Pamela Brickman was an antique dealer, animal rights campaigner and popular Brighton resident. Here ROBERT POWELL pays tribute to his friend and fellow campaigner

PAMELA Brickman, who died on May 19, aged 91, was the founder of the Marine Gate Action Group at Brighton Marina in 2005.

She started the group with Elizabeth Baron and myself to oppose the building of tall towers in the Marina and said that I must be the spokesman.

And so began a 10-year friendship with this energetic and fearless octogenarian.

Pamela was born into a fairly well-to-do London family.

Her father owned a department store and at seven she was packed off to Roedean School.

She loved the place and retained her affection for the famous ladies college throughout her life.

Family holidays included motoring to the south of France and skating on Lake Windermere.

Pamela recounted tales of how when the Luftwaffe bombed Brighton the Roedean girls did their prep in the tunnel that lead down to the beach, sitting on cushions taken from the chapel.

At the outbreak of the Second World War Pamela, still a schoolgirl, worked at the Royal Pavilion issuing ration books and then at the age of 17 or 18 she enlisted in the Wrens.

She qualified as an Air Radio Mechanic and found herself posted to RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, where she serviced Spitfires.

After the war she married into a Jewish family.

With her husband Leslie she ran several successful businesses – a restaurant and café, an antique shop and latterly a jewellery business. Queen Elizabeth visited their shop Connoisseur Gems in The Lanes in 1964, when the monarch was visiting.

Pamela cried tears of joy after the Queen stopped at her shop in Meeting House Lane.

“I just couldn’t help it,” said Mrs Brickman.

“I couldn’t speak at first. I just froze. It was so exciting.

“She asked if we got much business and how old the shop was. I told her it was one of the oldest in Brighton.”

Throughout her life Pamela was a fierce campaigner for animal rights.

She wrote a constant stream of letters to the Argus, the Daily Mail, her MP and the Queen about matters such as the appalling conditions in which live cattle were shipped via Shoreham harbour to abattoirs in France.

Another target of her wrath was the destruction of habitats of Herring Gulls and the roosting places of the murmations of starlings. And she cared deeply for the Marina, where she and Leslie kept a yacht.

Three years ago Pamela moved to Dorset to live adjacent to her nephew John Perrins.

Pat Shields, her long-time neighbour and friend at Marine Gate, visited her two weeks before she died peacefully of pneumonia following a chest infection.

She instructed Pat: “When I die, drink champagne. I have left a bottle for you in the fridge.”

Pat did as she was told.

BACKGROUND

Pamela Brockman was a Wren (Women’s Royal Naval Service). She was serving at RNAS Yeovilton as an air mechanic when VE Day was announced so she headed to London.

Working her way through the crowds at Waterloo, she made her way to the Malls and enjoyed the celebrations at St James’ Park.

With only a 24-hour pass from her station, she eventually made her way back to Waterloo.

But the passenger train had gone. She made her way back to the west country on the milk train, having slept in the luggage rack.

Nobody believed she had been in London.