29th June, 2023

Having arrived back in the UK on Wednesday, the following day very unfortunately saw us travel to Cheltenham for the funeral of our much loved Uncle Mike, one of mum’s three brothers, and Misa’s namesake. It had been a huge shock to learn early on 4th June that he had lost his life to a medical condition the night before, and even now when I make this post on 12th November, it is hard to realise that we will never again have our lives lifted by his great humour and the happiness and joviality that surrounded him. The funeral service was very moving, but very fitting and we could feel Uncle Mike with us.

On a personal note; he is responsible for nurturing my love of motorcycles, and following the great honour of riding his motorcycle behind the hearse, I retraced the first ride we ever enjoyed together. Also under a blue sky, this was from the family home in Pittville, Cheltenham, over Cleeve Hill to Winchcombe, and back, on his new Honda CB750 Four. Very emotional, and 46 years gone in a heartbeat. 

It is hard to understand that the time from then to my wedding is now exactly doubled; somehow time now passes very much faster than it did from being a thirteen year old to a married man of 36, but the memory is undimmed and both rides were very special. I was to collect a new motorcycle a few days later just a couple of miles from Uncle Mike’s home and was so looking forward to him being with me, but as it wasn’t to be I made sure that on his memorial ride I rode as would have made him proud of what he started. 

As consolation, the day after first making this post I found a scanned photograph of me sitting on the aforementioned Honda 750, directly after the ride.  I’ve added the image below.  If you look at the blanked-out window behind me, and then look at the preceding photo of Uncle Mike’s Kawasake standing in the street at the start of my ride in his memory, you’ll see the same window directly behind, over the brick wall.

Life is for living, something you showed us all, Uncle Mike.

Steve