Family, friends and colleagues of Tony Kane packed the Upper Ground Floor room at William Morris House on Saturday, February 5, as the room’s name was changed from the Burne-Jones Room to the Tony Kane Room.
The Directors of the House had wanted a room to be named after a contemporary socialist who had made a significant contribution to Wimbledon life. Tony Kane (1938-2018) was an artist, teacher, editor, community campaigner and a long-standing member of the House’s management committee. He founded the Time & Leisure arts magazine, was co-founder of Wimbledon Bookfest and sat on the board of the New Wimbledon Theatre. He was also instrumental in commissioning the beautiful stained glass window in the room that now bears his name.
Attendees spoke of Tony’s time as a teacher and on the committee of William Morris House. His son, Joe, said how much Tony would have enjoyed such an occasion – a mix of the arts, politics and community – which ended with the unveiling of a plaque by Tony’s wife, Maggie.