Some unspecified error has occurred.
Michael Hobday
June 18, 1945 - October 17, 2020
-
Memories
Memories
One moment please, your post is being saved...
- Image Image
-
Video
Video
One moment please, your post is being saved...
- Condolences Condolences
-
Condolences
Condolences
One moment please, your post is being saved...
Filter: Show all labels
-
-
-
2021-01-11 16:12:10 View / Comment (0)Astrid Dines
Mick was such a wonderful grandad to Jasper and was always thinking of him. When Jasper was very young, Mick often sent him interesting posters from The Guardian (about planets or dinosaurs and all the other things that Jasper was fascinated by). Whenever Mick went off on his travels, he sent postcards and brought home exciting gifts for Jasper (the little tub of sand from the Sahara desert was a real highlight!). And, later on, when Jasper developed an interest in and love of classical music, Mick started taking him to concerts in London. Even though Mick didn't live near Jasper for most of the last 26 years, he was a very important presence in his life. He was a very loving, caring and thoughtful grandad and will be very much missed by us both.
-
2020-11-09 12:32:46 View / Comment (0)
Mark Brogan
This man played an incredible part in my life. He interviewed me for a place at Chelsea School of Chiropody. I flunked one of my A-levels but he still gave me a place after we’d spoken about my results. I went t to Chelsea. I got my qualifications. I later went back to get my degree in Pod Medicine. By this time Chelsea was merging with Westminster Poly which became Westminster Uni I’d become a local team lead for Westminster. As Westminster Uni decided to close its faculty of Pod Medicine, I worked with Mike to transfer all of the colleges 3,000 plus caseload of patients back to the local NHS. We worked together to set up a transfer of care. In Westminster we could only care for those in the local community. I set up a system to ensure all patients were referred to their local NHS establishments. On a professional stance Mike gave me a launch to my career. On a personal note, this man was so kind, so understanding and just a simply nice person. Love you Mike. M
-
2020-11-08 16:53:44 View / Comment (0)Barbara Wall
Mike and his friends from Chelsea. I remember Mike with huge fondness, a wonderful teacher, colleague and friend. Barbara
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2020-10-30 17:56:58 View / Comment (0)
Graham Goldspring
It was at the York Summer School that we noticed the talent of Matthew Ball, now Principal with the Royal Ballet. Some years ago, Michael and I had tickets for the Boston Ballet. Unfortunately, Michael was ill. At another school event previously where Matthew was present, I offered the ticket to Matthew which delighted Michael. Because of arranging to meet, we exchanged mobile numbers. Since then we have exchanged messages and chatted with him at various ballet events. I sent him a text las Wednesday to break the news to him. Here is his tribute "I am terribly sorry to hear about Michael. He was a real gentleman and my thoughts are with him (today) and those closest to him. I will never forget taking his seat at the Boston Ballet triple bill at the Coliseum and at a later date meeting him and hearing his knowledge and enthusiasm for ballet was very refreshing."
-
2020-10-30 17:47:50 View / Comment (0)Graham Goldspring
This came from our dear ballet friends Gillian & Ian Bailey. Gillian took this photo when we were all at the York Ballet Summer School - such happy times! They both thought the world of Michael; being as passionate about the ballet as Michael would inevitably meet at performances – sometimes as much as three times in the same week! Gillian always said that watching out for & suddenly seeing the two of us was in some way part of the whole pleasure of the evening, since our delight in both the music & the dancing was as great as theirs. However, sometimes not and then there would be much discussion and rolling of eyes during the interval! I know they will always 'raise a glass' to Michael as one of the warmest & loveliest of people they were fortunate enough to know.
-
2020-10-25 14:17:07 View / Comment (0)Graham Goldspring
Ragusa, Sicily 20th May 2013. We had one of the best holidays in Sicily
-
2020-10-25 14:06:47 View / Comment (0)Graham Goldspring
22 May 2020,Lorch to Rudesheim on a chair lift
-
2020-10-25 13:59:27 View / Comment (0)Graham Goldspring
19 May 2010, Boppard to Braubach, when on a Ramblers holiday along the Rhine valley.
-
2020-10-24 16:36:06 View / Comment (0)
Harry Mills
What can I say about Micky that hasn't already been written here? Not a lot. I will just relate one of my fondest memories of our time together. We were both confirmed prommers and one season we decided we wanted to be in prime position for a performance of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony. The only thing you need to know about this huge piece is that is very loud and has a part for an electronic instrument called an Ondes Martenot. We queued for many hours at the Royal Albert Hall so that we could stand in the front row, on the rail. We were thrilled. Until the music started. We were directly in front of the speakers for the Ondes and that was all we could here for most of the 80 minutes the performance lasted. At the end we were both partially deaf but Micky was still chuckling! I will miss Micky greatly, his warmth, his humour and his love.
