Congratulations to Steve Backshall for his MBE in the New Year Honours for services to charity and wldlife conservation. I know that he has done a great job as a supporter, and since 2016 a patron, of the World Land Trust. If the Honours system has any value, and I am not really convinced, then it is certainly to thank people like Steve who have gone way above and beyond their jobs and duties to make a difference to society through voluntary public service.
Gordon Buchanan, cinematographer and presenter, is also honoured for services to conservation and wildlife film-making.
Trevor James, a stalwart of wildlife recording, is also similarly honoured for services to nature conservation in Hertfordshire.
Apart from finding out (maybe you knew already) that Elton John’s second name is Hercules, I have found little else of great interest so far. Although any list that includes Dame Sandy Olsson (aka Olivia Newton John) and George Iain Duncan Smith is clearly an interesting perspective on British society and what it values. As are the recognition of people for their services to the craft of chair caning and the British cobnut industry (both well-deserved I am sure).
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That’ll please Filbert then.
Pub question, our Reg chose his middle name of Hercules in honour of Steptoe’s horse. True or false?
Have a happy and peaceful New Year all. Peaceful as in, when letting off your fireworks, please remember the frightened dog next door.
It’s a funny business the honours system. I’m sure the vast majority of people who get an honour don’t do what they’ve done to get the honour, or for any other sort of public approval. And we don’t generally regard being motivated by the desire for a pat on the back as a good thing, so what’s it for? Society’s judgement of what is good, bad or indifferent is horribly flawed too (Ceausescu got a knighthood, didn’t he?).
On the other side, we like people who do stuff we approve of being recognised. (We’re talking about you Chris Packham!!)
If you were offered ‘Sir Mark Avery’ for services to conservation, would it give you a warm feeling? Tricky for a socialist!
m parry – it would give me a warm feeling as I framed the letter, and my reply turning it down, to put them both in our loo. There used to be an interview between me and Charle Moores where we talked about the honours system in passing and I said I woulnd’t take one. In fact, I still have a bet with a former RSPB colleague from which I would win £50 if I turned down an honour (and lost £50 if I took one), so my views are fairly public and fairly well known. In any case, I had a conversation over a decade ago where someone who certainly could have fixed it said that they would organise an honour for me and I said they shouldn’t bother because I wouldn’t take one. So it won’t come up (and quite possibly never would have done anyway).
But you are right – I take great pleasure in seeing good people get honours. And I’ve written a few recommendations and letters of support to encourage the process to choose the right people (with a very high success rate, I’d have to say!).
I have two friends who have been awarded MBEs Doug Simpson and Simon Warwick, both awards were for services to nature conservation and well deserved. Another colleague sadly bitched a great deal about Simon’s award, then he himself was awarded a BEM for services to Yorkshire ornithology. I occasionally wonder if he grumbles to himself about a BEM as opposed to a MBE.
I have always been opposed to the system, far too many Buggins turn for senior civil servants, diplomats and aging politicians, this time Ian Duncan Smith is a classic case of this to my mind. Then there is the Empire thing, due to this a number of folk have publicly refused the honour, Benjamin Zephaniah springs to mind and I largely agree with him. I’d certainly refuse in the very unlikely event of being offered such a thing. There are however deserving folk out there who deserve some recognition, its just the system needs huge reform first.
My views on the honours system are pretty similar to yours, Mark. Many awards reek of seedy political patronage. However, given that they exist, folk like Chris Packham and Co. thoroughly deserve their recognition. But, my sticking points are twofold.
Firstly, I see no reason why you should get an honours award for doing your job well. MPs, Civil Servants, Businessmen/women, novelists, Pop stars, musicians, footballers, etc. Some of these are massively paid and that should be reward itself?
Secondly, why the ‘sliding scale’? Failed politicians get knighted or (worse) kicked upatairs into the Lords. Mrs Miggins who has helped kiddies cross the road safely for 50 years gets an MBE. A guy who ran the BTO very successfully gets a CBE; one that ran the RSPB gets a K. Why the differential?
Better an ‘Order of Britain’? All for one and one for all.
David – we think alike.
I’ve read Steve Backshall’s sort of auto biography and I have to say he’s a fascinating bloke and his dynamism certainly makes me feel very insignificant. No question at all that he’s a genuine naturalist and conservationist so this is well deserved recognition and on balance I believe in the honours system because I like to see people who deserve it accept it. Good people can be looked down upon for not keeping up with the Joneses, honours give them a better value beyond materialistic ones and I think that’s enormously important in a society where you are often judged by the size of your car or house. If they don’t accept it more and more of the list will be taken up by shits who’ve only done what they did to get an honour, sometimes to the extent of lying, manipulation and backstabbing genuine ‘colleagues’. This happens without question and the phonies aren’t always weeded out. And of course when Chris P got his it made some not very nice people very unhappy, wasn’t that wonderful!?!
re. Les’s point re. Chris P. Isn’t that just the problem: lots of us would have been disappointed if he’d refused.
Is it inconsistent to recommend people for an honour if you wouldn’t accept one yourself? (discuss)
Some people say the really honourable course is to refuse one without telling anyone that you’ve been offered it! Guess it’s our subterranean motivation which really counts.
m – is it inconsistent to recommend others for honours if you wouldn’t accept one yourself? Difficult to see why – I’ve given people references for shotgun licences but I don’t want one myself.
The really honourable thing with a blackmail note is not to tell anyone you’ve been sent one too?