There are not many people who are smart, nice and humorous, Michael was all three. He was always easy to collaborate on projects with, he helped to foster a collegiate atmosphere, one where intellectual rigour and technical standards mattered, and where viewpoints were evaluated on their merits. He was also broadly knowledgeable and so fun to compete with at quiz. It is always nice after travelling to see friendly faces, and I will miss seeing his friendly face when I travel up to London.