2012 New Year Honours

[John Skelton]

a system that gives some official recognition

Was Pappano (you called him Tony earlier - is he a friend of yours? ) only unofficially "Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden" before?

[teamsaint]

perhaps we should nominate those who we feel REALLY deserve a reward. Heroes, seen or unseen who make the world turn,and don't earn millions.

I would nominate the people who work over the holiday period at Maristow care home in Salisbury. Real, true heroes.

In the public arena I nominate Brian Gerrish.

[Roehre]

perhaps we should nominate those who we feel REALLY deserve a reward. Heroes, seen or unseen who make the world turn,and don't earn millions.

I would nominate the people who work over the holiday period at Maristow care home in Salisbury. Real, true heroes.

In the public arena I nominate Brian Gerrish.

Simply do so. Everyone can nominate people.

[Mr Pee]

In the public arena I nominate Brian Gerrish.

Who he??

[scottycelt]

I've always been mightily suspicious of any 'honours' system, as these are obviously wide open to corruption. It doesn't matter what the political system is, it always seems to be the same.

It's like being back at primary school when teacher gave out prizes to his/her snotty-nosed prefects at the end of term ... yuk! ... how patronising.! No pupil with any self-respect and street-cred whatsoever wanted to be seen accepting one of those, at my old school!

I'm even more suspicious of any adult who claims to be 'thrilled' when receiving such an award. I rather warm to the tiny minority of recipients who say they are 'embarrassed' and the award should have gone to others more worthy. We all know folk of meagre means who dedicate their lives entirely to others and receive no recognition whatsoever.

Get rid of these useless annual accolades for well-paid senior civil servants, politicians and artists advertising how personally successful they have been. Maybe, instead, a free Xmas/New year meal for the homeless on our streets might be more in tune with majority opinion?

[teamsaint]

Simply do so. Everyone can nominate people.

I won't bother, thanks . At least on here somebody listens to what we say.

If the government wanted to listen to its people it wouldn't have invaded Iraq.
(I know it was the last government , but they are all the same !!)

[teamsaint]

go find out, is my advice. Listen to what he says, and then make your mind up.

[Lateralthinking1]

If Ronson can get one - tackled fascists with bully boy tactics against the advice of the police and Jewish authorities in the 1960s, suggested to Saunders that he should fake having Alzheimers, had businesses which went on the rocks and were then subsequently partially rescued by Rupert Murdoch - it can only be a matter of time before a reformed arsonist has letters after his name too. I would like to nominate Gwen McIlree, now 70, for her astonishing dignity and bravery. I listened to her call on a phone-in programme last week in awe. Following the death of her husband in 2009, she had become adjusted to living alone in her flat above a shop in London Road, Croydon, a place they had lived in for nearly 40 years. So trusting of other people was she that she often left her back door open. This enabled the Asian shopkeepers to simply walk in and say hello. On the night of the riots, the road immediately outside the shop and her flat became dense with looters. She watched from behind a curtain as a vehicle containing several people was set alight. The people inside were finding it difficult to get out as the car was not merely surrounded by thugs with assorted weaponry but also engulfed in flames. Obviously there was no one with an OBE to help.

She says that she wasn't frightened. It was like seeing it on a film. It just didn't seem to be connected with her at all, so remote was the behaviour in these scenes. But the next thing she realised was that someone had actually entered her flat by the back door. Again, she wasn't troubled as it seemed like an ordinary night to her. Fortunately, it was the shopkeepers who always kept an eye on her to see if she was alright. "Gwen", they said, "our building is in flames and we must leave now". So it was that they found themselves at the back of the burning building with the eerie lights of streets blazing in the near distance. The police had been called but all they heard from them were the sirens of police cars speeding along roads in the vicinity. Someone tried to re-enter the building to find the medication she needed to take several times daily but to no avail. She was then somehow taken through the flames to Mayday Hospital, also on London Road. In terms of what happened next, her mind is more hazy. Gwen currently lives with her daughter in Purley. She hopes to move into a new home too and admits to being a little apprehensive. There is nothing left of her old property. It is completely gutted. She lost everything she ever owned.

Hospital visits are frequent for while she displays a remarkable stoicism, the experience has badly affected her physical health. She also suffers now from insomnia. Then there is the question of compensation. With much trumpeting, the national and local authorities publicised the priority they would give to the victims of the riots. But as 2011 comes to an end, she, like many, has yet to see a penny. They never contact her and are still assessing her form which ran to many pages. It was a difficult document to complete because it asked for every item that had been lost to be separately written down with its date of purchase and current value in the high street. Extraordinarily, Gwen doesn't appear to be angry. Rather she seems bewildered, if lucid, and she is full of praise both for the Asian family who helped her and others who have rallied round. She even excuses Croydon Council explaining that they could not have been expected to have anticipated what occurred. In the absence of an honour, I wish her good health in 2012, a return to normality, and some sight of overpaid managers in offices being fully held to account for their ignorant indifference, lies and incompetence. This applies particularly to any who received an award this year themselves.

http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/RIOT-AFTERMATH-widow-recalls-terrible-night-lost/story-13252637-detail/story.html

[Mr Pee]

go find out, is my advice. Listen to what he says, and then make your mind up.

