Tributes to 'great' family man, lifelong Portsmouth FC fan and ex-News photographer who died
Tributes have been paid to a “great” family man, lifelong Pompey fan and ex-News photographer who recently died.
Portchester Crematorium was left overflowing as people braved the recent cold weather from across the country to say farewell to Mike Walker. He passed away aged 77 on December 11.
Mike lived his dream working for The News while covering Pompey where he became friends and drinking buddies with some of the players he idolised.
But his photographic career was nearly over before it got started after applying for a position at the newspaper having quit his job as a clerical officer in local government. His eulogy revealed how his decision paid off, though, despite never having “taken a photo in his life” and not having the required qualifications.
“He applied anyway as he really wanted to work in newspapers,” the tribute read. “Unsurprisingly, he did not get the job, but a few weeks later the picture editor at The News called him to say that the other guy had not worked out and, if he still wanted it, the job was his. Mike jumped at the chance.
“It turns out Mike had found his true calling and after he got The News job, he was never very far away from a camera for the rest of his life. It was clear early on that he was going to make a good photographer, winning awards and getting his first picture published soon after starting.
“Whilst concentrating on news stories, he was also working at football matches and becoming friends and drinking buddies with some of the Pompey players that he had idolised as a fan. He was later to become the official Portsmouth Football Club photographer for several years.”
As well as covering his beloved Pompey, Mike was often close to the action and brilliantly captured news stories through the eye of a lens. He had a memorable front page with his aerial photo of the Pacific Glory oil tanker that caught fire off the Isle of Wight. A bird lover, his favourite photograph, “A Goldcrest in the Frost”, saw Mike receive a commendation in a National competition for the environment.
After leaving The News, Mike joined local press agency, M&Y, where he covered national news stories before becoming partner with his long-time friend Pat Symes. “Mike loved working at M&Y and made many great friends. He always said what a great time of his life this was. He pictured many famous and notorious people as part of his work there, with his pictures regularly published in all of the major UK newspapers of the time,” his eulogy read.
Mike was born in Portsmouth on January 20, 1947, and was son of Edmund and Doris Walker and younger brother to Roger. He lived with his family at 204 Highbury Grove for all of his childhood, attending Highbury First School and then Northern Grammar School.
Mike had a “very loving but fairly strict upbringing”, with his dad being a naval officer and his mum “not taking any nonsense from the boys”.
As with most kids of his generation, he spent the majority of his childhood outside of the house spending his time exploring and playing with his mates. Mike always had a keen interest in nature and used to spend a lot of time collecting bird eggs and fishing. His love of birds stayed with him throughout his life. Mike was also a keen train spotter in his teenage years, although “that is not something he ever admitted to his kids”.
Mike’s other main love in life was football, both playing and watching. He represented Portsmouth Schools as a youngster, and he was a lifelong Pompey fan. “Supporting Pompey was a huge part of his life and he was very lucky to have a job that every football fan would envy allowing him to rub shoulders, and become close friends with, some of his heroes on the pitch,” the tribute said.
The funeral saw members of Mike’s extended family and friends, former staff from The News, including several from far flung parts of the UK, attend the service in Portchester.
Mike’s family received kind words from near and far including Jill Belcher, Dick Churm, ex-News-chief photographer Roy West and many others, even from the west coast of Canada where ex-News reporter Pete 'Fire' Smith now lives with his wife Amanda.
Mike was a loving husband to Vicky, caring dad to James, Ally and Steve, mischievous “grampy” to Matty, Hannah, Theo and Noah and “beloved” friend and colleague to many.
The eulogy added: “The nature of Mike's work meant he was on call 24/7, but he was first and foremost a great husband and family man.”