Honours

I have to agree that the Buggin's turn knighthoods, etc., that go to civil servants are not my idea of how the honours should be given. Nor is the way that you can only get certain honours depending on your rank in the forces.

However, I do think charity work is a good thing to honour and Esther Rantzen, who has started two very important charities, Child Line and Silver Line, does deserve to be honoured IMO. I have just heard about a couple who have been foster parents for a large number of children who have been honoured and I think people in this position should be recognised too.

Is this yet another problem with the press? They like the contentious awards so we hear disproportionately about those rather than the large number that go to lesser known people.

Good post Gracesgran! I know I am a bit biased re DH, but he did do stalwart work with the charity for whom he worked. And I love him and am proud of him.

I am not really being very cerebral about all this, but like most of you continue to be shocked by the "celebrity" honours. Even then, I'd argue, say, Julie Walters worth over that of Joan Collins any day!

I think people who have earned the awards by their works and efforts deserve to be recognised. It's the awards for the boys I can't stand.

Those of you who have family members and spouses who have received honours are quite right to be very proud of them and their achievements and I assume you would be also just as proud even if their achievements had not been publicly recognised. Not trying in any way to take anything away.

My dad got an award for bravery for going up against a man who was wielding a machete in the street and he managed to get it off him and wait for the police to arrive. He was just turned 70 at the time. Very proud.

I've just looked at a site which purports to show the 12 most famous faces to receive honours today – I recognised two of them. Joan Collins and John Hurt. Joan Collins couldn't act her way out of a paper bag and, much as I respect John Hurt's talent, didn't he get paid for those roles in which he excelled? And a rugby team or at least some it?

Exactly. Should people get honours for simply doing their job. Surely it should be for something over and above the call of duty.

It was interesting to read that 74% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity.

There were 1008 candidates
292. BEM's
473. MBE's
243. OBE's

Pleasing to read of GN's who have family members who have received awards. How very rewarding and proud you must be, quite rightly so.

It is beyond me why so many athletes were honoured, and some with knighthoods after the games in London. It devalues it IMO, as another poster stated.

It is particularly puzzling that sundry athletes and actors are honoured, but the team that managed to put Philae down on a comet while it was hurtling through space were completely overlooked. I hope that someone will recognise their brilliant achievement.

It's so arbitrary. Someone makes a list from those nominated. The media like some famous names so they're bound to get some. The nationals are not interested in people like the Bee Lady in Hull. I admit she got some coverage when she was on the Pride of Britain TV programme but that was because she'd made it to a national TV awards programme and was on with David Walliams. Prior to that they weren't interested in her.

If you haven't heard of the Bee Lady of Hull here she is:
www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-10-15/the-bee-lady-of-hull/

I know that three times in the past ten years people have put forward my father in law to receive honours, but without success. There is no feedback as to why a person nominated doesn't receive an honour, but I have been told by people who are supposedly 'in the know' that because my father in law works (voluntarily) in the field of mental health he will never get recognition as it is still very much the poor relation even in the honours system. My father in law has no idea and would probably be embarrassed to know he's been nominated, but I do wish he could read some of the references people gave in support of the applications. He has been inspirational to hundreds of people and a lifesaver (literally) to at least a dozen. I love him and I'm very proud of him.

Your FIL is exactly the sort of person who should be honoured.

Were there any honours awarded for services to banking this year?