Beloved pan found in bushes

TENOR pan which ace pannist Ken “Professor” Philmore owns, loves and takes with him whenever and wherever he performs, was found in bushes near the scene of an accident which left Philmore warded at hospital.

Philmore suffered major injuries in the accident and his van was badly damaged but his beloved tenor pan, which he has had for the past 28 years, was found without a scratch.

One of the first things Philmore asked loved ones when he regained consciousness at San Fernando General Hospital was the fate of his pan which was in his van during the accident. Told that his pan was safe and undamaged, relatives said, Philmore smiled contentedly.

On Tuesday evening, after two hours of searching the bushes off the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Claxton Bay, musician and close friend of Philmore, Sherwin Cooper found the pan which was still secured in its black case.

The steel pan was flung out of Philmore’s Toyota Hilux van along with the ace panman as the vehicle flipped several times during the accident on Republic Day. His van was transported to the St Margaret’s Police Station and when relatives went to collect Philmore’s belongings at the station, his pan was not there. Police said the pan was not seen at the accident scene by officers.

At the time of the accident Philmore was returning home after performing at an event. According to reports Philmore was driving north when he attempted to avoid a speeding car which touched the back of his van causing it to veer off the roadway.

Cooper yesterday said he went in search of his friend’s pan hours after the accident. “The place was dark and I could not see anything, so I returned to the same spot the next morning (Tuesday) determined to find the Professor’s pan,” Cooper said.

He said he searched the bushes for two hours. “When I saw the steel pan, I was so relieved eh, I thanked God. Professor is more than a friend to me. He is family and I know what this pan means to him. This is a rare tenor pan. He had it since 1990 and they do not make pans like these again. It is very rare, trust me.”