Mike was born on 19th December 1944 on a farm near Grantham. He was always interested in literature, art and music. In 1963 he began at Bretton Hall College as an English student where he met his wife Shirley. It was at Bretton that his passion for recording music developed. In the late 1960s, he established Holyground Records - the first independent recording studio and label - with a group of friends. From then on, Mike wrote and recorded songs, collaborating with writer Chris Coombs and recording other bands, encouraging young and established musicians across the region. By 1976 Holyground took a back seat when Mike and Shirley decided to start a family. Holyground was revived in 1989 when there was a growing interest in the original material. This led to new music and albums being produced, and interest in the label blossomed. In 2007, to mark the 40th anniversary of Holyground, many old friends gathered for a concert, which Mike recorded and released. Mike was a perfectionist, he always recorded to the best standard that was possible, editing and re-editing, whether it was for Holyground music, or for other bands that came to the studio. Although there are not a huge number of albums on the Holyground label, it is the quality and the care that Mike put into them that makes them so special. He died peacefully in hospital on Sunday 4th September, 2011.