Tony Day (1932-1998)

It is sad to record the sudden death of Tony Day, who, for many years, was Master-in-Charge of Fives at Charterhouse. Sadly, too, his elder brother, Johnny, died only a few weeks later and they had been a regular pairing in the Kinnaird Cup.

Tony went to Harrow in 1944. He was in the School Cricket XI for five years, playing alongside Johnny for two of those. He was Captain in 1949 and was also a member of the school Eton Fives and Rugby team and became Head of his house.

After two years National Service with a commission in the Queen's Regiment, he went up to Magdalene College, Cambridge and came close to winning a Cricket Blue as an elegant, correct batsman.

During the fifties and sixties, Tony played much highgrade club cricket - for the Harrow Wanderers, Oatlands Park, the Free Foresters, the Butterflies and Jim Swanton's well known club, the Arabs, for whom Tony scored 133 not out on his first appearance.

In 1954 he was appointed to the Charterhouse staff as a Lower School form master. History was his main subject, but Tony also taught English, Latin and General Classics and in all these proved himself a thorough and interesting teacher, who always taught with great enthusiasm and success.

From 1959 to 1969 Tony was Master-in-Charge of Cricket. He had some very good sides with outstanding players, notably Richard Gilliatt, who later led Hampshire to win the County Championship and who now is Second Master at Charterhouse: and Edward Craig, who scored more runs in a season than any Carthusian previously. There were many others on whom Tony had a great influence for he showed to all that sport could be enjoyed whilst still being competitive. In all his sport he set the highest standards of behaviour and expected this of his pupils, instilling in them the etiquette of the game.

For a similar period of time he also ran the Fives, where again he was able to pass on his skill and knowledge. He produced 'Notes on Etiquette in Eton Fives' which was so comprehensive that the EFA asked his permission to circulate it to all Eton Fives schools. He also coached the Under-15 football team, doing invaluable work at that crucial level. During all this time he played a full part in the games life of Charterhouse. His great speed made him a prolific goal scorer for the Brooke Hall side and also enabled him to outstrip many opponents on the wing of the Brooke Hall hockey side. All in all for fifteen years Tony was a dominant figure on the school games scene, admired by friend and opponent alike.

Tony succeeded Tony Wreford-Brown as Housemaster of Weekites and was there for fifteen years before becoming Second Master and here too he continued to display that love of his fellow human beings and cared for them within a structured and well-ordered community. He was always thus. To a new member of Brooke Hall, coming in to an enclosed order he was a welcoming friend and his encouragement and shrewd advice, and the example he set in his attitude to life was a source of comfort and often an inspiration. To all the Charterhouse community he was a pillar - the embodiment of what is best in independent education and community living.

When Tony retired from Brooke Hall in 1990 Norman Evans wrote in the Carthusian 'With the retirement of ASD one more member of that endangered species leaves the fold, the genuine, old-style schoolmaster', and he ended a memorable article: 'He will be remembered as someone who gave total service to the community as a whole and to individuals in particular - it is for this that he will be sorely missed'.