Michael John Norton (23 Dec 1939 - 20 Feb 2021)

On behalf of Southfleet Village Club

Carol and I knew Mike from Southfleet Village Club where he was treasurer for many years. He also did many bar duties there. He loved a game of snooker and of course the beer helped too. He was an
honest, loyal man who will be greatly missed by me, my wife and Southfleet Club members.

Most of my fondest memories of Mike involve either cricket or beer (or both) sometimes with unfortunate but mostly hilarious circumstances.

After I moved to Upnor, Mike and I shared driving to work at Deptford Town Hall. We played cricket for the Borough Engineer’s very successful team and Mike inveigled me into also playing for Southfleet CC’s 2nd team. One balmy evening in mid-summer we were driving home along the A2 in my old MGB with the roof down. We’d been playing evening cricket for the BE’s and for some reason or other we had the club kit bag in the car too – full of bats, pads, balls, stumps etc etc. So, the car was well laden and slightly “sagging”. There used to be a depression in the surface of the A2 near the Gravesend East junction and we hit it at about 60mph. The exhaust grounded and the silencer came off and cartwheeled behind us along the A2. Fortunately, it cartwheeled on to the hard shoulder without hitting any other vehicles. I pulled over and Mike was out of the car as quick as a flash and ran (honestly!) back to retrieve the offending silencer. Even from 200 yds or so distant I could hear the expletive (O?ck!!) when he picked up the red hot silencer with his bare hands and immediately dropped it. I’d carefully reversed back along the hard shoulder closer to the offending silencer. Mike (still oathing), retrieved the wicket keeper’s gloves from the kit bag and proceeded to pick up the silencer which we lashed to the boot-rack on the car. Needless to say, we called in at the nearest hostelry for Mike to cool his hands around a chilled pint.


Later, in the late 1970's Mike and I had again played cricket for the Lewisham Borough Engineer's team. Again, I was driving (a recurring theme) and Mike had taken advantage by having one or two pints after the game (topping up what he'd already had at lunchtime). He staggered to my old Capri climbed in and pulled out a cigarette. He fumbled around for the dashboard cigarette lighter as I pulled away out of the car park. He eventually located it and pushed it home and after 20 seconds or so it clicked out and was ready to use. Only problem was - rather than relocating the dashboard cigarette lighter Mike pulled the volume knob off of the car radio and tried to light his cigarette with it!!

I knew Michael for over 60 years. We played snooker in the Gravesend League and cricket for Southfleet together.We spent many hours watching Kent cricket, especially over the last 20 years.
Michael was always needle sharp,good at maths and sudoku's.I will miss him greatly.