Michael Robert Fisher (25 Jul 1935 - 17 Jan 2024)

In loving memory of Michael Robert Fisher who sadly passed away on 17th January 2024.

Michael Robert Fisher was born 25th July 1935 in Clapham, the youngest son to George & Winifred Fisher, following his brothers David and John.

Michael’s early childhood coincided with the outbreak of World War 2 and he was evacuated to a number of places during this time, including Guildford, Reading, the Cotswolds and Shoreham by Sea. Upon the conclusion of the war he returned to London and the family settled in Abbeville Road, Clapham. From the age of fourteen Michael attended the Brixton School of Building, studying carpentry and joinery and followed this with an apprenticeship with Triggs & Company, a small building contractor based in Clapham.

At an early age Michael met Patricia at Sunday School and they soon became sweethearts.

Michael was a keen motorcyclist, travelling to work in London on various buildings when he had a serious accident, resulting in the loss of his leg. This didn’t deter him from getting on with life though and Michael and Pat married shortly after his recovery. They settled in to living in two rooms at Pat’s parents house at 33 Glenelg Road, Brixton before moving into their own flat at Number 37 Glenelg Road, shortly after the birth of their first son Peter in January 1957, followed by Kevin in October 1959. Mum & Dad became friends with Beryl & Eric Worrow, and stayed lifelong friends. We shared many happy holidays together.

As an Apprentice, Dad worked on the concrete shuttering for the bridge crossing the lake in St James Park. Later, whilst working for Cubitts he was employed on many of London’s landmark buildings including Australia House, Canada House, the South African Embassy, the elephant house at London Zoo and Truman’s Brewery. One day he was asked to do some work at Buckingham Palace and as usual he rode there on his motorbike & sidecar. When he arrived there the gates were open and so he went straight through the front gate, where he was stopped by a policeman and was told in no uncertain terms to use the rear tradesmen’s entrance!

The family moved to 272 Hawthorn Road, Strood in 1963 which was to be the family home for the next 22 years and Dad commuted to London by train.

Dad was invited to work on a Cubitts project to install bullet proof glass partitions in every Midland Bank in England and Wales. This involved many nights away from home and hours on the early motorways in a Transit van, but he did build a bullet proof greenhouse in the garden with the off-cuts in his spare time.

As a Cubitts general foreman and then Site Agent, Dad worked for a number of years on a long term project to refurbish the Lord Mayor’s official residence, the Mansion House. For a while, we had the very showerhead that the Queen Mother had stood under.

In 1968 Dad built a Mirror dinghy, which introduced Peter to a lifelong passion for the sea & boats.

On 1st August 1979 at the age of 44, Dad changed career and started work with the KCC as a Building Inspector and was to spend the rest of his working life in a job that he loved, making a number of good friends along the way. One day he inspected a solid Ex Police House, at No 1 Horwood Close, Rochester and on 12th August 1985 Mum and Dad moved in.

At some time in the past Dad acquired an interest in clocks with a single French Carriage Clock. This small collection was to grow, as anyone who visited home could confirm. In 1981, as a Silver Wedding project he built his first clock, a striking grandfather clock.

As a child, Dad had joined the Boys Brigade and had attended parades & Bible classes at West Road, Clapham. He continued as an Old Boy to be involved with the 83rd London, organising the Old Folks Christmas Party at various Church Halls in Lambeth for a number of years, only stopping when the ages of the volunteer helpers was greater than the Old Folk attendees. The 83rd BB continued to regularly meet for Bible Classes & holidaying together on the Isle of Wight.

Michael had two grandchildren, Matthew & Laurence, born in 1990 and 1993 respectively.

Retiring from the KCC in May 1997, Dad soon joined the volunteers at Chatham Historic Dockyard and 1998 he joined the Orchard Wood Turners. In 2000 he started as a volunteer at The Tyland Barn, Kent Wildlife Centre.

Throughout his life, Dad kept a diary, well ‘kind of’ diary. He kept a lengthy list of life’s significant moments. Holidays, new cars, new band saws, new Popes, births, weddings and more increasingly, funerals. 38 pages, double sided. He started with Mum & Dad’s wedding in 1956 and the last entry was in November 2023 ‘Won £100 on the Premium Bonds’.

Michael was much loved by everyone who knew him and he will be sadly missed.