Former T&RA Chairman Charles Swallow Has Died
The T&RA reports the very sad news that Charles Swallow passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday 16th March.
Born in Cheshire in 1938, Charles was the youngest of three children of John Swallow, a research scientist who led the team at ICI that invented low-density polythene (LDPE), and Irene, a scientist. The LDPE was to form the core of the future Rackets ball, to which Charles would use to great effect.
Charles was a keen lawn tennis player, selected for Dan Maskell’s junior squad, before making his junior Wimbledon debut at 14. At Charterhouse, he was too keen on cricket and Rackets to limit himself to only one game and also took up Real Tennis, playing at Hatfield House.
After reading history at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he played Real Tennis for the university and squash for Oxfordshire, he taught history at Harrow befoe becoming headmaster of a comprehensive school at Bicester, Oxfordshire. Charles gave up teaching to run the Vanderbilt Clubin 1985, with its five indoor courts and attracting not only the stars of tennis but also members of London’s higher society, including Princess Diana.
Charles was Amateur Rackets Champion on four occasions, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1969; as well as Amateur Doubles Champion in 1960 and 1963. He was at his peak during this period, challenging Geoffrey Atkins for the World Singles in 1964 and again in 1970. Charles was to go on to become the Chairman of the T&RA for six years, between March 1997 and March 2003, and subsequently a Vice President of the Association. Rackets has lost a great champion and a true gentleman.
Charles' wife Susanna died in 2019 and he is survived by their son, Mark, and daughter, Amanda, and by his partner of the past five years, Caroline Dawnay. The T&RA sends it deepest condolences to his family.
