Policeman on mercy mission
died through “misadventure”
by staff reporter
A MISADVENTURE verdict has been recorded at an inquest into the death of a former Warrington police officer who was killed while on a mercy mission in the wake of the Asian tsunami disaster.
PC Kevin Brinkman, aged 33, a member of the Warrington Community Action Team, was killed in a road accident in Thailand on March 29 last year.
Two other Cheshire police officers were injured in the crash.
The inquest was held by Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg at Crewe.
PC Brinkman had served in Warrington and at Stockton Heath as a uniformed patrol officer had more recently been a member of the Community Action Team. He had been a police officer for 11 years.
He lived at Northwich with his long-term fianc? Diana and their daughter. At the time of the tragedy, they were planning to marry.
After his death, Cheshire Chief Constable, Peter Fahey said: “Kevin was a fine officer and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
PC Brinkman ? also known as Kevin Nicholson ? and the other two officers had been deployed to Thailand as part of the British Police Response Team offering relief following the tsunami.
Their work involved identification of tsunami victims – in itself a harrowing and distressing task.
Some four years ago, PC Brinkman received a Chief Constable’s commendation for bravery.
Pine tree ‘phone mast
needles neighbours
by David Skentelbery
PLANNING chiefs at Warrington have given the go-ahead for a mobile ?phone mast disguised by a plastic pine tree.
The decision has angered nearby residents at Lymm who claim the mast will be a ?monstrosity.?
Telecommunications giant T-Mobile put forward the pine tree scheme as part of their application for a 60ft mast at Sow Brook Pumping Station, in Lymmhay Lane.
Nearly 20 residents objection ? along with Lymm Parish Council.
But planning officers argued that the plastic tree would make the mast acceptable in the Green Belt.
Coun Sheila Woodyatt said: ?I am extremely disappointed with this decision. It is not a suitable site for a mast and yet, only 100 yards away, a site was available that would have been acceptable.
?I don?t know what this plastic tree will look like and I understand they are quite common in other countries. But it is the first we have had in this area.
?Unfortunately, the planning regulations on telecommunications don?t give ordinary people much opportunity to successfully oppose them. They have very little say ? and councillors also have their hands tied.
?It means we will have another monstrosity imposed upon us.?
Residents had claimed the mast and associated antennae and equipment cabin would be out of character with an area used by young people for leisure and could also prove a target for vandals.
Classics, pop
and all that jazz!
by staff reporter
AN evening of music designed to showcase the impact of composer Leonard Bernstein on the worlds of classical, jazz and popular music will be staged at Warrington?s Pyramid Arts Centre later this year.
Entitled ?An Evening with Bernstein?, the concert on January 28 will actually consist of much more.
It will be performed by the award winning North Cheshire Concert Band and Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats and will start with a discussion with clarinettist Catherine Parsonage and composer Adam Gorb, head of composition and contemporary music at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Mark Heron and Catherine Parsonage will conduct the concert with Alastair Burrows on trombone, Catherine Parsonage on clarinet and Jo Robinson and Peter Whittles doing the vocals.
The programme will include three works by Adam Gorb, a rare performance of Stravinsky?s ?Ebony Concerto?, which he wrote for the Woody Herman big band in 1945, and music from Bernstein?s ?West Side Story.?
North Cheshire Concert Band is a 40-strong wind orchestra based in Warrington which has twice performed at the prestigious International Wind Festival at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and achieved Gold Awards at the National Concert Band Festival in the 2004 and 2005 national finals.
On April 29 the NCCB will perform Bandana, a European premiere of the first opera written specifically for a brass band by American composer Daron Hagen.
Additional information is available from the NCCB at www.northcheshire.org.uk or from the Pyramid on 01925 442345 or www.pyramid.org.uk
Mercy cargo set to
sail to South Africa
by David Skentelbery
A CARGO of items urgently needed to help orphans in South Africa will be on its way from Warrington soon ? including 16 vitally important wheelchairs.
The consignment has been collected by members of Glazebury Methodist Church for the South African project Phakamisa ? which means ?to lift up, to make grow.?
Last week Warrington-Worldwide reported how the church had managed to collect enough items to fill a container ? but had only got one wheelchair.
