[Closed] New Years Honours....

it seems really pointless to give it to famous folk who just did their job and were well rewarded for it.
What has wilkinson done but kick a rugby ball- granted he was very good at it?

There are plenty of local community heroes who really deserve the rewards and respect of their peers

Its a good idea but rendered meaningless by the choice of recipients and weighting to celebrities and political/establishment patronage

Junkyard - nail on head. They should be overhauled or simply ceased.

Neighbours daughter got an OBE/ MBE, not sure, a couple of years ago for her work in disabled rehabilitation, so sometimes the joe average does get what they deserve.

Jeremey Clarkson and James May are also getting Honoured,

I'm outraged.

James Corden - OBE for services to Entertainment. wtf?

What services? Being an unfunny annoying git?? Yup the honours thing is a joke. I know a bloke who got an MBE for doing a job that many others had done before and after him. Only difference was that he made a song and dance about it. Total farce.

Jeremey Clarkson and James May are also getting Honoured,

[img] [/img]

As the list shows, lots of "ordinary" people are recognised, but their names don't sell papers.

73% of honours in Queen's birthday list worked in local communities - that doesn't feed winging though either!! Oh and men and women were essentially equal. It's a disgrace.

Agree on Corden...

Jeremey Clarkson and James May are also getting Honoured,

So did many of those on Jivehoneyjive's threads.

Objectively, which list would you rather be on, the Honurs list or [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declining_a_British_honour ]this one?[/url] More people I'd like to spend an hour with on the declined list than among the winners.

It is still weighted and it is not weighted towards ordinary folk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_New_Year_Honours

Feel free to read it and decide for yourself

this is my favourtie section

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)[edit]
David Barber – The Queen's Swan Marker
Sandra Bull – Correspondence Officer, Royal Household
Mark Edward Fisher – Head of Ticketing and Sales, Royal Collection Trust
Victoria Lucy Harris – Director, Business in the Community and The Prince's Rural Action Programme
Heather Corinne Hatherly – Administrative assistant, Palace of Holyroodhouse
Amanda Jane Holdforth RVM – Housekeeper, Royal Lodge
Gemma Catherine Teresa Kaza – Inventory Controller, Household of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
Kevin David Lomas RVM – House manager, Highgrove House
Garry Keith Marsden – Visitor manager, Balmoral Castle
Inspector Ian William Reid — For services to Royalty Protection in Scotland
Debra Louise Searle MBE — Formerly Trustee, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
William David Hamilton Sellar – Lord Lyon King of Arms and secretary of the Order of the Thistle
Inspector Andrew Neil Stapleton, Metropolitan Police — For services to Royalty Protection
Alexander Milne Taylor RVM — Formerly Foreman, Balmoral Estate
Paul James Webb — For property services to the Royal Household
David Weigh RVM – Chief Cabinet Maker, Royal Household
Joanne Elizabeth Wilson – Senior Anniversaries Officer, Royal Household
Martin David Woods RVM – Head Gardener, Sandringham Estate.

one non military MBE
Lino Carbosiero Hair Stylist, for services to hairdressing.

That would be the PM's and his wifes hairdresser

As i said its a great idea but rendered meaningless by the choices
EDIT re the 73% claim- its a giv press release basically

The re-introduction of the BEM has continued to provide the opportunity to recognise a large number of people who are actively engaged in charitable or voluntary work within their local community, making up 73% of the list.

73% per cent of the recipients have undertaken outstanding work in their communities, either in a voluntary or paid capacity

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/birthday-honours-lists-2014

Is that even a real Hamster CFH?

I'm amazed after the outstanding success of the Tour de France that Gary Verity, who is widely credited with winning the Grand Depart for Yorkshire, didn't receive an award.

the nice thing is that some people get recognition for years of improving their community

the sad thing is that a group of people decide where you sit in the social strata and equate that to an award

The majority of awards go to ordinary folk, and the two I know are very proud and humble about it. The celebs just get more media attention.

Entertainers and sports people used to get awards for their charitable work rather than their day job, seems to be more about their day jobs.

Agree that Gary Verity seems an odd ommission, unless he declined.

Drac, think that's a Russian dwarf hamster

Probably deserves an award more than most on the list

The majority of awards go to ordinary folk,

Just over 7% of British children are privately educated, yet over 40% of those at Oxford and Cambridge were

The honours will be just , if not more so, disproportionate and claiming that is only half the picture. IS the PM hairdresser ordinary? is the Queens vet ordinary or her art collector? What about chief police officers? top civil servants?
Anyone found a decent google link for breakdown of the honours? I failed to find anything decent but did not try overly hard tbh the gov blurb seemed hard to resolve and did not explain methodology

David Barber – The Queen's Swan Marker

EDIT

The Queen's Swan Marker, the Royal Swan Uppers and the Swan Uppers of the Vintners' and Dyers' livery companies use six traditional Thames rowing skiffs in their five-day journey up-river.

Swan Upping takes place in the third week of July each year.

The whole idea of honours is a bit outdated really. The only people who really deserve any sort recognition are the people who probably don't seek it and their reward is doing whatever it is they do (generally helping other people).

Kryton57 - Member
James Corden - OBE for services to Entertainment. wtf?

He's a BAFTA and Tony Award winner for work on stage and screen. Gavin and Stacey (which he wrote and starred in) got over 10 million viewers for the final episodes of the third series. His role in One Man, Two Guvnors won critical acclaim internationally and meant the play went from the National Theatre to the West End to Broadway. That's a pretty good CV you have to admit, even if you don't like him.

The honours list is archaic and needs reform. It should have nothing to do with the Queen or Empire, and nominations shouldn't come from the Government.

