Mike was a reluctant National Service "Fighter Plotter" who came to Jever via Bridgnorth, Middle Wallop and Borgentreich.   He had put down for several more attractive trades including languages and photography but these requests were ignored!   Thus when he arrived shortly out of school at RAF Jever in late 1956, he found himself on the regular run to Brockzetel as a member of 101 SU.   Not one of his top ten work venues!.

His posting to Jever was probably because of his status as a UK number one half miler and because of the station's athletics facilities and reputation.   After a winter of cross-country with such stars as Don Shelley, the athletics season unraveled and in addition, much to the envy of many less sports minded airmen Mike became more privileged as "Badminton fodder" for Group Captain Hughes and his wife together with PTI Cpl Chubb.   PFO Ken Saw looked after the athletes well, and they had extra eggs with their breakfast.   The star Jever athlete in those days was Lloyd Maloney a native of Montserrat who remains a good friend of Mikes to this day.   Lloyd won the Bronze in the AAA Decathlon while at Jever, having received extra coaching from Mr Edwards the PE master at Prince Rupert's School Wilhelmshaven.   Mike's 800m colleague in those days was Frank Di Rienzo with whom he still remains in contact.   Frank now owns two restaurants in London.   Mike suggest they might be suitable venues for a reunion.   Athletically 2TAF was probably rather too easy for Mike as while he was there he only lost twice to one airman, the late David Brown who flew javelins out of Bruggen, and once each to a visiting Cambridge University man and Metz, a German at TSV Wilhelmshaven

Mike moved on from the RAF to Loughborough for three years to learn how to become a better PE teacher and to learn about athletics coaching.   He was lucky to be there with people like Robbie Brightwell, John Cooper and Berwyn Jones.   Mike ran in the 1961 World Student Games in Sofia Bulgaria in the 800m final which was won by Ron Delaney the 1956 Olympic 1500m champion, still a student.   One of the quartet was a fellow Menzies Campbell.

In 1962 Mike topped the UK 800m list at 1 min 48.2secs, which earned him a memorable Empire and Commonwealth Games trip to Perth Western Australia.   Mike made it through to the final there too but came up against one, Peter Snell, double Olympic champion from 1960.   Mike could not get near his best again and finished a disappointed 5th.

The next year Mike ran for GB four times and he especially enjoyed winning against Russia in Volgograd when they were beaten for the first time.   Then Mike succumbed to the dreaded piles and never really got back fit until he was over thirty when he set a UK best for that age of 1 min 48.7 secs.   That record has since been blown away by Seb Coe!

As well as enjoying a teaching career in PE and Geography Mike has been seriously involved as an athletics coach, team manager and official.   He was Secretary of Croydon Harriers, he says for far too long, 40+ years until 5 years ago.   Since then he says his coaching has become more productive and enjoyable.   He has been privileged to bring several athletes up to international level, the most notable of whom is Martyn Rooney who beat Roger Black's UK Under 20 record with a 45.53 secs 400m run for 5th in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.   Martyn is now at the Loughborough Centre of excellence so Mike has less contact with him and no central funding!   Mike attended Beijing 2008 with his wife Nicola in support of Martyn Rooney.   He coached Martyn from a very young age to 20 and whom he still advises.   Martyn is the UK No 1 over 400m and is currently running about 3.5sec faster than Mike did!.   Mike's wife Nicola is an ex sprinter and one of the best athletics timekeepers around.   The need to be within .03sec of the electrics these days and more often than not she is.   Mike is allowed to join in with the experts when not coaching, team managing announcing or acting as starter.   He says it's all good fun!

Mike says it has all been demanding of time and effort but thoroughly rewarding   He feels he is lucky to live in Purley, Surrey which is a nice balance between London, the Country and under an hour from Brighton.