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I
have known Mike Pyke since 1986 when he joined the Overhead Lines research
group at the Central Electricity Research Laboratories (CERL). Leatherhead,
as an Assistant Technical Officer (ATO). CERL was the principal research
laboratory of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). The research
group, comprising five people, was one of three groups forming the Vibrations
and Aerodynamics Section, of which I was the Section Head. Mike had already
worked with Site Services at CERL for some five years as an electrical
fitter and the abilities that he had demonstrated had marked him out for
promotion to ATO when a suitable vacancy arose.
Mike rapidly adapted to his new post, taking on the responsibility for
constructing and testing prototypes of logic circuits for controlling
special-purpose video equipment mounted on transmission towers (pylons).
In response to the needs of the job. Mike trained to climb and work on
transmission towers. He showed an aptitude and enthusiasm for working
with personal computers at a time when these were much less common, more
specialist items than they are now. He became the Group's principal resource
for experimental investigations, in terms of instrumentation, instrumentation
development, data logging and initial data analysis.
On privatisation of the CEGB
in March 1990, Mike, together with myself and many colleagues from CERL.
joined the newly-formed National Grid as part of its R & D function
at Leatherhead. Mike became a member of my Mechanical Engineering Research
Group which was formed at that time. After successive re-organisations,
I have had no further line-management role with respect to Mike but we have
continued to work together at Leatherhead until the present time.
Mike progressively took on more responsibility for experimental
testing, including sole responsibility for the Long Tensile Test Facility,
heavy-current rig and other mechanical test equipment. This equipment
is used to carry out tests to British and National Grid Standards, for
studying new conductors and fittings and for investigating design and
service problems. Mike oversaw the installation of new computerised control
systems for the first of these two facilities. He also designed package
of meteorological instrumentation and date logging equipment to be mounted
on transmission towers for telemetering data back to the Leatherhead Laboratories.
This package has been central to our studies of overhead line power ratings,
and numbers of them have been used with great success all over the country.
Mike has an extensive knowledge of many software packages and has spent
much of his own time in developing these skills, he shows a natural aptitude
for working with them. He was one of the first people at National Grid
to come to grips with the Internet and he has extensive experience with
it.
In 1992, Mike's partner died, leaving him with two daughters aged five
and seven.
He has brought up his daughters as a single parent and they are a credit
to him.
Mike commands great respect among his colleagues for what he has achieved
as a parent.
Mike has strong musical talents and has for many years organised and managed
various samba bands and groups with a South American flavour. His bands
have performed to local acclaim at many events in and around Dorking and
at significant social venues such as Hurlingham and the Albert Hall.
In conclusion, Mike has a strong character. He is honest, reliable and
capable. He will always give very careful consideration to what he is
being asked to do and, once convinced of its value, will commit himself
very strongly to carrying it out to the best of his ability. I commend
him to you unreservedly.
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