Inspirational university lecturer retires

A POPULAR lecturer has retired from the Warrington campus of Chester University where he had taught for more than a quarter of a century.
Dave Grimshaw had lectured on journalism and broadcasting at Warrington since 1989 when the Padgate campus was still North Cheshire College.
Prior to that he had a successful career as a news producer and broadcast journalist with BBC Radio Merseyside.
His first experience of the Warrington campus was as a student, graduating with a BA in audio-visual communications combined with theatre studies.
Only last year, he was named “most inspiring lecturer” in the Students’ Union “Above and Beyond” awards.
He said: “That was very flattering because at the end of the day, I’m simply doing my job. Teaching for me has been an accidental career, but the reason I’ve stayed so long is the people – working with my colleagues and the students has been an inspiration for me.”
Although now retired from teaching, Dave is not about to hang up his headphones just yet!
He added: “I have a list of radio and audio design projects in mind, but I’m definitely going to shift my work-life balance over, towards the life side!”
Dave Grimshaw was the driving force behind setting up the university’s award winning student-run radio station, The Cat Radio, so-called in reference to the Alice in Wonderland character, the Cheshire Cat.
Author Lewis Carroll was born in the Warrington village of Daresbury.
In November last year, The Cat Radio won silver in the Student Radio Awards, one month after beating some of the biggest names in broadcasting, to scoop a prestigious national Jerusalem Award.
Professor Peter Harrop, former Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost of the Warrington Campus, said: “Dave has made a tremendous contribution to student experience and employability across both our media degree programmes and the Cat Radio which has been part of the fabric of the campus for many years, Dave’s accessible blending of theory and professional practice will be much missed.”