125 eccentric, which this country justly cherishes, who cared little what others made of him. He thought nothing of sitting on the floor of tube trains or scandalising Southwold teashop society by supping his cappuccino topless after a bracing run. Mike had many passions, and these often in the original sense, embracing suffering as well as love. High among these was Ipswich Town Football Club. He was a regular, unmistakable and very popular presence in the standing end at Portman Road, reacting with irrepressible glee when Ipswich scored; when the opposition scored, they (and perhaps the referee) would fall victim to his extensive vocabulary, this time the shorter words. Another of Mike’s passions was mud races. These are fiendishly demanding and, as well as the mud, can have obstacles to clamber over, under and through. Mike completed these courses well into his sixties and was often the oldest competitor, winning the unqualified respect of organisers and other participants. His characteristic sense of adventure was also reflected in his travel destinations. He visited China in the eighties when it was very unusual – and dangerous – to do so. He also visited Russia behind the Iron Curtain. Although an atheist, he talked about how moved he was by the congregation’s singing in an Orthodox church service there. This speaks more than anything for Mike’s humanity and deep sensitivity. He could put himself in the position of one for whom God provides rare solace in a life of gruelling hardship. Above all, Mike loved the sea. He loved its sensuality and the literature, art and music it has inspired. He loved bodyboarding in Cornwall and loved swimming in the sea off the Suffolk coast. He loved seafood, and platters of ‘fruits de mer’ brought him some of his most unalloyed pleasure. He would have found it fitting that his ashes were scattered off Walberswick, his favourite of all coastal places. This will at least bring a modicum of comfort to the many of us who miss him so deeply.With his passing, the world has lost one of the true originals and a model of humaneness. By IanWalton
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