A tribute to Shepshed’s Michael Wortley
MICHAEL Wortley 1936-2017 Shepshed’s local historian, well-known personality and friend of The Echo, Michael Wortley, sadly passed away in August this year. The following tribute from Michael’s family is a commemoration of his life and achievements.
MICHAEL was born in 1936, the oldest of four children.
His formative years growing up were in World War Two.
Whenever he talked about his childhood, he made it all sound like a great adventure. He remembered how there was always an aeroplane in the sky and about cadging chewing gum off American GIs.
In his last contribution to The Echo in June, Michael recollected the Thunderbolt aircraft that crashed near to Blackbrook Reservoir and how he collected live ammunition from it to give to the policeman on guard!
Michael spoke fondly of his uncle Joe Fox; it seemed that they were mechanical kindred spirits with an off-beat sense of humour.
It was Joe Fox who originally bought the ‘Magic Lantern’ slide projector and started the collection of photographs that Michael was to become well known for later in his life
His uncle Reg made a lasting impression on Michael too.
Reg was an early mem- ber of the Special Air Service (SAS) during World War Two and saw much ‘behind the lines’ action. On his rare visits home, he would tell Michael and his cousins about his latest exploits and show them some of the souvenirs he brought home.
Although Reg was killed in action in 1944, it was on Michael’s instigation and request that Reg was finally honoured on Shepshed’s war memorial in 2008.
Michael’s love affair with the internal combustion engine was kindled when his parents bought a car.
He was fascinated with what was under the bonnet. After school, he found a job at Gillott’s garage in Loughborough where he trained as a mechanic.
His daily transport was a BSA Bantam motor-cycle that he tuned and raced at grass track events at the weekends.
His life-long passion for motor racing was started by eye-witness stories of the pre-war Grand Prix races at Donington Park.
His interest was confirmed on the trips he took to Silverstone with his uncle in the early 1950s, where he saw Alberto Ascari win the British Grand Prix in a Ferrari.
His passion remained strong throughout his life. Earlier this year he was proud to be taken to Silverstone by his grandson. He recollected only this summer, after watching his new heroes in this year’s British Grand Prix, that he had witnessed the first 100mph lap at Silverstone all those years previously.
Michael joined the Royal Leicestershire Regiment in 1954.
After basic training he was deployed on active service, flying to Khartoum in an Avro Lancastrian; seeing the pyramids in Egypt as he flew over at low altitude. He vividly recalled his time in Khartoum.
Letters home showed his typical humour and went along the lines of, ‘apart from searing heat, giant spiders and desert as far as the eye can see…. it’s pretty much like Shepshed’.
From Khartoum he went to Cyprus where he faced ever present and real danger during the ‘Cyprus Emergency’. He was to lose friends and comrades in the action and had some narrow escapes himself. Despite the seriousness of the situ- ation, he found time to have some fun. He loved music and in particular traditional jazz. In the army Michael played guitar in the ‘KykoComets’, a rock ’n’ roll and skiffle band, playing to the troops and locals and they even went on to cut a record. Michael was a trusted driver and navigator in the army, eventually seeing special duties, testing out new equipment. But the time came for him to return safely to Shepshed in 1957. On his return to Shepshed, he started courting with Margaret Hill and they were married in August 1961. Michael and Margaret remained in Shepshed for their married life bringing up four children. Michael was a wonderful and much loved family man; as a husband, father and later, grandfather. Michael took a job away from his beloved motor cars for a while in the boiler house at Braund’s factory, but he returned to the trade with a job at Mountneys garage, looking after their fleet of coal delivery lorries at all times and in all weather.
It was during this time that Michael’s passion for vintage cars and particular early Morris’ developed. He had a succession of old cars, often winning show prizes for his high standards of restoration. He went on to build his own vintage sports car, that both he and his son used in competitions; racing (and winning) at circuits and events around the country in the 1980s. Michael was an active member of the Bullnose Morris club for vintage Morris cars and he was also a very early member of the Brooklands Society, dedicated to preserving the historic race circuit and airfield in Weybridge. It was due to the actions of the Society that parts of Brooklands were preserved which later became the present day museum. His reputation as a restorer of old cars developed until such time he was encouraged to start his own business in the early 1970s. His workshop at Hathern became the scene of some amazing transformations as cars of every age and description had Michael’s magic worked on them; he was an intuitive and ingenious engineer working out many problems when restoring and maintaining sports cars, veterans, vintage and classic cars. On the passing of his father, Wilf, in the early ‘90s, Michael took over the guardianship of the ‘Magic Lantern’ show, a slide show of the oldest pictures of Shepshed, dating back to the mid-1800s. In his typical thorough way, he set about cataloguing and organising the pictures and updating the narration and slides. It was through this that it’s safe to say that his role as ‘ Mr Shepshed’ was established. His research was meticulous and it brought him into contact with many around the village and beyond. The slide shows have brought these old images to new audiences over the past twenty or so years. In the process the shows have raised thousands of pounds for good causes and awareness of the ever present threat to the local area’s heritage and that to Garendon Park in particu-lar. He was passionate about telling the history of St Winefride’s Church too, revealing his great respect and devotion to the Italian missionary, Father Luigi Gentili, who re-introduced the Catholic faith to Shepshed in the 1840s.
Michael could trace his faith back to the moment when his great-greatgrandparents offered Father Gentili shelter in Shepshed one evening over 150 years ago.
Michael loved writing and contributed to the ‘St Winefride’s Voice’ parish magazine for many years and of course The Shepshed Echo.
He put on many displays at the local library as he always had a story to tell. This November, there will is a display in Shepshed Library that Michael prepared earlier in the year to commemorate the men of Shepshed who died during World War One.
Michael never ‘really’ retired; his list of projects and interests kept growing as his time grew shorter.
He faced the last challenges of his illness with the same bravery and preparedness that marked out his life.
He overcame significant surgery just two years ago in a way that amazed those who knew him. He remained active, curious and adventurous to the end.
His last trip being a runway taxi ride in a World War Two Lancaster aeroplane to celebrate his 80th birthday; he had a grand day out.
Michael lead a packed life and achieved much. But the memory he leaves behind isn’t necessarily what he did, but how he did it.
He was a gentleman through and through, a trait he retained to the end with great dignity.
It’s clear from the messages of condolence that Michael’s family has gratefully received, just how many lives he touched with his many interests and his support of other peoples’ projects.
Michael was an absolute pillar of Shepshed society and he was well known as the history man. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by many people.
We hope you agree that it’s no exaggeration to suggest that Michael became an ambassador for Shepshed, and to be honest, The Shepshed Ambassador.
His family would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those who have sent messages of condolence and who contributed to the collection for Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland Air Ambulance in his memory.
Michael lived life to the full and will be greatly missed by his family, many friends and the people of Shepshed.