The London Lounge

Many members who had played cricket, for example, in the afternoon like to return to the Club for a drink. Tuckfield wanted the dress regulations relaxed to allow for cricketers to drink in the Club without first going home to shower and change. The house facilities sub-committee spent much time considering Tuckfield’s eminently sensible suggestion. Its answers were formulated in terms of negative rules; standards of dress that were prohibited. These standards would have ruled out cricketers returning for a drink in their creams. Better, Tuckfield thought, that the Club lay down minimum standards. This was done and remain largely unchanged to the present: Shirt with collar and tie and sleeves rolled down or short sleeves; long trousers with belt, but no braces; a tie or cravat must be worn at all times, other than with a safari jacket. For Tuckfield’s colleagues, sports attire was permitted all day on Saturdays and Wednesday afternoon during the year, provided a tie or cravat was worn where a member did not wear a coat; where no tie or cravat was worn, a blazer, sports coat or other coat must be worn; long socks must be worn with shorts and at no time might a member enter the dining room without a tie or cravat.