All of us Bothy-people are still taking in this tragic news. Suffice to say that I wouldn't be a Resident singer if it weren't for his encouragement and indeed, asking me to join the team from the "floor" in the mid-'70s. Nor would I be the front-man and doing it in the manner in which I do, if it weren't for his example. Forthright and passionate, his catholic booking policy would see Mr Fox engaged one week at the Club, followed by Tim Lyons the next! - ensuring that the traddies and the modernists would each have their backs up within the fortnight! - but I loved that lack of pigeon-holing and learned so much from it. Entertaining? Yes. Sincere? To the nth degree.
Of course I'm only 'holding the fort' til he returns from that 6 month teaching secondment he took in 1975, which is how I ended up singing "The Barnyards Of Delgaty" each Sunday ever since. I last saw him at the celebration for Liverpool CAMRA's 30 years existence and whilst most of us were being self-congratulatory, Tony's speech railed against the big Pub Companies (you can hardly call them brewers now)and reminded us of the battles still to be fought, counselling us not to relax nor drop our guard.
He was, as he'd always been, an activist and I shall miss him, oh how I shall miss him, as a dear friend and mentor.