The New Years/Birthday Honours Thread

[Milky Tears]

This year's list has been announced.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6217693.stm


Those being honoured include: James Dyson (Knighthood), David Murray (Knighthood), Rod Stewart (CBE), Peter Greenaway (CBE), Penelope Keith (CBE), Gareth Edwards (CBE), Zara Phillips (MBE), Ian Woosnam (MBE), Johnny Briggs (MBE), Ricky Hatton (MBE), Hugh Laurie (OBE) and Steven Gerrard (OBE) .


I was expecting the list round about midnight Saturday for some reason!?



BBC Scotland's Heather "The Weather" Reid gets an OBE.

Edited to add: June Sarpong gets an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6217081.stm

[Dave Tudor]

Zara Phillips (MBE)

Isn't this a bit pointless...?

June Sarpong gets and MBE for services to broadcasting and charity!!

WHAT!?!?

Still no honour for Tom Baker, then....?

[Milky Tears]

Still no honour for Tom Baker, then....?

Or Ringo.

[Captain Tancredi]

We really are running out of people worth honouring, aren't we?

[Andrew Curnow]

I feel a bit sorry for poor Zara Phillips - she's bound to get s******ed at as getting an honour from Granny, even though as Sportswoman of the Year, etc she'd be odds-on to get one anyway, related or not.

I agree with Dave regarding Tom though. In all seriousness, I do think he's been scandalously overlooked - he could be knighted for services to being adored, and for making old ladies' bosoms tingle.

[Captain Tancredi]

I agree with Dave regarding Tom though. In all seriousness, I do think he's been scandalously overlooked - he could be knighted for services to being adored, and for making old ladies' bosoms tingle.

Just not the right old lady, obviously...

[Larry]

Zara Phillips - getting an MBE, is just taking the p*ss and what a mockery these honours have become I've all ways been against these hounours and this paticular award only enforces my brlief that they should be scapped..

[Dave Tudor]

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against Zara Phillips. In fact, I find her one of the more likeable of the Royals (she's certainly the best looking!! ), being very down-to-earth. I don't think she even uses her title, does she? But - and bear in mind, I don't know how these honours apply to the Royal Family - her being awarded an MBE just seems a bit, well, odd.

[Ralph]

To give another perspective to the honours system, from "Wikipedia", here are some of the better known who have refused honours - I think it's a more interesting list than simply those that have them I've not included those that later changed their mind


Alastair Sim, CBE, actor (declined a knighthood)
Albert Finney, actor (declined CBE in 1980 and knighthood in 2000)
Bernie Ecclestone, owner of Formula One commercial rights (declined CBE in 1996)
C.S. Lewis, author, Oxford professor (declined knighthood to avoid association with any political issues) David Bowie, musician (declined CBE in 2000)
Dawn French, comedienne (declined OBE along with Jennifer Saunders)
Francis Bacon, artist (declined CBE in 1960 and CH in 1977)
Hank Marvin, guitarist (The Shadows) (declined OBE)
Honor Blackman, actress (declined CBE in 2002)
Jennifer Saunders, comedienne (declined OBE along with Dawn French)
John Cleese, comedian (declined CBE in 1996)
John Cole, journalist (declined CBE in 1993)
John Le Carr, author (declined CBE)
Jon Snow, newscaster (declined OBE, then investigated and presented a Channel 4 documentary Secrets of the Honours System [1])
Keith Richards, guitarist (The Rolling Stones) (declined CBE)
Ken Loach, director (declined OBE)
Kenneth Branagh, actor and director (declined CBE in 1994)
L. S. Lowry, artist (declined OBE in 1955, CBE in 1961, knighthood in 1968, and CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined)
Lenny Henry, comedian (declined OBE; accepted CBE)
Michael Faraday, chemist and physicist (declined knighthood)
Michael Winner, director (declined OBE in 2006)
Nigella Lawson, cookery writer (declined OBE)
Paul Scofield, CH, CBE, actor (declined knighthood on several occasions)
Peter Alliss, golfer and commentator (declined OBE in 2002)
Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International (declined knighthood)
Roald Dahl, author (declined OBE in 1986) (see note below)
Rudyard Kipling, author and poet (declined knighthood)
Trevor Howard, actor (declined knighthood)
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE, actress (declined DBE in 1999)

[Pip Madeley]

Interesting list, Ralph - L.S Lowry really didn't wanna know, did he?

[Dave Tudor]

Brian and Michael didn't mention that in their song!

[Ralph]

I think it gives a new perspective on some of these people...many go up in my estimations. I'm surprised about Michael Winner I thought he'd covet such a thing...

