Luc Toscani in Hua Hin 91 years: a life like a boy's book

When he reached 65, Luc Toscani thought: maybe I won't live to be older than 70, so let's not celebrate life too frugally and use up my savings… 26 years later we are sitting in his bungalow in the center of Hua Hin. “I never thought I would get this old. I now live on my pension and my AOW, but I am still better off than many of my contemporaries.

Only walking is more difficult for Luc, but his wife and rock Pranee (she turns 8 on May 66) literally and figuratively keeps him going. They have been married for 15 years now. On May 1, Luc Toscani celebrates reaching 91. In fair health, with an upper chamber as clear as glass. He has a fabulous memory for names and dates and you have to set aside quite some time for a conversation with Luc.

Luke was born in Amsterdam. He was not wanted, his parents separated and Luc grew up with his mother until the latter delivered him to a children's home at the age of nine. When someone told him that his father lived in a large building on the Amstel, he rang the doorbell to say that he was going to live with his father from that moment on. He owned a dancing/theatre on the Rembrandtplein and an arcade (Hommerson and Toscani). He is also the discoverer of Willy Albert. Looking back, Luc says: “As a father, he was never of any use to me. That's too bad".

In 1944, the old Toscani hid two Jewish people in hiding on the Amstel. Despite the necessary home visits, the Germans could not find the two. They picked up young Luc from the street and brought him to camp Amersfoort to put pressure on his father. That did not have the desired effect, also because Luc had fled.

The Jewish people in hiding were both teachers. They gave Luc an education and ensured that he could later attend the Jewish Orthodox Lyceum and eventually finish his five-year high school education. A Canadian billeted after the war taught Luc how to drive and he still does. On the scooter is no longer possible because of the balance.

Because Luc did not want to be sent to Korea in 1953, he sold everything and left for Sweden with his wife and child, where he did everything he could to keep his head above water.

After returning Luc started a chocolate factory in the Haarlemmer Houttuinen in Amsterdam. He supplied, among other things, peanut brittle and chocolate letters to V&D and Hema. The municipality had turned its attention to this area and bought Luc out. "That's the only time I've had a lot of money." That promptly disappeared in '67 and '68 in his hobby: car racing at Zandvoort via the Dutch Auto Racing Association. However, high-level racing is an expensive sport and Luc was in fact already too old. He drove a DKW 1000, won first prize three times and counted Rob Slotemaker and Henk van Zalingen among his friends. Racing buddy at Zandvoort was Udo Kelderman, whom he met again 50 years later in Hua Hin. Astounding: Udo turned out to live a few houses away from Luc for years. Speaking of coincidence…

Luc then went to Spain with his wife and children to sell diamonds and jewelery for a Dutch company. He became president of the Moby Dick apartment building in Benidorm, co-owner of the restaurant in the building and driver of the bus with tourists from the Netherlands.

The question to Luc was: Where and when will Thailand come into view? Luc: In 1996 I received my state pension. I had been a widower for 30 years. Because the land under my house was not in my name, I lost it. I had already been on holiday to Thailand a few times and met in Hua Hin Pranee, whom I have been married to for 15 years in July.”

Luc Toscani loves the Internet. He reads what is loose and stuck. If he thinks someone might be interested in an article, he e-mails it the same day, whether it's about Zandvoort or diabetes. All car races are meticulously followed up to and including the training sessions. In some cases, Luc even leaves the meeting of the Dutch association in Hua Hin early to follow the training that evening. Luc is actually one of the first members after the establishment of the NVTHC 15 years ago. He is definitely the oldest member and his many friends rightly put him and his wife Pranee in the limelight on May 1. Last year, the planned party due to Corona went wrong.

Photo Luc and Pranee: Patrick Franssen.