Born into a boatbuilding family – his grandfather worked at John Samuel Whites – Tony started out as an apprentice at his uncle Uffa Fox’s boatbuilding company in the Drawing Office. Once the apprenticeship was completed, he moved over to JS Whites, before being called up for National Service. Tony served as a Radar Mechanic in the RAF before returning to the Island and joined British Hovercraft to work on the Dover to Calais Hovercraft.

After working for Vosper Thorneycroft with around 40 other Draughtsmen and Tracers, Tony went freelance as a solo Draughtsman. During this time he returned to work for Uffa, part-time and weekends, and also opened and ran a bookshop in Cowes called the ‘Book Cabin’.