November’s Mayor’s Award has been presented to a great friend of Shildon in Mike Amos. Mike was honoured and delighted to accept it at the Town Council meeting on 11th November.
Born in 1946 – the better looking one of twins, he claims – he was raised in Shildon, where he lived until he was 26.
He was an Urban District councillor from 1970-73, church warden, church council secretary and parish newspaper editor at St John’s from 1967-73 and is Shildon FC life vice-president.
Mike is a lifelong journalist, working at the Northern Despatch from 1965-69 and then the Northern Echo until 2019.
He was winner of more than 40 national and regional journalism awards, including North East Journalist of the Year seven times in 15 years.
He is also an inaugural member of the Provincial Journalism Hall of Fame and was honoured with the MBE in 2006 for services to journalism.
He was Northern League chairman from 1996-2016 and counts presenting the league trophy to Shildon skipper Bobby Moore as one of the most pleasurable experiences of his time there.
Mike is often seen walking the streets of Shildon and popping into various places for a pint and a chat, gathering information he scribbles down to include in some of the books he has written.
He is the author of several books including his autobiography, Unconsidered Trifles. His next, All Change, compares the Shildon of his formative years with the Shildon of today and led him to win £21 at the Jubilee Fields community centre’s bingo night.
“Mike is a frequent return visitor to Shildon, where his heart lies and rightly deserves this award,” said Mayor Quinn.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
