Nimrod Ping

Nimrod Ping
Born 19 September 1947
Died 3 July 2006
Education Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
Cardiff University
Occupation Architect, politician, gay activist

Nimrod Ping (19 September 1947 - 3 July 2006) was a British architect, politician and gay activist in Brighton, Sussex, England.

Sainsbury's store at Lewes Road, Brighton, designed by Nimrod Ping

Biography

Early life

After attending the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe from 1964 to 1966 he studied architecture at Cardiff University.[1]

Career

As an architect, he designed a Sainsbury's supermarket in Lewes Road, Brighton.[2]

Politics

Ping served as a councillor at the former Brighton Borough Council (now Brighton and Hove) for eight years from 1991 to 1999.[3] He became chairman of the Council's planning committee and of the licensing committee.[2] Thanks to his unusual name, he achieved national fame after the BBC Radio 2 presenter Terry Wogan used his name as scale against which to compare other interesting names.[2]

He was one of the first openly gay councillors in Britain.[3] He took part in Brighton's "Gay Pride" events for a number of years.[2] He convinced other councillors to allow gay clubs in Brighton to stay open after midnight.[4]

He was diagnosed as suffering from Hepatitis C in the late 1990s.[3] He became known locally as the face of southern England's Hepatitis C Campaign and was the face of Brighton and Hove's leading shopping centre for a while during which the shopping centre joined his appeal in return for having a leading politician's support.

Originally a Labour Party supporter, he joined the Green Party a few months before his death.

Death

He died of hepatitis-related liver failure in 2006.[2] His funeral took place at St Margaret's Church in Rottingdean on 20 July 2006.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Royal Grammar School High Wycombe: School List for Autumn Term 1965
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tributes to former councillor". The Argus. 5 July 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  3. 1 2 3 Cohen, Benjamin (5 July 2006). "Gay campaigner Nimrod Ping dies aged 46". Pink News. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  4. ↑ Janet Cameron, LGBT Brighton & Hove, Amberley Publishing Limited, 2013
  5. ↑ Rose Collis, Death and the City: The nation's experience, told through Brighton's history, Hanover Press, 2013, p. 29
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