The Other Side of the Doors

Mike has had an interesting life ultimately triumphing despite the adverse conditions of his childhood in wartime docklands. With the death of his mother when he was five and his fathers return to Germany to get remarried he was left in the care of his fathers eldest sister and her husband the latter of whom believed that sparing the rod spoilt the child. Rescued four years later by other relatives he became part of a family only to have his father return after nine years to sign him into the army. Married with two young children he left to pursue a career as an architect. He divorced when his wife met someone else and with custody of his children moved to Yorkshire to become a full time student. There he found himself involved in the burgeoning community arts and environmental movement and engaged in some sex drugs and rock n roll. Along the way he had a number of relationships and worked as a barman cleaner pizza chef and odd job man. He left architectural school to work in the voluntary sector where he rescued a number of charities from closure turning them into successful organisations. In recognition in 1994 he was shortlisted for the Jamieson Award for an outstanding contribution to the voluntary sector and highly commended in The Guardian Jerwood Award for excellence in the charity field. Following bouts of depression and a pattern of failed relationships and self destructive behaviour he went into therapy. As a result he has now been happily married for twenty years with a young daughter and three grandchildren. He has also renovated five properties and run the London Marathon twice. In 1999 he set up his own business and now beyond retirement age has embarked on his sixth and likely final career as an author and public speaker. Crucially he now lives the life he always wanted on the other side of the doors he thought were closed to him.