MichaelSTARESMike was born in Chalford, Gloucestershire, and first became a journalist on the Leamington Spa Courier. He progressed to the Doncaster Evening Post, then the Blackpool Evening Gazette, before spending a year in America on the Hollywood Gazette. He returned to the UK to marry his wife, Judith, and together they set up what was to become the longest-established news agency in the West Country. First named the Cotswold News Service launched in Tetbury, followed by a move to Swindon where the Cotswold and Swindon News Service held sway for 25 years. They covered not only Swindon but the 'Royal Triangle' in the Cotswolds, where news and gossip from the various royals based there was a constant source of stories. He was amongst the first journalists to use the famous 'Tandy' for electronic story submission and he was a founder member of NAPA (National Association of Press Agencies). Mike retired at 65 after a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and moved with Judith to Ross on Wye. They both trained and became Humanist Funeral Officiants. His two sons have followed the family tradition: Justin is a journalist in Brussels as News Editor of the on-line Brussels Signal. Elliott runs a thriving PR Agency in Miami.
Funeral Service to be held at Forest of Dean Crematorium on Thursday 6th February at 1.30pm.
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