchen garden and maintained the buildings and grounds including two large wooden greenhouses. He retired again in 2000 and now lives in Dorset but still enjoys gardening visits to the Grange where daughter Rosie and family and the Medlar Press are now based.
His other interests include wood turning, music and walking.
