Mary is Meadow Well's first lady
Dec 31 2004 By Hilary Clixby, The Journal
Olympic heroes honoured
Britain's triumphant Olympic gold-medallists - headed by Kelly Holmes (pictured below), Matthew Pinsent and Tanni Grey-Thompson - are celebrating their inclusion in the Queen's New Year's Honours List published today.
These athletes, who brought honour to the country in Athens last summer, dominate the List which also contains an array of stars from showbusiness, and figures from literature, the arts and business.
The modest Holmes, who won the 800m and 1,500m at Athens to become the first Briton for 84 years to achieve an Olympic middle-distance double, is made a Dame.
She said she was amazed that "a girl brought up in a humble council house could be made Dame Kelly Holmes".
Rower Pinsent, who led Britain's coxless four to the narrowest of victories and thus became one of only five athletes to win gold at four successive Olympic Games, gets a knighthood.
He said he was "overjoyed" by the honour, adding: "I am delighted that so many rowers are yet again among the recipients."
There are awards for the other British gold medallists - including a damehood for Grey-Thompson, regarded as Britain's greatest-ever Paralympic athlete, who secured two more golds at Athens.
Elsewhere, there are CBE awards for veteran actors Eric Sykes and Anna Massey, as well as an OBE for Tom Wilkinson of Full Monty fame and for the lugubrious TV sitcom star Geoffrey Palmer. Ray Cooney, author of many Whitehall farces, and John Sullivan, writer of the TV hit series Only Fools And Horses, are also honoured with OBEs.
In the world of music, rock icon Roger Daltrey (CBE) and pop svengali and X-Factor pundit Pete Waterman (OBE) figure in the list.
Honours also go to golfer Colin Montgomerie (OBE), and to veteran broadcaster Alan Whicker (CBE).
Pinsent's fellow rowers in the coxless four at Athens, James Cracknell (OBE), Stephen Williams (MBE) and Ed Coode (MBE) are also honoured.
Another Athens gold medallist, yachtsman Ben Ainslie, gets an OBE.
Shirley Robertson (OBE), Sarah Webb (MBE) and Sarah Ayton (MBE), the winners of Britain's first gold medal at Athens, who were dubbed the "three blondes in a boat" after triumphing in sailing's Yngling class, are also honoured.
The second Athens gold medal Britain won was achieved by cyclist Bradley Wiggins in the four-kilometre individual pursuit. He receives an OBE.
Meanwhile, another cyclist, Chris Hoy, who broke the world record in the 1,000-metre time trial and secured a gold, gets an MBE.
Britain's gold medal-winning quartet in the 4 x 100m relay all receive MBEs. They are Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis.
Another British medallist at Athens, equestrian eventer Leslie Law, also receives an MBE.
Andy Farrell, the Great Britain and Wigan captain, gets an OBE for services to Rugby League. He announced that he would not be resigning as Great Britain captain after the team's thrashing by Australia in the Tri-Nations final in November.
An MBE goes to Bleddyn Williams, who was known as "the Prince of Centres" in what was called the golden age of Welsh rugby.
Sykes, one of the most loved comic actors of his generation, is now 81.
He is profoundly deaf and has deteriorating eyesight but appeared only recently on the West End stage.
He became a household figure in the 1950s on the radio, but is best remembered for the TV sitcom Sykes, co-starring Hattie Jacques, which became the longest-running programme of its type during the 1960s and 1970s.
Another master of the TV sitcom, Palmer is famous for his roles in The Fall And Rise of Reginald Perrin, Butterflies, Executive Stress, and As Time Goes By.
In addition to making several films, Palmer also had guest appearances in such famous shows as Fawlty Towers and Blackadder Goes Forth.
Another veteran actor, Hugh Lloyd, 81, who has been appearing in films since the 1950s, gets an MBE.
British-born astronaut Dr Michael Foale, who in 1995 became the first Briton to walk in space, receives a CBE in the Diplomatic List for services to space exploration.
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PC gives youngsters chance to achieve
A constable who strived to help disadvantaged children across the North has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal.
PC Lynda Hutchinson based at Newton Aycliffe, Durham, said she was totally shocked.
"It's a prestigious award for a police officer, but especially for just a humble constable like myself," she said yesterday.
PC Hutchinson, 36, from Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland, will receive the medal for her work as coordinator of the Durham Youth Enterprise Scheme headed by Durham Constabulary. The project gives disadvantaged children the chance to develop through a outdoor activities.
Lynda, who helped raise £250,000 for it as coordinator between 1988 and 1993, said: "We have young people from very humble backgrounds who went on the scheme and are now barristers and teachers."
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Travelling the world
Journalist Alan Whicker, 79, invented the travel programme as we know it.
The globe-trotting presenter, awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours List, treated viewers to a glimpse of far-flung places in his show Whicker's World.
Always immaculately turned out in a blazer and slacks whatever the weather, he interviewed the beautiful, the rich and the powerful.
