McCartney Times

By Lauren Jones Multimedia Reporter

MIKE McCartney has been awarded with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen’s birthday honour’s list.

Artist and photographer Mike, younger brother of Beatles legend Paul McCartney, has been recognised for his services to the community of Wirral.

Under the name Mike McGear, he shot to fame with group Scaffold alongside poet Roger McGough and John Gorman, having chart success with tracks such as Thank U Very Much, Liverpool Lou and Lily the Pink.

In the 1970s Mike, whose real name is Peter Michael McCartney, collaborated with his brother Paul’s band Wings before embarking on a career as a successful photographer and artist.

It was in 1964 when Mike moved to Heswall and has lived there with his family ever since.

In 2004 he was approached by Wirral Council to be named Wirral’s Cultural Ambassador.

Over the years Mike has since been a spearhead for all things cultural in Wirral from helping to promote the borough’s Viking heritage to supporting causes such as Wirral Society for the Blind & Partial Sighted.

Since 2015, he has been officially opening the Wirral Society of Arts’ exhibitions and presenting prizes and helped set up Nordic Intercultural Creative Events (NICE) with Ingi-Thor Busk and local historian professor Steve Harding to bring together Merseyside’s maritime heritage with Scandinavia – linked by the Vikings.

Source: Mike McCartney awarded with British Empire Medal | Wirral Globe