Boardman was a giant on the track, but did not really succeed on the road. Wiggins has done both. Let us not forget Dave Brailsford, Team Sky boss and Director of British Cycling . Master tactician, and now also with Sir before his name. i agree that it does not seem very fair that surgeons etc seem to get almost forgotten, but life is not fair and never will be.
I downloaded and read the full list. There are lots for people who have done seriously good stuff - like headteachers in inner city areas who have turned around failing schools and got them to "outstanding" status. Professor Higgs, of the boson, got one - seems fair, you get a particle and a gong.
Yes, there are a load for civil servants who've done what they're told, but that's part of their salary package.
Mike Miller-Smith of AeroBILITY got one - very well deserved.
Each group has its own talented performers who deserve recognition, just because people like Wiggins is feted by the media, they are showered with honours, but a surgeon or physician who is working all hours is unrecognised by anyone. I know of one surgeon who is a prof, is seen at all times of day and night if he has a really sick patient under his care, just wanders in from home to see them and if the staff looking after them are happy. That is dedication and the amount of knowledge he has is amazing.
If you think this surgeon deserves recognition by way of an awarded honour, you could always nominate him if you haven't done so already - if you want to...
I think it's fair enough that people who have done something for the benefit of mankind, local communities etc should be nominated, but why should sports people, actors, musicians etc be given 'honours' when they are involved in their chosen field purely for recognition and, if we are brutally honest, reward?
Many of them, sports 'stars' in particular, bleat on about making sacrifices - perhaps they should give up and try getting one of the menial jobs the rest of us have to put up with to make ends meet.....
Boardman was a giant on the track, but did not really succeed on the road.
sled dog
It is Boardman who has developed the frames, wheels, helmets and other cycling parts, without which, none of those receiving awards would have got to that standard!
Good for Wiggo, but I thought that the gold (or any other colour) medal was the reward for the achievement? A knighthood for rowing a rowboat or riding a bike for which you have already been rewarded? - very strange.
Wiggins deserved his Populist Knighthood more that the Wicked Wide-mouthed Witch deserved her CBE.
So she hasn't turned it down, YET.
Bit funny that her old man still gets he-haw though.
Very Funny indeed
You REALLY think she would stick two fingers up to the Establishment in a case like this? Next thing you'll try to tell us is she isn't a Hypocritical Hag but is someone with morals and principles, like her husband......
You REALLY think she would stick two fingers up to the Establishment in a case like this? Next thing you'll try to tell us is she isn't a Hypocritical Hag but is someone with morals and principles, like her husband......
hellsbrink
You can see her acceptance speech coming...something along the lines of....I accept this gong on behalf of my husband, Tony, who this Country has, so far, erroneously, failed to recognize for all the years of good stewardship he gave to it.
The honours system we have now was developed by Blair to take away the perceived advantage the Tories had with the House of Lords. He started to give high honours to anybody to dilute the toffs who were the majority in the Lords. Brown then took it a stage further by sticking Prescott and a few other lefties in. The result is that the Lords is no longer an independent thinking House but a group organised along political lines which interferes too much in the decisions of the Commons. Milliband is carrying it on by giving Mrs Becket the title of Dame, she would do well as a pantomime dame, but in the Lords she just contributes to the destruction of the place as a creditable institution.
It does look a little odd for household names to receive yet more in the way of recognition....but where's the harm? At least it demonstrates official approval for their efforts.
Have just looked at the full list.....lots of backroomers and worthy recipients to be found therein.
