As many of you will know, the Company celebrated a milestone quarter of century and a couple of months ago Mike also achieved the hallowed honour of celebrating the same 25 years heading up the technical department.

He’s now outdone one of our office chairs (19 years) a mothballed-for-posterity CRT monitor (23 years) and more than a few software products we used to use which are gathering dust in the back of a cupboard!

It’s a long time during which we’ve witnessed him go through the full gamut of life’s experiences: marrying the love of his life, raising two fine boys (he had help), become follicly challenged (like the rest of us), inherit dodgy knees, acquire a loving but needy dog, develop the need for glasses (why should he get away with it), run marathons, develop a like for open water swimming and endure a half Iron Man event AND survive a whole quarter of a century heading up the technical side of the business!

Now, I know what you're thinking, "MIKE HAD HAIR!?"

To put all of this into context, we've witnessed more technological advances in the last 25 years than the entire history of humanity before that and Mike has been here right from the start, and that deserves recognition!

Just to put that in context, we started the business with 486 computers and 15” monitors. RAM was measured in megabytes. 3.5” floppy disks were the release media and Windows 98 was ‘cutting edge’. I think I’m right in saying that Mike’s first computer from the business was a brand new thing called a Pentium 90! Even the Internet hadn’t yet taken off and I think we were using 9600 baud modems! Mobile phone was still hard wired into the car on a coiled lead.

But in all seriousness, Mike has not just survived in the IT world for 25 years; he’s been pivotal in the success of the business.

Through all the late nights, the never-ending changes to Windows, he’s always gone above and beyond, always ready to lend a helping hand or offer some tech wisdom.

In recognition, the Swiss watch making world gave up one of their fine pieces with Graham Cotton (Managing Director) presenting this to Mike to celebrate and mark the company’s recognition to his ever valuable contribution.

Thank you Mike, long may it all continue.