Mike Mathieson – local writer, poet, musician and a stalwart of Brightlingsea WinterFest – has died after a short illness aged 66, just a few days short of his next birthday.

In his working life he was a teacher and a very good one by all accounts, said to be very kind and considerate.

He was a writer and a poet and was instrumental in developing the spoken word and comedy events that have become a major feature of Brightlingsea WinterFest. He read his own poems – sometimes poignant, sometimes wry and gently humorous comments on modern life – to much acclaim.

Wivenhoe-based poet and musician Martin Newell, who was persuaded to perform at several WinterFest events by Mike, said he was “such a nice gentle geezer and a good poet too”.

WinterFest co-founder Alix Sheppard said Mike was a “well loved member of our team for several years”, adding that “his legacy will live on through these events”.

More recently he’d become a member of the local Brightwords writing group and one of his poems, “Let’s Remember”, will appear in a soon-to-be published anthology of local writing.

Many will remember Mike as the harmonica player with the Intermission Blues Band, which operated in the Brightlingsea area for around 13 years. Band members nicknamed him “Rock Steady Mike”.

He was fundamental to the founding of the Mending Matters shop in New Street and was often seen behind the counter.

I never heard him say a bad work word about anybody. He was always kind and considerate, he brought up children who anybody would be proud of, and he will be sorely missed.

He died too soon – an easy and cheap thing to say, but certainly true in Mike’s case.