All members and staff of QEB join in wishing our friend and colleague Michael Hosford-Tanner all the very best on his retirement from the Bar, after more than 50 years.

Having been called to the Bar in 1974, Michael has had a distinguished career spanning civil, family and some crime.

Michael began his studies at school in South Africa, then finished his secondary education in Ireland, before reading law at Trinity College, Dublin. After being called to the Bar, he did six months pupillage in a planning set, followed by six months as Michael Connell’s pupil at Queen Elizabeth Building. He was taken on as a tenant at QEB. In practice, he was an all-rounder, working particularly in family law and common law, with a large amount of personal injury work, and some crime in the early years. In later years, he went on to develop a strong practice in Child Abduction matters in the High Court, with many reported cases.

Michael has also remained in demand for regulatory work for over 30 years. He has sat as a legal assessor for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (and its statutory predecessor) since the late 1980s, and he has held the same role with the General Dental Council, the Farriers (reflecting his noteworthy interest in horses), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Michael has always remained busy both inside and outside Chambers, including recently serving as Master of the Worshipful Company of Broderers. He is a fine cricketer (still playing for the Chelsea Arts Club) and topped the Chambers cricket team’s batting averages during the years when we had a cricket team (1983–1997).

In addition, he was a regular London Marathon runner as part of the Chambers “No Problem” team, he played rugby in his younger days in Chambers, and is a fine horseman.

Michael will be truly missed by everyone at QEB, and we wish him a very happy retirement.