After a long battle against illness Mike passed away earlier today. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Mike was a member of TBC for over 30 years and was regularly to be seen at his favourite haunts such as Scaling Dam, South Gare and Teesmouth. He always had a cheery disposition and was never heard to complain even when he was falling over in ditches or getting stuck in acacia bushes. He would merely dust himself down and laugh about it with the rest of us.
A full obituary will appear in the next newsletter.
The funeral is at Middlesbrough crematorium on Friday 24th August at 1.30 p.m and afterwards at the nearby Bluebell Hotel.
Don Page and I were distraught to hear the news about Mike from his father.
We three, along with Chris, had been friends over many years and done many foreign trips togther, including China, Turkey, Spain and Canada, as well as numerous national 'twitches'. As Chris rightly says, he always bore his difficulties with incredible fortitude and never complained, apart from when it was his round at the bar! He had a wicked sense of humour and had us in stitches on many occasions with his dry and often piercing wit. His appetite before his problems of the last few years was legendary, as those who accompanied him on trips will testify.
Don and I will dwell on the many happy memories we have of Mike but we will miss him greatly, as I am sure those of you who knew him will also. Our condolences go to Mike's family.
The venue for the wake following the service at the crematorium has been changed from the Bluebell to the Middlehaven Suite at the Riverside Stadium. The time remains the same at 2.15 p.m. In addition it was Michael's request that people do not wear black ties/suits and that dress code is optional.
There was a very good turnout of Club members at Mike's funeral yesterday, which was a moving tribute to his life. Chris Sharp gave an excellent appreciation of Mike on behalf of the Club, into which he injected some memories of the many humorous incidents in which he was involved. The service was followed by a gathering at the Middlehaven Suite at the Riverside Stadium.
Mike's presence on the Cleveland birding scene will be sorely missed by many of us, particularly his devilish sense of humour. A full obituary will appear in the next Newsletter.