Michael Hides was born in Sussex in 1925, but grew up in Sheffield, attending King Edward VII school from 1936 to 1943. After school and army service Hides began his career in journalism on a weekly newspaper in Lancashire before working for the Daily Telegraph as a sub-editor, and then joining The Manchester Guardian in 1951. It was at the Guardian that Hides met his wife Margaret Tippey (1926 - 2008), a copy taker, who went on to become a well-known travel writer who campaigned for the rights of disabled travellers, and wrote for the Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Observer newspapers

Michael Hides held several senior post at the Guardian, including that of chief sub-editor and was a key player in the paper's move to London. During his time at the Guardian Hides was endorsed as editorial consultant for the International Press Institute and worked in India and Thailand, where he produced A Sub-Editor’s Handbook which proved a standard work of reference for Indian journalists. Hides was a keen traveller and wrote pieces detailing his journeys under the pseudonym ‘John Dee’.

After 17 years at the Guardian be became editor of the Sheffield Morning Telegraph, and moved to Cressbrook, Derbyshire with his Margaret. Following his early retirement due to ill-health in 1983 the couple moved to Canterbury. He died in October 2001 at the age of 75. Margaret died in 2008 at the age of 83.