WITH LOVE and laughter is how Timperley’s comedy scriptwriter Mike Craig would like to be remembered.

The talented comic, who wrote comedy shows for Morecambe and Wise - including the famous Angela Rippon dancing sketch - died last week at the age of 75.

He had fought a four-and-a-half year battle with Pick’s Disease - a rare terminal illness with no treatment which causes dementia.

During his career, Mike was involved in writing or producing over 1,200 comedy programmes for television and radio, including shows and series for Ken Dodd, Jimmy Tarbuck, Roy Castle, Rolf Harris, Jimmy Cricket, Tony Brandon, Harry Worth, Al Read, Selwyn Froggitt, Mike Yarwood, Hinge and Bracket, Richard Stilgoe, Des O'Connor, Tom O'Connor, The Grumbleweeds, Bernie Clifton, Tom Mennard, Gorden Kaye and Su Pollard.

A Timperley resident for 27 years, Mike was heavily involved in the local community and his first play 'The Day War Broke Out', had its world premiere at The Garrick Theatre in 1998.

Mike, a grandfather-of-five, also used to write and produce an annual pantomime for Christ Church on Thorley Lane, the church where he and his wife Susan were married.

Inspired to write comedy at the age of six after watching Albert Modley at the Dewsbury Empire, Mike started writing seriously in 1964 and in the 1980s began touring cruise ships where he performed his 'ABC of Comedy'.

He worked for the BBC in Manchester until his retirement in the early 1990s, when he began writing plays and a number of books about his life.

Since Mike’s death on October 28, his wife Susan has been inundated with tributes from people who had been touched by his work and said Mike would want people to remember him for making them laugh because that is what he had always wanted to do.

“Mike dedicated his life to making people happy and loved nothing more than to talk with people and share a laugh.

“Mike leaves a fantastic legacy and the number of people who continue to write to me on a daily basis, expressing their joy and thanks, are testament to that,” she said.

His last few days were spent with his family at his side, reading to him from his books, sharing old stories and singing his favourite songs.

Mike’s funeral will take place at 1pm on November 9 at Christ Church on Thorley Lane followed by a celebration of his life at the Cresta Court Hotel on Church Street.

His good friends Paul Daniels and Bernie Clifton, who was best man at his wedding, will be paying tribute to Mike at his funeral.

Mike’s family have requested that donations are made to the Alzheimer’s Society or the Grand Order of Water Rats, who Mike was a member of.