Winchester designer among tower block fire deaths (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Winchester designer among tower block fire deaths

9:37am Thursday 9th July 2009 in

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AN ex-Winchester School of Art fashion student, who cheated death in the 9/ll New York terror attack, has been named as one of the victims of the London tower block inferno.

Catherine Hickman was one of six people who died after the blaze broke out on the 11th floor of the South London block of flats. A mother and her two young children also lost their lives as well as a three week-old baby in last Friday’s tragedy.

Catherine, 31, was a talented designer who had a glittering career in front of her and was about to be proposed to by her boyfriend.

Her devastated Hampshire family paid tribute to “a talented and loveable” daughter.

Talking at their home near Romsey, Catherine’s mum Flo — who is recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumour — wept as she said: “She was so special I just can’t put it into words. She was talented and loveable. It is just too hard.”

Her father Pip added: “She was just a wonderful girl who never caused us any trouble. She will always be missed.”

Mr Hickman told how Catherine should not have been in her flat in Camberwell, South London, having planned to leave early that day to visit friends in Brighton.

He added that the former West Wellow and St Anne’s schoolgirl had had lucky escapes before. She had been due to hold a fashion show in New York’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

This weekend, Catherine was due to return to her family home in Shelley Lane, Ower, to celebrate her 32nd birthday.

Her family spoke fondly of how their daughter’s love of fashion started at an early age and she studied at Salisbury Art College and later at Winchester School of Art.