-
2020-10-23 14:13:19 View / Comment (0)
Sam Hobday
Sadly I don't have any photos to share. I fondly remember all the large family gatherings growing up. One thing that stands out were Uncle Mick and his 4 brothers constantly trying to be funny. In the eyes of a kid, they rarely achieved this, but Mick was usually far better at it than the other 4 (sorry dad and other uncles!). Good memories. He will be missed.
-
2020-10-23 13:57:31 View / Comment (1)
Dave Hobday
I was about 31/2 when he turned up. "Where did that come from" I asked. Father, always one to avoid an awkward question answed "Marks and Spencer's - that's why he's named Michael" Michael Charles Hobday, Charles is a family name, grandfather, great grandfather, John can probably tell you of many more. For the next few years he was a bloody little nuisance - and I was probably a big bully. Then something cataclysmic occurred that united us against a common enemy- the birth of John. In the main we were ok siblings, only one or two scraps a week- of course I envied his new bike and he envied my charm, intelligence and good looks. In the last 15 years we became frequent travelling companions. I looked after him when he got deli beli in Jaipur, he supported me when I had a bad ankle in Ankor Wat. That reminds me, he still owes me for a bar bill in Bankok - a rather dodgy bar come to think of it- and the heck of a big bill. We loved China but 45 chinese meals in a row really takes the noodle. A couple of years ago, I was walking in the City, very near to my granddaughter's school, when I heard music coming from St.Giles. I went in to discover the school orchestra rehearsing. The music was very familiar but I just could not place it. Then it came to me, they were rehearsing Beethoven's Emperor concerto but without the solo pianist! What made that come back to me is that now my life will be like that - familiar but missing a very key player. Michael was not a believer but at our age you are allowed to hedge your bets. I the unlikely event that there is a LGBT God up there, I telling him/her that all heaven is very privileged to receive dear brother Micael and I will ask just one thing - God - try not to piss him off.
-
2020-10-23 13:11:06 View / Comment (0)
Kath Jones
John introduced me to Micky at the Last Night of the Proms in 1992. I really got to know him during the 1993 Proms season, when we became firm friends. From the start I loved his kindness, his sense of humour, and his zest for life. We continually exchanged banter, so much so, that I always said that anyone who didn't know him would think that we didn't get on! Mick once said to me that he liked to have someone to look after, and he, along with his brother John, has been there for me all the time that I have known him. We disagreed about many things,( notably Brexit!) But always respected each other's views. His courage during these last few months amazed me. He was a valued part of my life for 28 years. It has been my joy and privilege to have known and loved him.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2020-10-22 18:46:51 View / Comment (0)
Tricia Don
Well, what lovely tributes to a real gentleman – a gentle man indeed. His qualities have been laid out here by everyone, but I want to add that Mick was also an amazing husband – my local friends are telling me now that they all envied me back in the day because he helped with cooking, ironing, cleaning, did the majority of the preparation for our parties/dinner parties, and of course DIY – transforming our damaged & scruffy Victorian house into a beautiful home. He was so patient and kind with the boys as they have said, and supportive of me. I was warmly welcomed into his large, loving family which was wonderful for me coming from such a small one, and we all had some great times. Even after we went our separate ways over 25 years ago, we remained close friends. It is a mark of his (and his family’s) generosity and kindness that, when he connected with our old friend Ian Don on Friends Reunited in 2004, and we were both on our own, he happily put us in touch with each other, and he and his family all came to our wedding! As we are all raising a glass to him today, I picked this photo to share so he could join in :o)
-
2020-10-22 14:43:56 View / Comment (0)Martin Stone
Saluting Michael at 1 pm UK time, listening to that beautiful song by Louis Armstrong. The glass contains a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon bearing the label 'Shoulder to Shoulder'. I thought it appropriate for two reasons. Firstly, because I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hobdays on this day. And secondly, because it is a damn fine wine! To Michael!
