REX The singer was lucky to escape with his life

Having been part of the hugely successful pop band Bucks Fizz it’s easy to assume that Mike Nolan would be used to life on the road. But the singer admits he feels nervous when travelling by car – just one aspect of the legacy of a terrifying coach crash in 1984.

I had no idea I’d been so close to death Mike Nolan

Today he is still living with the after-effects which include anxiety when travelling and loss of vision. But the biggest blow of all came when he was diagnosed with epilepsy shortly after the accident. In the past he has suffered seizures so severe that his speech is still affected today. “Being told I had epilepsy because of the accident was really difficult to accept,” says Mike, who rose to fame following the band’s Eurovision success in 1981 with the hit song Making Your Mind Up.

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“I am often asked about the crash but luckily for me I remember very little.” The four original band members and crew were travelling on the Great North Road after playing to a packed audience at Newcastle City Hall when their coach collided with a lorry. Both Mike and fellow band member Cheryl Baker, who had been sitting at the front of the coach, were hurled through the windscreen and on to the road. Mike sustained a traumatic injury to the head and it was touch and go whether doctors could perform a life-saving operation in time to remove a blood clot from his brain. Put on life support, his condition was deemed critical and Mike’s family were called to his bedside to say their fi nal goodbyes. Fortunately, Mike pulled through. “When I woke, people had to tell me what had happened. I had no idea I’d been so close to death,” says the singer. “My eyesight was permanently affected. I was told I had lost 50 per cent of my vision, meaning I could no longer drive. I also had to be taught how to walk and talk again by physiotherapists.” James Coxon, from brain injury charity Headway, says: “Double vision or other temporary visual disturbances are common after a traumatic brain injury.

More serious, long-term ocular damage can occur for a variety of reasons but is less common.” After six weeks of physio Mike was allowed home but the accident had taken its toll emotionally. “I used to be really cheerful but I became quite moody and withdrawn,” he says. “Doctors explained that it was to do with my brain injury. I even stopped exercising for a bit and put on weight. Before the accident I loved going to the gym and I was the life and soul of the party.” The accident also affected his performance in the band. “When I eventually started rehearsing again a few months after the crash I struggled to remember lyrics,” says Mike. “I also started having seizures which affected my speech. I found that really frightening as I had no idea what was wrong with me and why I couldn’t speak.” Shortly afterwards doctors told him he had epilepsy, a diagnosis Mike took years to accept. Epilepsy affects the brain and causes seizures. More than 500,000 people in the UK have the condition and while there is no cure medication can be used to control the symptoms. It can start at any age but is usually diagnosed in childhood. “It took a long time to feel my usual self again – at least five years. My memory is fine now but I still have slight issues with speech,” says Mike, who lives in Kent. After changing his epilepsy medication 10 years ago he noticed his energy levels started to return to normal. “Overall I feel very well in myself. I have GP check-ups every six months and I go to the gym three or four times a week again.

REX 31 years later, Mike is still living with the consequences of the crash

Apart from feeling a bit nervous when I’m being driven, I’m fi ne. If I hear an ambulance siren, it does bring back bad memories but only for a second. Not driving is a nuisance but I’m used to it now.” Since the crash Mike has performed with Bucks Fizz on and off for many years, including with a different line-up of the band. But in 2009 Mike, along with Cheryl and fellow original band member Jay Aston decided to start performing together again as Formerly Of Bucks Fizz. Mike now runs his own charity to raise funds for head injury research, Headfirst, formerly known as the Mike Nolan Brain Damage Trust. In 1993 he also started working with the organisation Belt Up School Kids (Busk) which campaigned for seat belts to be made compulsory on coaches. The law was changed in 2006 but only children aged 14 and over are legally required to wear them. Pat Harris from Busk says: “We are still campaigning for every school to have a policy in place around the wearing of seat belts on coaches for all pupils on school trips. “We are also currently campaigning to improve working conditions for drivers who are doing long European trips.

WENN The singer still suffers from anxiety when travelling and loss of vision