It's an honour for Pete and fireman Evan (From Warrington Guardian)

It's an honour for Pete and fireman Evan

MID Cheshire-based pop svengali Pete Waterman is celebrating after being awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.

Mr Waterman, 57, who is a Lower Whitley resident and who owns a stud farm in Little Leigh, said he was 'shocked, staggered and speechless' to be named in the annual salute to the great and the good.

He received the accolade in recognition of his services to music.

Mr Waterman, a former gravedigger who is now known locally as a great steam train buff, is a man of many parts.

But he is best known for being one of the music industry's most successful talents - he played a crucial role in the Stock, Aitken and Waterman 'Hit Factory' in the 1980s and helped propel Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley and Bananarama to household stardom.

He also played a pivotal part in the rise of Steps and has also become a well-known television personality as a judge on Pop Idol and also hosted the frenetic disco show The Hitman and Her with Michaela Strachan.

At an early age Mr Waterman, who today has credits for no less than 22 Number One singles, exhibited the business talent that would eventually earn him millions - as he sold coal to neighbours from an adapted pram.

A MAN who has devoted 27 years of his life to saving the lives of people in Cheshire has been awarded an MBE.

Evan Morris, 49, received the New Year's Honour for his services to the fire service, which he joined in 1978 as a fire fighter for Chester, Ellesmere Port and Runcorn.

He risked his life for others until 1991 when prevention became the focus of his work in Cheshire Fire Service's public relations and community safety unit, but he does not believe the recognition is his alone.

He said: "The fire service is a team game and no-one can do anything without working as a team.

"I've got a lot of deeply committed colleagues worthy of the award as well, so I've been left feeling very humbled."

Evan found out he had been nominated for the award six weeks ago when he received a telephone call from 10 Downing Street.

He said: "They'd got the address wrong on the letter they sent, so the telephone call was even more of a shock than getting a letter.

"I was in the office at the time and one of the secretaries said it was 10 Downing Street on the phone - I thought it was a joke.

"My approach was to say nothing and believe nothing until the list was published on New Year's Eve."

He is proud of his achievements with the fire service and still enjoys the work he does.

He said: "I still feel as enthusiastic and positive about the work we do as a service as I ever did.

"We've got firm evidence that in the last four years smoke alarms we've fitted have saved 40 lives in Cheshire - we've got a first class fire and rescue service, but there is more than one way to save lives."