Obituary written by close friend and fellow OT, Tony Brown (FH 64-69)

I first met Mike at Prep School in the 1950s and we remained friends from those days. After moving to different schools with the closure of Bickley Hall, we reunited at Tonbridge in the autumn of 1964. He was a talented sportsman, both as a cricketer (medium pace bowler in particular) and as a sprinter, although in the highly academic environment of Tonbridge, neither of us could be described top flight! We attended different universities, but remained in touch, partly as devotees of real ale at a time when it was less widely available. After completing his law degree at Southampton, he went in to practice as a solicitor in the Bromley area, where he remained all his working life.  Before I joined the Royal Navy, we both played soccer together for a local club (at pretty low level, it must be said!)  However, he remained a keenly competitive cricketer, playing for Bickley Park Ist XI, as well as serving on the club management committee and qualifying as an umpire in his latter years once he hung up his pads.  Although he developed colitis fairly young, he did not let it prevent him enjoying life, even volunteering with the Colitis Society once he retired. Sadly, his last few years were impacted by ill health and reduced mobility, which meant he had to move from his house in Downe to retirement accommodation, no doubt to the dismay of the pubs and Indian restaurant in the village. He died in hospital on 17 September after being admitted following a fall.

(FH 65-69)