Alan (Mike) Michael Birt

To Ruth, Joanne,Catherine and James and family my heart felt condolences to you all on the passing of Mike. A TRUE GENTLEMAN ALWAYS.My love always.💙🙏💙🙏😂😂

I'm so sorry not to be with you for my brother Mike's funeral but you know why I cannot make the long trip out to WA at this difficult time. However my thoughts are very much with you all and I offer you my heartfelt condolences on Mike's passing.Sadly I only managed the trip three times, firstly in 2001 when Mike and Jon took me on a very memorable camping trip down to the southern ocean. The next occasion was in 2010 staying in Mandurah and Bunbury. I'm so glad that I was able to visit Mike (and all the family) for the last time in 2023 when we in effect said our "Goodbyes". Before leaving Mike gave me two things:- 1. The Epsom College Register 1855 - 1954. Epsom College is in Surrey, UK and is where we three brothers (not forgetting Derek, the eldest) were boarders and where our futures were shaped, in Mike's case unexpectedly as he slipped a disc in his back playing rugby for the First XV. This injury ruled out his career choice of an electrical engineer in the Royal Navy and he stayed on at Epsom an extra year to switch from maths and physics to chemistry and biology and thence to Medical school, graduating as a doctor. 2. A memory stick containing the 127 pages of Mike's Memoirs. These make interesting reading and "thanks Mike" for enabling your personal memories and history to live on after you.Being almost 9 years younger than Mike I was inevitably behind but always looking up to him. He was very kind to me and helpful with his advice.Some memories have randomly come to mind:- * In 1952 we had a family holiday at Lyme Regis on the south coast. Memorable was that our sister Gillian travelled there with our mother in her car, I travelled with our father in his car, Derek drove there on his motorbike whilst Mike rode there on his bicycle, somewhat over 100 miles (160 km).* When I was at Epsom and Mike then a medical student I visited him in North London he gave me his treasured bicycle but I then had to ride it through the streets of London back to Epsom, a longer distance than I had ever bicycled on roads I did not know! It was a long journey and on getting back to College rather late in the evening I was "gated" for the rest of the term.* I have memories of Mike's heroic efforts on holidays in the 1950's of the digging of massive (1.8 m?) holes in the sandy beaches.* Opening presents in our youth on Christmas Day was always great fun. Sister Gillian and I snuggled into our parents bed whilst Derek and Mike sat at the end. Piles of paper and boxes soon covered the bed as presents were unwrapped. Father's presents to Derek and Mike became well known in those early days. He gave each of them £5 but each year in a different, often hidden way. Thus one year, for instance, it was an empty envelope each but close inspection of the inside revealed the faint "I.O.U. £5". However Mike had thrown away his envelope in disgust not noticing the I.O.U. and he had to conduct a lengthy search of the torn wrapping papers etc to find his bounty.* Mike once gave me an axe for my birthday present, probably thought to be useful for the keen Scout I then was. I still have it!* Another present from Mike was a rather risque souvenir shirt from Thailand which I have never dared wear. I think it still languishes in the deepest recess of some cupboard.* On one of my trips to WA sightseeing under Mike's guidance we stopped for refreshments somewhere near Margaret River and we found a really massive set of Jenga Blocks and Mike and I had great fun setting it up and seeing how many blocks we could remove before the pile collapsed. I have some good photos (somewhere!) of our highly competitive games.* When Mike left England for WA he kindly passed on to me various items he could not (or didn't want to) take with him. These included fermenting jars for home made wine making, a model electric train set (to go with the matching one that Derek gave me when he emigrated to Canada (different voltage!!), his air rifle plus quantities of wood off-cuts etc from his garage.* Also reminding me of Mike is the Ercol Coffee Table that he gave Brenda and I for a wedding present (04/06/1966). It still graces my lounge.Mike was a very good letter writer in the pre digital days and I still have some of his correspondence. Sadly the more modern digital versions soon get lost as the technology moves on. He also kept in touch with our mother and father by means of tape recordings in his early days in WA. He and I both had an interest in military (particularly Naval) history and we occasionally swopped notes and books.I always regarded Mike highly, thoroughly enjoying our conversations but unavoidably limited meetings over the years. I shall miss him.