Clifford and Margaret Day
Cliff was born in 1933, thus 14 years younger than his sister Norah - and I love this photograph of Cliff aged, about 12 with his studies being supervised by his older sister!
After attending Barton Road Schools, he was typically surprised by passing the interview for the Boys’ Grammar School. He gradually thrived especially with Mr. Knoyle who taught mathematics and found particularly Algebra and Geometry - to “his liking”. He also appreciated his teacher’s love of Gilbert and Sullivan. He also stimulated long-term byMr. Guy, who taught French but was also a keen amateur photographer. He was most helpful with his growing interest in taking and developing photos. A teacher, who arrived later at the school, was Mr. Leon Creeth, released from the R.A.F, where he had served as Navigator in bombers. He was younger and managed to run the out-of-class interests, thus giving his pupils knowledge in local maps and mapping.
His early teen years, like mine, saw his becoming a very keen trainspotter, especially as he lived on the Ashchurch Road from where he could escape to the main line station. What was fortunate is that he had been bought a Brownie Box Camera, which allowed him to progress from collecting numbers to taking photographs from which we - and the Echo - have much benefitted.
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At the age of 16, he took the School Certificate Examination [now GCSE] and “as far as I can remember, we all did quite well”. He then stayed in the sixth form with one other boy and studied Maths and Physics and eventually took the Civil Service Executive entry examination - and, whilst I was waiting for that result, “I found that I had been made Head Boy shortly before I left the school in 1952”.
In the post-war world, ambition was put on hold while all young man were obliged to undertake National Service. Cliff joined the RAF and, with retrospect it was a significant development as he was made a clerical corporal and learned administrative techniques which had career benefits.
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He left Tewkesbury to work in the Inland Revenue in Coventry and had a significant career as a taxation manager – it is apocryphally suggested that he was involved with the complex tax affairs of the famous football manager, Brian Clough.
Cliff and Margaret A. Thorley married in Warwickshire in the summer of 1960. His wife was a nursing sister who administrative skills graced THS refreshment provision. They produced two sons Paul, now a banker/wine merchant and Peter, a chemistry teacher in Cheltenham. It is reported that they were educated at the prestigious Nottingham High School alongside politicians Ed. Balls and Sir Edward Davey. Happily, for THS, they retired to live near Tewkesbury.
Margaret was sadly stricken by a very serious stoke and was housebound, cared for my Cliff until she died on 27 April 2019 aged 81. Cliff died while living at Ashchurch View Cate Home in the summer of 2022 aged 87. They are buried together at St Peters Church, Bushley.
We were truly blessed by the Day family for the part they played in the life of THS.
Two Significent Photograpnhs taken by the young Cliff Day in 1948 – the birth of British Railways
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