Whicker's subjects included the Sultan of Brunei, Haitian dictator Papa Doc Duvalier and billionaire John Paul Getty.
His light-hearted look at the world was a hit with viewers and Whicker's World ran from 1959 until 1988.
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Officer is scourge of football thugs
The North-Easterner in charge of policing British football fans abroad has been honoured.
David Swift, Deputy Chief Constable of Staffordshire, was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for his contribution to the service. Mr Swift was the public face of the Association of Chief Police Officers during Euro 2004.
His role and that of other British officers in Portugal was credited with cutting the number of arrests of English fans from 900 at Euro 2000 to 53 this year. Staffordshire Chief Constable John Giffard said: "I'm really, really pleased that David Swift's contribution to policing in Staffordshire and nationally has been recognised in this way."
Durham University graduate Mr Swift joined Northumbria Police in 1977 and was area commander in the West End of Newcastle from 1992 to 1995.
He gained experience policing football matches at Newcastle United's St James's Park ground.
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High note for rock star
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey said he was delighted to receive his CBE.
"I am so pleased. It is really great to be honoured by my country," he said.
Daltrey, 60, was honoured for his services to music, the entertainment industry and charity.
The rock legend is patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and has raised more than £2m for the charity.
He recently announced plans for a new Who album. Who2 will be their first studio recording in 23 years.
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Award mirrors wife's honour
Tireless safety campaigner Paul Lamplugh joined his wife Diana as an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List.
The couple have dedicated their lives to the Trust they set up in the wake of their daughter Suzy's disappearance in 1986.
Mrs Lamplugh, 67, who was awarded an OBE in 1992, had a massive stroke last year and was subsequently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, suffering a complete loss of memory.
Her 73-year-old husband Paul, who stepped down from his role at the Trust to look after her, was similarly honoured today.
Mr Lamplugh said: "The sad thing is I can't tell her - but it is wonderful, I just can't believe it."
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Familiar face on TV
Geoffrey Palmer, awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List, is one of the most familiar faces on British television.
He has been a star of our best-loved sitcoms for three decades, from Butterflies to The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.
The 77-year-old actor has also enjoyed a lengthy stage and film career.
Palmer took up acting when a girlfriend persuaded him to join a local amateur dramatics society. He took a job as an unpaid assistant stage manager in a theatre and landed his first TV role in the 1957 comedy The Army Game.
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Making people laugh
One of Britain's comedy greats, Eric Sykes, 81, has been a star of TV and radio for more than half a century. He is awarded a CBE.
The actor and writer is best known for his TV sitcoms with Hattie Jacques.
The pair played brother and sister in a partnership which ran from 1960 until her death in 1980.
Their show, Sykes, regularly pulled in audiences of 17 million viewers.
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Brigadier leads Army in North
An Army officer who commands Britain's largest brigade has received the OBE in the New Year's Honours list.
Brigadier Richard Dennis, 45, leads 15 Brigade, covering the whole of the North including Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham, Cleveland and Yorkshire.
As Commander, he is responsible for 11,500 regular and Territorial Army soldiers, 8,000 Army cadets, 750 members of the University Officer Training Corps and 2,000 civilian employees.
The brigade provided support during the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the firefighters' dispute in 2002.
Brigadier Dennis's career has taken him all over the world.
He fought in the first Gulf conflict and was the first Chief of Staff of the newly formed Headquarters Theatre Troops, which took part in the planning for Operation Telic, mobilising 4,000 reservists for the invasion of Iraq.
He said: "The award was a complete surprise and a lovely way to finish one year and start the next - I am delighted and honoured."
Brigadier Dennis is married to Suzannah and they have four sons, Will, 18, Charlie, 15, Toby, 11, and seven-year-old George.
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Great news for Gadgy
He's become well-known in Northumbrian circles as the Morpeth Gadgy, but former headteacher Alex Swailes is now celebrating becoming an MBE in the New Year's Honours List.
The 72-year-old from Longframlington, near Alnwick, said last night he was stunned but delighted to be given the recognition.
His service has included tireless charity work as a former president of Alnwick Rotary Club, 30 years as a Justice of the Peace and heavy involvement in community ventures.
He remains characteristically modest about his contributions, however.
"I'm still in the dark about why I deserve an MBE, but I'm thrilled," said Alex, who is married to Anne and has two grown-up children and five grandchildren.
"These are all things that I seem to have been doing forever because of the enjoyment I get out of them, but it is lovely to be honoured like this." Mr Swailes was headteacher at the former Parkhead School in Ashington for 15 years, retiring two years before it closed in 1993.
He has a deep connection to the county and its traditions.
He formed the Morpeth Operatic Society in 1962, and still performs with them. As Morpeth Gadgy - or the historic town bailiff - for the last eight years, he officiates at its annual gathering celebrating the return of Lord Greystoke's men from the Battle of Otterburn in 1388.
He has also performed with numerous folk bands, including Morpeth's Jolly Rogers and the Tight Alnwick Gadgies.
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