Vincent Burke was born in south London, UK in 1942 – a wartime baby.  His house was destroyed in 1944 by a V2 flying bomb, and his sister was killed.  He was was brought up as a devout Catholic, and trained for the priesthood in a monastery for everal years, including in Rome at the time of the Second Vatican Council.  Having changed his mind, he taught for a few years, became a union official (first teachers then actors) and then worked as a marketing specialist in London’s West End theatre industry.  He owned and ran a specialist travel business focusing on cultural tourism.  He came to Adelaide, where he now lives, and has been a market researcher for 30 years.  He has written several books along the way.