We have all sorts of out dated, arcane and arguably unfair traditions in this country. Like big hitters on forums.

My blood pressure doesn't allow me to get too bothered about most of them, frankly.

Why so bothered about it?

I can't see how other people getting honours affects me in any way.

Does James Corden getting an award change something for you? Will your life be different now, compared to last week, because of it?

I guess if I was desperate for an honour myself and there was a limited number, and James Corden getting one meant I didn't get one, I might be annoyed.

beej - Member
Why so bothered about it?

I can't see how other people getting honours affects me in any way.

Does James Corden getting an award change something for you? Will your life be different now, compared to last week, because of it?

I guess if I was desperate for an honour myself and there was a limited number, and James Corden getting one meant I didn't get one, I might be annoyed.

It is worthy of critique because it says something about how the establishment value people in society.

JY of course the New Years List isn't dominated by ordinary folk, you have to do something extra-ordinary to be recognised and many awards are given for pubic service. I have the good fortune to have met a number of Knights and Dames who received their awards for things such as services to nursing or for extensive charitable work. A good friend of mine and MTB mate received an award many years ago for running the Army's drug testing programme. Is the head of Glasgow council recognised for the success of the Commonwealth Games part of the "establishment" ?

The New years Honours List is fine just as it is. It is and should always remain a list of awards recommended to the Queen and ultimately awarded by her.

I am really not sure what the word ordinary means here and it is a bit like when Oxbridges says the majority of its pupils comes from the state sector

EDIT: JY also re your "favourite section" above, I am looking at that list and seeing the vast majority as being ordinary people who happen to work for the Queen/Royal Household. Seems pretty clear to me that that award is meant for that purpose. Everyone who serves in the military works for the Queen.

😆 ^

Odd one this. There's a bloke at a place I used to work who insisted on it (MBE) being part of his email signature and there's a guy on arb talk who has it as part of his username. Some of them are probably issued on merit, but to make a song and dance about having one just makes you look like a knob IMHO.

received an award many years ago for running the Army's drug testing programme

WOW what an extraordinary achievement, somehow being honored in this way just doesn't do it justice, I am in awe.

MSP: how very patronising of you. He did a huge amount of work running the testing programme, giving evidence around the world at court martials and working on a preventative education prorgamme. He took on that role voluntarily. At the time he was a WO had he had his commission he would have got an MBE

Everyone I know who has received an honour right up to the Knights and Dames have been ordinary people who have done extra-ordinary things.

[quote=Edukator said]
So did many of those on Jivehoneyjive's threads.

Services to the aluminium foil industry ?

MSP: how very patronising of you. He did a huge amount of work running the testing programme, giving evidence around the world at court martials and working on a preventative education prorgamme. He took on that role voluntarily.

He was doing his job. He was getting paid and he was getting to travel the World. Sounds like a good number.

Better than being in a FOB in Afghan I would say.

Faint whiff of the politics of envy on here?

Not from me. With regard to the example of my OP, I just don't know what James Corden has done during the earning of his salary that is so above and beyond the normal person, it pushes some of those mentioned who IMHO have offered far more to society to the back of the queue.

FWIW I don't even find him funny, and I'm probably not the only one, so I find "services to comedy" an officious award. Indeed, I took Kryton Jnr to a circus in the summer holidays and the "lead" clown frontman was at least 100 x more hilarious than Mr Corden, again IMO.

Lets get in one more whinge before 2015

Indeed, TG thread getting tired now!

More than faint and misguided but plus ca change..

Congrats to those awarded.

you have to do something extra-ordinary to be recognised and many awards are given for [b]pubic[/b] service.

So hairdresser gave Cams a Brazilian???

PS nice hamster capt'n

Wonderful wonderful news. A very good friend of mine was awarded a CBE. Beginning her career as a nurse she is now a professor of medicine specialising in care of the elderly and has been closely involved in a number of ministerial level initiatives. She's too modest to say anything but her husband just contacted me.

[url= http://myhomelife.org.uk/julienne-meyer-talks-about-the-challenges-of-delivering-care-home-services/ ]My Home Life[/url]

You and your "celebrity" friends! But is she "ordinary", that's the key!! 😉

(Congrats to her BTW, I am sure v well deserved )

TMH she's an absolute diamond, puts us all to shame really. Her award is for Services to Nursing and the Elderly - damn those establishment elite eh ?

you have to do something extra-ordinary

Oxford and Cambridge are two of the worlds best Universities. You'd expect people to go there to have certain special qualities

received an award many years ago for running the Army's drug testing programme

Faint whiff of the politics of envy on here?

Interesting debate as to whether she is or is not ordinary.
I am not sure how many ordinary folk are professors and work with ministers and government- it would be an interesting debate rather than a hilarious mocking opportunity. Insert random smileys here.

PS did you hear radio 4 on the Scottish referendum and aftermath - might be on the iplayer.

WOW so they did the job they were paid to do

I'm with JY on this. It's their job, they got told what to do and paid to do it.

So volunteers only then. Ok.....

So volunteers only then. Ok.....

Yeah 😉

JY I went to Oxford, my parents are not rich, I got there on merit from a state school. The person who is surrounded by whooshing air is yourself. You are correct in that you don't know how many ordinary people are professors and work with government, if you actually took the time to look you'd find it was the vast majority. You are are also quite frankly showing a quite extra ordinary level of bitterness and jealously. Why don't you watch Julienne's interview I posted above.

No I didn't hear anything about the aftermath of the referendum, TBH after 2 years of it I am bored to tears. It was a decisive No. It's over just like we debated endlessly on the various threads.

Why if they were educated at Oxbridge but then went on to volunteer. Shall we disqualify them? 😉