An Audlem Bright Spark?

Mike Harthern (the incredibly smart gentleman on the left in the photo) has recently taken over as President of Audlem & District Probus Club and, in his usual manner, is tackling the job with total commitment and enthusiasm. As a long time resident of Audlem (coming up for 50 years) who has taken a very active role in village life, Mike is a well respected, widely known and admired man, so now seems an ideal opportunity to celebrate his achievements.

Probus is a club for retired men, many of whom entered the world of work for the first time in the 1960s, when "planned careers" was the mantra expounded by the Human Resource gurus of the day. The reality for many turned out somewhat differently, with careers largely shaped by being in the right place at the right time, and Mike is a good example of this. Having made an early decision to become an Electrical Engineer and then get the appropriate qualifications, most of Mike's career was shaped by the phrase "why don't you come and work for me" from people he met along the way. He was clearly a man held in high regard by his professional colleagues.

Mike joined the Merchant Navy in the early 60s (he says because he was too young for National Service and missed the call up so this seemed the next best alternative). He already had an Electrical Engineering qualification but used this time to add an "Engineers Ticket" whilst working cargo ships mostly to West Africa, exporting heavy engineering products and importing nuts and timber.

Back on dry land after 3 years, Mike specialised on MOD projects as a Divisional Manager with a
local Electrical & Civil Engineering Company where he met a young lady lady working for the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. He married Daleta in 1970 and they bought their first house in Tollgate Drive (Bill Consterdine was acting as selling agent for the developer!). They moved to Monks Lane in 1996. They have one daughter, Karen who lives in the village with her husband David and 2 teenage children.

One day perhaps, AudlemOnline should run a survey of why people choose to move to Audlem. Mike's reason is a somewhat unusual one. He worked at an MOD site in North Wales with an office in Wolverhampton. His then boss recommended him to move nearer to the office when buying his first house and co-incidentally, Audlem is exactly half way in between. So Mike and Daleta became Audlem residents. (Editor's comment : Can anyone come up with a "more off the wall" reason for moving to the village?)

Mike reports that gaining full MOD clearance to gain access to their sites around the world as he has, is a lengthy and rigorous process and it has always been a problem to find electrical contractors who have it, or can get it. So Mike has traveled extensively in his work with the MOD as far afield as the Falkland Islands.

Mike retired in 1999 as Managing Director of a local firm where his daughter is now a Director and Company Secretary looking after MOD projects. He says it took him 5 years to come to terms with retirement! During his spell as MD, a post he took up in 1985, Mike increased the turnover by a factor of 20 and he does admit to feeling some pride in his achievements but being Mike, you have to push him very hard to get him to admit it!!

Away from his work, Mike has found time to get involved in village projects. He was on the Public Hall Committee from 1973 to 1976 and helped to organise the annual Horticultural Show. He chaired ADAS for 3 years and was active in running the annual raft race on the canal in the 80s, 500 yards of madness from Hankelow Mill canal bridge to Audlem Town bridge including carrying the rafts around the intervening locks! Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your view point), more rigorous safety standards put a stop to this event. Mike was also the resident expert in organising the Xmas lighting in the village and introduced the electrical sockets and tree stands on all the shops, still a highlight of our Xmas decorations.

Mike has always had a keen interest in Motor Bikes. Much to the surprise of himself and others he came 8th in his first race at Oulton Park in 1967 and has competed twice at the Manx GP races. With his friend Russell Muirhead, who was until recently a GP in the village and is also an ex-racer, he sponsored a professional racing team of 3 riders. Mike also enjoys shooting but these days restricts himself to clay pigeons. He admits to a distaste for killing birds.

Mike is the first to own up to the fact that he is not good at sitting still! He is happier outside than in and is for ever on the go in spite of a recent very successful knee replacement. He represented his school at cricket, football and athletics and regularly (7 nights a week!) ran 40 laps of a quarter of a mile round his father's field. In 1958 he won "Junior Mr. Crewe" at body building. He also played water polo and swam for Crewe in the days when "Crewe was a town to be proud of" (a direct quote from Mike). He has maintained his love of long distance walking including an ascent to Everest Base Camp, the entire length of the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain, some 800 kilometres in total over a 7 year period, the Wainright Coast to Coast and more modestly and recently the 100 or so miles of the Cleveland Way with some friends from the village.

Mike is a modest man with much to be proud of.

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