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Mick's biography

Michael Walsh
Who can forget Mick’s time in motor-cycle racing?
In 1980, aged only 18, Mick managed to manhandle the woefully underpowered Honda factory bike to fourth place in the World 250cc championship. At the end of the season, in an attempt to salvage even greater glory, he entered that year’s Isle-of-Man TT race. On the penultimate lap, whilst defending the slenderest of leads, he approached Barregarrow at over 140mph. At the same moment Clarissa, a three-legged Jack Russell terrier, slipped her leash and dashed out onto the road. The outcome was inevitable; Mick spent four months in a deep coma and it was well over eighteen months before he left hospital. He was left with a pronounced limp (which he attempted to disguise using a built up shoe) until pioneering surgery in 1999 re-broke his leg and ‘stretched’ the bone over a period of seven months.

If you slip Mick his favourite tipple of Crème d’Menthe and Diet Fanta; he could be persuaded to let you feel the steel rod that holds together his right clavicle.

Mick is chairman and treasurer of the Cycloptic Children’s Charity and Promotion Organization (C3PO), a body dedicated to improving the lives of giant, one-eyed, ill-tempered youngsters around the world.

NB. The body of Clarissa was recovered and stuffed and now takes pride of place above the bar of the ‘Jolly Highwayman’ in Ramsey. Her missing leg was replaced with a beautiful and intricately carved piece of scrimshaw made from a walrus tusk.