Dear Sue

l write to say how very much we miss Mike, we are all thinking so very much about
You, and your family, at this most difficult time.

I hope this letter will be a small consolation to you to know when I begialmost 60
years)during which time we had so many enjoyable memorable moments together that
when aggregated together
looking back , it generates not just a warm smile but a good old-fahioned chuckle
too!

To those who knew Mike well, he was always exceptionally good company, a great
shot, a very good and successful salmon fisherman ; and a keen raconteur with a
brilliant talent for mimicking accents ( so much so that he would frequently slip
back into the accent of the guy or girl to whom he was speaking) often without
realising what he was doing !
I discovered recently a most charming picture of him as a pageboy at the “ Society
wedding of the year (January 1953),”

Believe it or not it was the first time that a reigning sovereign had attended a
wedding in Scotland for over 300 years, when, Johnny,Earl of Dalkeith , married
the enchantingly pretty Jane MacNeill . ( At least that was my father’s opinion! )

As one of their pageboys he must have learned from a very early age the “art of
knowing how to rub shoulders with the great and the good of the land!”
For certainly as long as I have known him, in the “ field of go anywhere do
anything “ , he had few if any equals!

I recall vividly when he was dining with us in Novello Street, prior to going to
the Caledonian Ball , l overheard him say to the pretty girl on his left ….
“ so is your father‘s water below or above the bridge at Stanley on the Tay “ ..

“Below” Came the answer

But only Mike could say in his inimitable wistful way….

“Yes I know it well, I have poached your Father’s water,”

There was Another memorable occasion (I have a fishing diary ,so l happen to know
it was Sunday 28 May 1967!
Mike and I were fishing Loch Insh, in Farr Bay, which is close to where the River
Spey runs into the loch and the salmon often rest there, before running further up
the river towards Kingussie

As you will no doubt its going is illegal to kill migratory fish ( Salmon and
Seatrout ) on a Sunday,; so we had trout flies and rods only!
It is an event that I shall never forget because it was the first Salmon ever to
take a fly , which I had tied myself.

According to my notes, we took the boat out late in the afternoon and there were
several salmon moving around , when this lovely fresh salmon, in beautiful
condition , rose to my bob fly!

After an hour it was tiring And with Mike ‘s help he netted the fish and got it
into the boat!

I said “ So what do we do now?”

…. Before he had time to give me an answer, he had already hit it hard on the head
and dispatched it to the bottom of the boat!
.” Well, I said , it was a Sunday”

“ too late pal! “ came the answer!

I said “ We could be in a lot of trouble with Mr McBain” ( from Whom we hired

the boat as we were staying in the Suie Hotel)

We returned to the hotel , leaving the salmon in the bush of the car and we went
inside.

I saw Mr McBain

“hello we’ve done a terrible thing !”

“Oh ?” he says “What was that? “

I said “ we just killed a fish “

….expecting some reprimand…back came the reply…

“Oh What size was it? “

Those were , indeed , very happy days! and I’m sure we can all recall many similar
stories too
Yet, to me , Mike would be the first to agree this one was too good to omit!

Sue, many of our old fishing friends have commented on his sad loss and asked me to
remember them to you they include:

Donald Turner, David Briggs, Michael Mertens Lindsay Rutherford and James Verney

Michael Arthur ( aka Henry ) will always be remembered fondly by us all !

Much love to you from us both

George