volvopaul
Well-known member
I am sad to report the death of Mike ( Nicho) of this forum , Mike had been a long standing customer over the years and well know contributor on this forum and others .
For me my friendship with Mike went way back into the 80s , we both share the love of Rallying me being a club competitor but Mike was a true professional.
For those that didn’t know his background Mike started in Rallying in the late 60s I would say moving up the board to co drive for the likes of Jimmy McRae ( Colin McRae father ) Tony Pond , Terry Kaby, Russel Brookes , Pentii Arrikala ( I believe he had a steel boat at the bottom of his garden in Bray on the Thames) and many many more names in the world of Rallying .
In later years he ran the Vauxhall Touring car team and was high up at GM Dealersport competing and running the rallying programme, he also co drove for Derek Bell on the RAC rally which was a highly publicised affair , he also wrote a book called “ Listen to Me” based on the fact that on this particular event Derek was getting to grips with his GM dealer sport run Vauxhall Astra , again all sorted by Mike and his team , in some of the in car footage Mike must have lost count how many times he had to tell Derek to listen rather than drive his own stage , hence the name for the book .
I first met Mike in the 80s when he presented me with an award for Rallying at our local club , he was our guest speaker . Some years on I bumped into him in the newsagent’s in Hythe village as he kept his boat there , he had owned a number of Sealines throughout his boating days , a Cranchi and even a Yacht which I always ribbed him about for going over to that side , I don’t think he actually ever raised the sails throughout his ownership .
In the last couple of years his health started to deteriorate, but the smiles kept coming when we met up at Port Solent and the beers kept flowing in Pretzo restaurant, he had a slight gap in boating then found a nice Sealine S34 on the Norfolk Broads which was quickly shipped by road to Port Solent .
As ever he made the arrangements and gave me the task of going right through it mechanically as a private pilot would do before going to sea.
He also took me flying as he used to have an interest in a single engine fixed wing plane , forgive me I’m not a plane person but the day out in the clouds was amazing , he was 77 years old at the time but as sharp flying that as he was going through the forests at 125 mph in his day .
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Condolences to his wife Marie and the family , I am truly going to miss him very much .
For me my friendship with Mike went way back into the 80s , we both share the love of Rallying me being a club competitor but Mike was a true professional.
For those that didn’t know his background Mike started in Rallying in the late 60s I would say moving up the board to co drive for the likes of Jimmy McRae ( Colin McRae father ) Tony Pond , Terry Kaby, Russel Brookes , Pentii Arrikala ( I believe he had a steel boat at the bottom of his garden in Bray on the Thames) and many many more names in the world of Rallying .
In later years he ran the Vauxhall Touring car team and was high up at GM Dealersport competing and running the rallying programme, he also co drove for Derek Bell on the RAC rally which was a highly publicised affair , he also wrote a book called “ Listen to Me” based on the fact that on this particular event Derek was getting to grips with his GM dealer sport run Vauxhall Astra , again all sorted by Mike and his team , in some of the in car footage Mike must have lost count how many times he had to tell Derek to listen rather than drive his own stage , hence the name for the book .
I first met Mike in the 80s when he presented me with an award for Rallying at our local club , he was our guest speaker . Some years on I bumped into him in the newsagent’s in Hythe village as he kept his boat there , he had owned a number of Sealines throughout his boating days , a Cranchi and even a Yacht which I always ribbed him about for going over to that side , I don’t think he actually ever raised the sails throughout his ownership .
In the last couple of years his health started to deteriorate, but the smiles kept coming when we met up at Port Solent and the beers kept flowing in Pretzo restaurant, he had a slight gap in boating then found a nice Sealine S34 on the Norfolk Broads which was quickly shipped by road to Port Solent .
As ever he made the arrangements and gave me the task of going right through it mechanically as a private pilot would do before going to sea.
He also took me flying as he used to have an interest in a single engine fixed wing plane , forgive me I’m not a plane person but the day out in the clouds was amazing , he was 77 years old at the time but as sharp flying that as he was going through the forests at 125 mph in his day .
[Content removed]
Condolences to his wife Marie and the family , I am truly going to miss him very much .
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