Blimey. Just had a look at his website. Seems like a bit of a crackpot to me.

[PatrickOD]

If you don't want an honour, you don't have to accept it. I know such people. But, if you go along with the system, you would have to be worthy in some way. I wonder how many of us think ourselves worthy, even among those who are considered so by others. And, among the worthy, how many others are more deserving? I suppose there must be some fiddling and politicking, as in any type of awards system - even in schools - but barring that, I would guess that many good people in all walks of life are getting recognition for themselves and their respective communities or organisations. I wouldn't begrudge them their moment of pride, but I would not be in their shoes for all the tamtams in Indonesia, even if I qualified. So, please be careful who you nominate.

[mangerton]

In the absence of an honour, I wish her good health in 2012, a return to normality, and some sight of overpaid managers in offices being fully held to account for their ignorant indifference, lies and incompetence. This applies particularly to any who received an award this year themselves.

Lateralthinking. I read your sad story about Gwen, and I'm appalled. But in the light of recent events, not even slightly surprised.

You mentioned "ignorant indifference, lies and incompetence". On the R4 6.00 pm news this evening, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said that the fact that Paul Ruddock had donated £500,000 (sic) to the tory party had had no bearing on his being awarded a knighthood.

Do they really think we are so stupid that we'll believe that?

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks mangerton. Incidentally, I have had correspondence with Lin this year. It was underwhelming.

Then there is - sorry frenchfrank - Bob Russell. This is one of the few Lib Dems who was very dubious on expenses and is already complaining about the new system. Ironic seeing that he appeared to go out of his way to publicly criticise the expenses claims of Lord Hanningfield and urge follow-up action. And here is an extract from a letter to one of his constituents:

"Haven't you got something better to do in your sad life? Bit of a spoilsport, aren't you? What a miserable person you must be!......I suggest you get a life and stop whinging!"

(He later described the person as a "clown", as he himself has been described, and another as a "rubbish man")

Perhaps the new "Sir" - and what a charmer - has appeared on Question Time in his 15 years as an MP but I have never seen it. Ditto attendance on radio's Any Questions. However, seeing this is NYE, these are on a lighter note, mildly amusing, and say it very eloquently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K4H2TY2s7Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iNN80siEpQ

[french frank]

Then there is - sorry frenchfrank - Bob Russell.

Not at all, Lat.

It looks as if there are people out there who don't like Bob Russell . His parliamentary record (voting and speeches) looks pretty sound to me (I'd vote for him ) with a good work rate. I wonder what the constituent's email said to him (subject was the cost of the royal wedding) and in what terms it was expressed? The term "rubbish man" is a little odd as an insult. It was a reply to the accusation that he took little interest in the arts in Colchester, to which he reportedly replied: "Rubbish man!" Meaning?

His expenses show him overall to be well down the list, in the lower half among claimants. Arise, Sir Bob! (though I'm against titles of that kind).

[Lateralthinking1]

Happy New Year frenchfrank. I think you are right that he has opponents. It seems to be mainly about his stance in regard to a local arts centre. They might have written to him in unwise ways but he hasn't said so.

I accept that his voting record is ok but I don't like his "style" much and could not defend him on expenses. I also note that he is most peculiarly lukewarm on PR.

Being a lesser sort-of-pickpocket is hardly wonderful.

[french frank]

Happy New Year frenchfrank. I think you are right that he has opponents. It seems to be mainly about his stance in regard to a local arts centre.

Which he claims most of his constituents are against on the grounds of enormous costs. In any case, the point was that it's claimed he called a constituent "a rubbish man", artfully inserting the indefinite article to give the impression that he was insulting the constituent. The newspaper report simply quotes his: "Rubbish man!" as a reply to an accusation that he had no interest in the arts. Personally, I would have inserted a comma.

I don't like his "style" much and could not defend him on expenses. Being a lesser sort of thief is hardly wonderful.

Don't know anything about his style. Don't know the man. It is libellous to call him a thief. The sum was relatively small and the circumstances (i.e. the parliamentary rules on claiming mortgage interest) unclear.

I also note that he is most peculiarly lukewarm on PR.

Quite the opposite. He voted in favour of a referendum on STV rather than for the main motion of a referendum on AV. I think that makes him strongly in favour of a system of PR.