-
2020-10-22 20:09:04 View / Comment (0)
Paul Hobday
I can’t remember life without Mick because there wasn’t any. He is in my earliest memories. I regard myself as being very lucky to be born into a ready made large family. Three older brothers — in their different ways — inevitably were to be role models. At Woodford I remember Mick fighting (yes, physically) with another brother (who shall remain nameless) in support of Pete and I because we wanted to watch a cartoon on one channel, and this clashed with the other’s wishes. We were no more than 6 and 4 and the two boxers were just teenagers. The first sign of sticking up for others.There were only two black and white TV channels then of course. Blindley Heath lit up when the older brothers visited. Mick and Pat seemed to visit most weekends (although obviously it wasn’t as frequent as it seemed). There was then a party atmosphere. Beatles music dominated from 1963, and we gathered around the TV for “Not only… but also”, Dr Who, and The Frost Report. We played a lot of games and Mick seemed to always win, but he never gloated.We went on walks and outings like the trips to Tilburstow and Outwood caught on Dad’s cine film. Some might have been irritated at two young brothers always tagging along, but not Mick. Even a shopping trip to Crawley seemed exciting. Mick took me to my first Proms, aged 11. 25th July 1967. Mahler’s 2nd symphony, conducted by—guess who ? — Bernard Haitink. He bought me my first LP—Smetana The Moldau. I remember sitting in the lounge at Blindley Heath with him listening to the whole of the White Album, with Tricia giggling to Piggies. At University when I didn’t have a clue about how to write a sociology essay, he wrote it for me. He introduced me to the thoughts of Tony Benn, and showed me it’s good and principled to stand up for what you believe in, even when attacked by those blinkered within the “Overton window” Those holidays in Berlin, Madrid, Hamburg, Krakow, Lille, Munich and Sri Lanka — great memories, especially of Mick with a huge two (four?) litre glass of beer that he could hardly lift. Then staggering around art galleries : Mick told me where to find the highlights just to keep me happy. Always thinking of others.A memorable rail trip around Germany.The last was Paris and the opera / ballet at the Palais Garnier. I wished he’d had been fit enough to join Dave and I in Africa, and that we could have used those ballet tickets this year. But no other regrets. It’s hard and painful that those days are over. If only there were more like Mick the world would undoubtedly be a better place. I echo the descriptions of his character others have beautifully described. I'm glad one of the last things he really enjoyed was the programme about Bernard Haitink. So for the first time in 64 years and 87 days life is without him. A massive hole is left.
-
-
2020-10-21 17:30:46 View / Comment (1)
Graham Goldspring
I met Michael in August 1993 at a Prom concert which was the start of a loving relationship and subsequently a close platonic friendship. He became my soul mate, loving, protective, caring, kind, patient and generous. Not only was he like this to me but to everyone in his life. I enjoyed the banter between us because of his wicked sense of humour delivered with a characteristic twinkle in the eye, beautifully captured in the portrait of him. Happy memories are in abundance because being with him I felt happy and safe. Having had a controlling and judgemental upbringing, it was at first strange to be with someone the total opposite. But over the years he helped me to become a happier and better person than I was before. Our mutual passion for music meant going to many memorable concerts, particularly the Proms. Sleeping out for the Last Night in the cold under the awning of the Albert Hall was a fun experience. We had wonderful holidays, the most memorable being to Sicily, our times in Morocco and what turned out to be our last holiday in Amsterdam last year. He had good old fashioned courtesies letting you in and out of doorways first and up escalators. A number of times I would leave a shop and turn to go back the way we came. He would patiently wait with a big grin and a twinkle in the eye until I discovered he was not with me. Sense of direction is not one of my strong points. The last ten years or so we went to so many exciting ballet performances and he was passionate about the work of the Royal Ballet School. Characteristically he would be sure to please not only me but also friends and family in organising bookings for the Royal Ballet without leaving anyone out, even if it meant going more than once for a production. It was a major task and never a word of complaint came from him. He was an inventive cook with an eye for new combinations and table presentation and was ever the affable host. His strong and firm political views induced lively and interesting debates, particularly about Thatcher and the European Union, wearing the EU badge. A friend of ours summed him up very well as being kind, charismatic and interesting. When I told our ballet friends about his passing, each one described him as a lovely man. That is what he was and he will be missed very much.
-
2020-10-21 16:37:57 View / Comment (0)
Anthony Lunn
I knew Michael for over 25 years and he was the most kind and considerate friend one could wish for. Of my many memories concerning him there are two that immediately come to mind. We did two organized walking holidays together based in England. The first was in the area around Skipton. One walk started from Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale and was steadily uphill for the morning. After a picnic lunch at 470 metres at Simon's Seat we had a steep downhill to Appletreewick. I was walking just ahead of Michael on a narrow path when I heard a shout of alarm from the group behind me. I turned to look and Michael had disappeared. He had fallen into some deep bracken and could not escape its clutches. We eventually helped him out and he was none the worse for wear. For the rest of the walk the ladies in the group kept asking if he was OK and could they carry his rucksack. The following year we had a few days near Minehead in May and the first walk commenced at the top of Countisbury Hill near Lynmouth. Our transport delivered us to a bleak, wet and windswept spot high on the cliffs. We looked at each other with little enthusiasm for our walk and agreed it could only get better. It did and was one of the best walks we had ever completed. I am fortunate to remember such happy times. Thank you Michael.
