I
was in bed by 10:30 last night listening to Radio 4 News and found myself being
annoyed by some of the names that had been awarded gongs. For some reason a
Knighthood for Van Morrison the singer (I think) got up my nose - what has he done? - but
a
BEM for Katie Cutler who raised £300,000 for a disabled old man
beaten up by a mugger restored some equanimity. Fortunately I did not hear a certain
Bexley name or I might not have slept so well. Teresa Ann Jude O’Neill, OBE.
I’ve counted two OBEs in my life who were friends or work acquaintances. One
‘invented’ the large quieter jet engines that now power most of the world’s
airliners and the other got it for, well just for being there really.
I was manager of an outfit that employed 1,300 people and was asked who might be
nominated for an award. The powers that be were told that no one merited one,
only for me to be told I had no choice in the matter. One must be nominated. So
an OBE was duly dished out. Coincidentally the recipient lived in Bexley but it was a few years before I did.
Click image to download the 2015 Birthday Honours List.