On this day, Michael's birthday, we gather here,
To honour a man we held so dear,
His love for steam trains was crystal clear,
And Northumberland's beauty filled his heart with cheer.

He adored the castles and coastline,
Of Alnwick, a place truly divine,
A paradise he held close to his heart,
His birthplace, which he loved from the start.
 
It's been just over a year since he passed,
But his memory will forever last,
And though he's gone, our hearts are swirled,
With our love for him forever unfurled.
 
His daughter, Eleanor, he loved with all his might,
And his wife, Sandra, who shared his life,
Seven dogs, they had, all loyal and true,
Dustie, now gone, with Michael anew.
 
Honey, Jessie, Rosey, Lily, Gwinny, and Hettie,
All cocker spaniels, bright and pretty,
They were a family, a pack of love,
And Michael's spirit now watches them from above.
 
So on your birthday, we raise a toast and insist,
That your memory, will forever exist,
In the heritage you left behind, your joys and pains,
In our hearts, forever ingrained.

Rest in peace, Michael, you will be forever missed,
Our memories of you will always persist,
In the hearts of those who knew you well,
As we listen out for the steam train's whistle's swell.