-
2020-10-21 12:04:39 View / Comment (1)
Patricia Crook
I feel I have nothing to add to the comments already made. I first met Mick on our first day at LFH and the friendship developed to include Gil and Tricia. I remember we used to meet up at a coffee shop just off Fitzroy Square and play a game with coin over a beer glass and the loser (always Gil, I think) buying the next round; but I also remember his huge kindness to Gil, taking care of him when we both needed plenty of TLC. In latter years we have not been able to meet up quite so much but when we did it was as if nothing had changed. We shall both miss him but never forget him.. Thank you, Mick, for being our friend x
-
2020-10-21 04:54:52 View / Comment (0)
Martin Stone
The descriptions on this page sum him up so perfectly already. I can't think of better words. Kind, gentle, wise, patient, and a man of principles, but at the same time he seemed to carry inside him this constant little chuckle about the world he observed around him. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! He was father to two beautiful boys who grew up into awesome men. Matt was my best friend at school, which meant Jim was like an older brother to me, and in turn, Michael was a bit like a second father, and another male role model in my formative years. The best phrase I can think of to describe him is as 'a guiding influence', for that was his way. Not to try to shape or control, but to help us in finding our own good paths to take. The painting captures his essence so perfectly! Michael - thankyou for just being there and being who you are. The world is just a better place with people like you in it, and we'll miss you and treasure and celebrate our memories of you.
-
-
2020-10-20 16:24:55 View / Comment (0)
Matt Hobday
Dad was one of a kind. While we were growing up he always gave us the freedom to explore and find our own path. He would never judge or criticise, and he never belittled us or made us feel bad for whatever gargantuan mistakes we may have made along the way. He was always there to pick us up when we fell. Not once did he give the “hey son, let me give you some advice” speech. He didn’t give advice, instead he showed us how to live by example. He was someone who walked the talk. He was an exemplary human, always thinking of others, tender and selfless right up to his last days here. I remember him taking us swimming and teaching us how to float on our backs. I still can’t do it as well as he could. I remember going down the beach with him and him showing us how to make amazing sand castles with our hands from wet sand, which would call attention from anyone walking past. The way he stood his toast up in the morning to cool it down, like a house of cards. The cups of tea, made with loose tea in the teapot. Teaching me how to play chess, and eventually beating him at it (although I suspect he let me win). I remember how much he loved our childhood cat, Ludwig. Lying on the sofa on Saturday morning with Ludo on his lap watching Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks pretend to beat each other up. He loved that cuddly fat cat, they were best buddies. He introduced me to Vampires, Monty Python, politics and heathenism. He wasn’t the messiah, he was a very naughty boy. And all those precious moments that we had together in his final weeks here, caring for him, and laughing with him. He may have lost some abilities along the way, but he never lost his sense of humour. He’s touched the hearts of many people, and we shall all miss him immensely. I can’t think of a better legacy than the one of kindness that he has left for us. We love you Dad, and I’m glad that we had the opportunity to tell you and show you that before you left.
-
2020-10-20 16:32:21 View / Comment (0)
Jim Hobday
He was the greatest dad in the world. OK I might be a bit biased. Yeah he was terrible too. I think it was a Thursday in 1978 and it lasted a good 10 minutes. To be fair I had driven him to distraction. Genette will explain how I'm able to do this. As schoolkids we would pounce on him as soon he arrived back from work and he would patiently help us with our homework rather than demand the G&T that he really deserved, what with Thatcher messing up his Clinic and School of Chiropody. As adults he treated us as adults, with generosity and thoughtfulness whilst not demanding anything in return - not even sensible behaviour. Of course his legacy is really his shrewd, insightful opinions on politics, economics and society in general that Matthew and I absorbed unwittingly as kids and then relished later. His integrity in life choices that wouldn't benefit him, but would always benefit others, his support for the Arts and his determination to have justice and fairness far outweighed his prolific "disgruntled of Surbiton" complaint letters. His whole life, Dad has spent caring for others. Right up to the last few weeks of his life, he would worry about the people who were in his situation but didn't have any support. He would worry about whether Matthew, Pete Paul, Genette, Buffy and I were coping with caring for him. He would worry about everyone else's predicament - even though his was dire. Above all he was a source of support and stability for his friends, family and anyone who crossed his path. I feel very lucky to have been part of his life.
Remembr.
Customer service
Volg ons op
-
-
Sign up for our newsletter
-
© 2016 Remembr. BV
Bryan Shipston
Bryan Shipston
This photo of our annual summer get-together in Woodbridge represents nearly 65 years of friendship with him which started at Wanstead High School and is far more expressive than mere words of eulogy. Those of us not at school with him were welcomed with kindness and soon astonished by the tales recounted of pranks and mischief at High School. We are just so glad that we were able to maintain or re-establish close contact over the years. This photo of we friends sitting at table, talking, laughing, drinking and eating in jolly fashion would appeal to Mick's sense of bonhomie. None of us are going to forget you, Mick. Thank you for being our friend. Pat (Trish), Michael & Jasmine Chamberlain, Bryan & Carol Shipston. xxx
More...