The problem is that most people hire wheelchairs from the NHS so return them when they are no longer needed.
But since the church?s appeal, 15 more wheelchairs have been donated!
A party of 10 members of the church will be flying out on March 1 to help distribute the goods.
Delia Caswell, one of the Glazebury party, said: “We now have enough items, so we cannot really accept any more.
?But we are looking for a couple of ?reserves? ? people who would be prepared to step into the breach if one of our party suddenly finds themselves unable to make the trip.
?We have to have 10 to get a reduced fare of ?650, so if even one person dropped out we would all have to pay more.?
Anyone who can help should call Delia or Peter Caswell on 01942 671938.
Phakamisa is a project organised by Pinetown Methodist Church, Durban and provides education, practical help and support to more than 14,000 orphans and more than 1,000 carers.
Among those going on the trip are Delia, Joan Patrick, Mike Matthews, Robert Graham, Peter McVeigh, Maureen Hilton and Vera Nelson.
Picture shows Delia Caswell (right) with other helpers from Glazebury Methodist Church helping to sort the goods to be sent to South Africa.
School reunion – organised
from “Down Under”
by John Hendon
A SCHOOL reunion is being held in Warrington ? but organised from Australia!
Former pupils from the old Oakwood Avenue Girls School, Warrington ? which ceased to exist more than 30 years ago ? are being invited to the event to be held at Appleton Thorn Parish Hall on June 10 at 8pm.
Ex-pupil Pamela Sutcliffe, nee Johnston, is organising the reunion and would like to hear from other ?old girls? who would like to attend.
She can be contacted at [email protected]
Pamela, from Perth, Western Australia, has not been back to the UK for 20 years and emigrated with her family in 1970.
She said: ?I was always hoping to come back for a school reunion, but never found out when one was on. I decided that as this year we all turned 60 it would be as good a time as any to have a reunion. So I am organising it from here in Perth.?
Pamela left Oakwood in 1962 but she is not restricting the reunion to girls from that year.
?I would like as many people as possible to be there, even if they were not in the same year.
?There is no charge ? I?d just like everyone to bring a plate of supper and hope to have a really good get-together. The bar will be open, so drinks can be purchased.?
Pamela has started making arrangements earlier to try and make sure everyone gets to hear about the event. In the meantime, she would love to hear from old friends.?
Insecure doors lead to
six burglaries in 14 days
by David S
kentelbery
POLICE at Culcheth, near Warrington are urging local residents to stay one step ahead of opportunist thieves by putting their home security first.
The New Year is only 14 days old – but already six properties have been broken into in the village by crooks who have taken advantage of insecure back doors, garage doors and garden gates.
Detectives are now appealing to homeowners to think carefully about security before leaving their properties unoccupied and to report anything suspicious to police even if they return home to find their belongings have not been taken.
DS Richard Langford is one of the officers investigating the offences. He said: “I’m appealing to residents to get in touch if they return home and find doors open that were previously shut, even if nothing has been stolen, because the information could assist us with on-going burglary enquiries in the area.
“And I also want to take this opportunity to remind people, particularly the elderly, about the importance of checking someone’s identity before opening their door to strangers. Two men attempted to gain access to an elderly woman’s home by pretending to be boiler inspectors.
“Fortunately on this occasion the woman challenged the men for proof of identification which they were unable to provide. She did the right thing and notified the police and I would advise others to follow her example by reclaiming ownership of their own door steps. Genuine callers will be happy to show id and wait whilst the occupier verifies who they are. If you are unsure, don’t open your door.”
Police also want to thank members of the public for their assistance when two men fled from police. Officers wanted to speak to the men who were seen in a white van on the Harrow Car Park. But as they approached the van the men got out and ran off.
Members of the public pointed out to the officers the direction the men had taken and as a result both were arrested – one of who was subsequently found to be wanted on warrant from Liverpool Crown Court.
DS Langford added: “Without this help the officers may not have been able to trace the two men. Further enquiries revealed that the van was stolen and was suspected to have been used in a crime in the Manchester area the previous evening.”
[ 18.01.2006, 11:17: Message edited by: DS ]