[Ralph]

From Wikipedia again

"Some potential recipients have rejected one honour then accepted another one (such as Sir Alfred Hitchcock), or have initially refused an honour then accepted it, or have accepted one honour then declined another (such as Vanessa Redgrave), or refused in the hopes of another (Roald Dahl was offered an OBE but refused because he wanted a knighthood so that his wife would be Lady Dahl). This often has as much to do with the political party in power as anything else, since honours are widely seen as being political rewards."

Roald Dahl has now gone down in my estimations..snobby git!

[Wayne]

A round of applause for all the decliners i say!
Didn't Lennon decline one? Maybe he changed his mind later?

Edited to add: Except for Roald Dahl.

[Ralph]

A round of applause for all the decliners i say!
Didn't Lennon decline one? Maybe he changed his mind later?

Edited to add: Except for Roald Dahl.

Yes thats correct he returned an MBE in 1969.

[Larry]

. I'm surprised about Michael Winner I thought he'd covet such a thing...

I may be wrong but I think Winner reffused the offer because he felt the offer of an OBE to be insulting..

[Ralph]

I may be wrong but I think Winner reffused the offer because he felt the offer of an OBE to be insulting..

Yeah you're right there Larry:

Article in the Observer:

Michael Winner refuses 'toilet cleaner' OBE

Press Association
Sunday May 28, 2006

Observer

"For many people, being listed in the Queen's 80th birthday honours would be a dream come true. Not for Michael Winner - apparently it's beneath him.
The film director, has turned down an OBE because, as he put it yesterday, 'An OBE is what you get if you clean the toilets well at King's Cross station'. He told a Sunday newspaper he could not see 'any reason' to accept the award, which had been offered to him for his 22-year campaign to set up a memorial to police officers killed in the line of duty.

A ticket to the House of Lords would be better, Winner suggested, because at least there 'you can wear a fancy dress and have a giggle'.

The Queen was joined by Winner and Tony Blair last year as she unveiled the National Police Memorial, which is dedicated to all 1,600 officers who have died since the 17th century."

[Raston]

I find it quite insulting when people turn down honours that their country have decided to bestowed upon them. Especially as more often than not they use it as a cheap publicity tool.

[Ralph]

I find it quite insulting when people turn down honours that their country have decided to bestowed upon them. Especially as more often than not they use it as a cheap publicity tool.

Many of these names were secret and were leaked from a government department in 2003.

[Raston]

That may be the case with that list Ralph, but there are a few 'stars' who like to make it a sort of badge of honour that they turned one down.

Personally i think if someone says 'Well Done', then the least you can do is say 'Thank You'. And a honour is your country saying 'Well Done'.

[Andrew Curnow]

I do think Michael Winner's reasons for not accepting the award are rather rude (and add to the general perception of him being a bit of an [insert your own asterisked word here]). However, in general, if somebody wants to decline an award that's surely up to them? I'm right, aren't I, in saying that the awards list is largely driven from number 10 - in which case, I could quite easily see people not wanting to accept an award, on the grounds that they don't approve of the government of the day and don't want to be seen to be 'condoning' them.

That's not to say that anybody accepting an award is giving some kind of seal of approval to the running of the country, I hasten to add - but I can certainly see why somebody might wish to decline one.

[Larry]

Well as a civil servant it really angers me that so many of the top civil servants get given an award simply because they have been in the job for 30+ years..This is some thing that really makes me furious as they in truth have done nothing to earn it yet those people at the lower grades who are the real hard workers and under the most pressure get ignored..

[Milky Tears]

Saves starting a new thread...

This year's list includes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7163471.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7162548.stm

ENTERTAINMENT
Sir Ian McKellen (Order of the Companions of Honour)
Kylie Minogue (OBE)
Sir Parky
Jacqueline Wilson (Dame)
Leslie Phillips (CBE)
Hanif Kureishi (CBE)
Richard Griffiths (OBE)
Julie Walters (CBE)
George Alagiah (OBE)
Ian Anderson (MBE)
Jazzie B (OBE)

SPORT
Brian Ashton (MBE)
Jason Robinson (OBE)
Brendan Foster (CBE)
John Higgins (MBE)
Des Lynam (OBE)
Bob Wilson (OBE)
Gordon Taylor (OBE)
Rachael Heyhoe-Flint (OBE)


That Jazzie B one tops last year's Sarpong gong.

[Si Hunt]

Every year we say what a travesty it is that Tom doesn't get one. As these are public-nominated, perhaps one of these years we should actually get together and nominate him!

Si.

[Larry]

just the usual load of pointless honours being dished out to a bunch of pointless people.