I was shocked and saddened to hear of Mike’s premature passing. He was enormous fun to work with, but also very supportive to me on occasions when we worked together. It was clear when we were assessing his patients together for detention that he took the responsibility with the utmost seriousness and trod carefully when restricting the liberty of those under his care. Others have remarked on his detailed knowledge of the Mental Health Act and generosity of spirit in sharing his clinical experience with others. He will always be a lively figure in my memory and I hope that the many warm remembrances shared by friends and colleagues here provide comfort to his family. He will remain ‘woven into the stuff of other men’s lives’ through the impact he made on us all.