Plaque to commemorate Eric Morecambe’s chauffeur to take pride of place next to late comedian’s prom statue
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Mike passed away at the age of 78 in May last year after a battle with cancer, the day after what would have been Eric Morecambe's birthday.
He worked as Eric's chauffeur and personal assistant for 14 years, and later went on to give numerous public talks about the comedian, as well as writing a book about his experiences.
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Hide AdMike first met Eric after he suffered a heart attack, and the BBC hired a driver to take him to events - and Mike was that driver.
After his recovery, Eric asked Mike to continue working for him, and the rest is history.
Now, with the help of Malcolm O'Neil from the Winter Gardens, Morecambe councillor Margaret Pattison and Carnforth businessman Peter Yates - who rescued Eric's Rolls Royce from a scrapyard in 2009 - a plaque has been put next to Eric statue on Morecambe promenade.
It’s been placed on Eric’s right hand side, to depict Mike’s role as the comedian’s ‘right hand man’.
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Hide AdIt will be officially unveiled at 11am on Saturday July 8, watched by Mike's widow Lesley and other family, as well as members of Eric's family.
Lesley, who still lives in Morecambe, said: “I just had the thought one day and Mike would have loved it. To have it done is just lovely."
Peter, who used to give talks alongside Mike, said: "He was Eric's right hand man, not just a chauffeur. He did everything with him and he told some lovely stories."