Hi, I’m Mike.
I live in Pontypool, South Wales with my wife Elaine and our twin boys, Samuel and Thomas. Life is full of noise, mess, laughter, and love – and though we sometimes feel our age, we wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m in my 60s, Elaine’s in her late 50s, and the boys are 11.
Yes, we’re older parents – often mistaken for grandparents – but that’s never bothered us. We just smile and carry on. What people don’t always see is what it took to get here. Samuel and Thomas arrived after years of hoping, trying, and wondering if we’d ever be parents.
Without a doubt, those two are the best thing that ever happened to us. Sure, they’ve aged us a bit – but they’ve also kept us young. They push us, challenge us, and fill our lives with more love and chaos than we ever imagined. You can read more in our post about raising twin boys in my sixties.
I’ve often been late to the party. University came at 28, marriage at 36, fatherhood at 52 — and I finally got professionally qualified in the same college classroom I last sat in at 18. It’s all part of the story behind Sixty Rocks.
My career has mostly been in the public sector – inspecting highways, working in HR, and later shifting into management information. These days, I work three days a week as an employee insight analyst at the Intellectual Property Office. Elaine works there too, as a formalities examiner. We both work from home — in the same tiny spare room — which gets a bit cramped. Somehow, though, it works. Living, working, parenting, eating and sleeping in the same space isn’t easy, but we still get along. That’s married life in your 60s.
The boys are chalk and cheese. Samuel is the sporty one – especially into table tennis. Thomas, meanwhile, is a performer through and through. He dreams of being on stage and is obsessed with getting on Britain’s Got Talent, despite not actually having an act. He’s convinced that’s just a detail to sort out later.
Travel has always played a big part in our lives. In the early days – before the glorious chaos of twins – Elaine and I explored Thailand. Not with backpacks, but in five-star resorts (the kind with infinity pools and white robes). These days, our holidays look a bit different – usually in a Renault Trafic campervan, with the boys squabbling in the back and our sat-nav throwing a tantrum.
From holiday parks in the UK to sunny spots in France, we’ve built family memories – with sand in our shoes, bug spray in our bags, and plenty of laughter at every wrong turn. Our blog and YouTube channel capture those moments: real travel with kids, through the lens of parents who aren’t quite ready to slow down.
Sixty Rocks isn’t about being perfect. It’s about living with energy, humour, and the occasional coffee-fuelled meltdown in a service station car park. If that sounds like your kind of adventure – welcome aboard.
I’ve never hidden the fact that I have a stammer – a stutter – and it’s been with me all my life. It’s tormented me at times, made things harder than they needed to be, and turned simple situations into uphill climbs. But it’s never stopped me. I’ve faced it, fought it, and even spoken publicly in Bristol, Dublin, Cardiff, and at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park.
Recording videos for Sixty Rocks was another mountain, but I climbed it. If I ever get a gravestone, it might read: He had a go.
We’re not influencers or polished performers. We’re just a family doing our best — muddling through and sharing what we’ve learned the hard way. If you’re curious about campervans, older parenting, travel with kids, or just what life looks like when you take the scenic route – welcome. You are very welcome!