Tracy Claridge OC 1967-1974

BY ANDREW PEARSON (OC 1969-1975)

Tracy Leigh Claridge was born on 8th April 1956 to Reg and Iris.  His many friends knew him as TC and were all in shock when they learned that he was terminally ill.  We all regarded him as bullet-proof.  A larger-than-life character who made an impression on everybody who met him.

Tracy attended Cranbrook College in Ilford until 1967, when he passed the entrance exam to Chigwell school. 

At Chigwell he was an outstanding sportsman retaining both the school javelin and shot-put records for many years after he had left the school.  He played cricket for Essex colts, football for the public schools, he was also captain of basketball who went unbeaten for two years, winning numerous competitions and eventually going on to play for England under 19s and the "Avenue", one of the leading men's clubs in London.

In 1974 the school cricket team, under TC’s captaincy, won 15 out of 16 matches, including the unusual feat of beating the MCC. Due to his physique, he was also ideal for the big bass drum in the school corps of drums speech day parade.

After school, he continued playing cricket firstly for the Woodford Wells before he moved to Kent playing for Ashford, Sevenoaks Vine and Hawkhurst.  He also played for the Old Chigs in the Brewers cup and for the Mediators, a wandering club, steeped in tradition for fair play, TC always adhered to this ethos.  The Mediators toured South Africa in 1981 playing at Newlands.  He hated apartheid, as we all do, he was always committed to tackling social injustice.

He played football for the Old Chigs for three seasons, but became disillusioned with the game and decided rugby should be attempted.  Having never played the game, he soon found himself in the first XV and was instrumental in Woodford winning the Essex cup in 1980.  Later he played for Cranbrook in Kent, captaining the side from 1984 to 87. He was a single figure handicap golfer playing at Moatlands Golf Club. In later years he took up bowls and of course won a few cups.

Tracy’s teenage home life was not altogether happy. He spent a lot of his teenage years with my parents, my mother helping him through some difficult times after his own mother passed away. He always stayed in touch with them.

Tracy had studied French and German and on leaving school went into the wine industry, working for Stapleton Fletcher and Norton Langridge.  He also had an interest in real ale and was involved in a bar near Blackheath the appropriately named Bitter Experience. 

In 1981 he decided he needed to further his education and study viticulture and viniculture in Australia, returning after eighteen months via France and Germany. It was at this point he moved to Kent and launched "Claridge Fine Wines", specialising in Australian wines.  He worked for John Brownsdon and Co for several years, obtaining a thorough knowledge of sales.  In 1995 he impressed the late Peter Sichel with his knowledge, landing the dream job working for Maison Sichel.  Famous not only in France but throughout the wine drinking world.  The Sichels feel they have lost a dear member of their family.

He was much sought after by wine societies for tastings and lectures.  His knowledge extended well beyond the first growths and negociants of Bordeaux, he would have made a wonderful sommelier.

On the 20th September 2001 he was to marry Jac.  They went on to have Emily and Alice, Tracy also became stepfather to Oliver, Gabby, Jan Michael and Claudine. The marriage sadly ended, but some six years later Tracy met Deborah.  He really did find love and happiness again, he felt he had two more children in Harriet and Anna (Deborah’s daughters) and TC became a grandfather figure to Harriet’s daughters: Holly and Immie.

Tracy was never one for awards but was delighted when in 2020 he was awarded The Kent Association of Local Councils Community Award. He did much for the Benenden community, organising the church fete and other events helping those who were not so fortunate, elderly living alone or the homeless raising vast sums along the way for St George's Church, where he was also a churchwarden.  He had found much comfort in the church.

He fought Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a debilitating and painful illness, with great courage.  He was comforted in his last weeks by Deborah, Emily, Alice, Claudine, the Reverend David Commander, Mike and Anne, Deborah’s mother and father, who had been so delighted to have welcomed TC into their family and see their daughter so happy for the 10 years they enjoyed together. He passed away aged just 66 on 22nd April 2022.