A HERITAGE champion who has loved York since childhood has won recognition in today's New Year Honours.

Darrell Buttery, 76, of Tadcaster Road, a former chair and president of York Civic Trust, has received an MBE for services to heritage in York.

In a citation, he is said to have been a governor and curator of pictures of the company of Merchant Adventurers, York’s largest and oldest guild, and was chair for several years of the York Georgian Society and has been a member of the City’s Conservation Advisory Panel for about 16 years.

He has also authored several publications, including The Vanished Buildings of York (1984) and Pictures of York Minster from the 17th Century to the present (2007) and has also kept a York diary for more than 40 years, creating a unique urban record currently held in the Borthwick Archives.

He has also served on national and international committees, such as Europa Nostra, which works to safeguard Europe's cultural and natural heritage, as well as serving as a Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire.

Mr Buttery told The Press he was born in Guisborough but moved when a few months old to York, where his father was manager of the former ABC cinema. "Even as a little boy, I just loved York," he said.

He moved away but returned to the city in 1974 when he became a teacher at the former Nunthorpe Grammar School until 1985.

He then worked at Queen Mary's School, initially based at Duncombe Park and then at Baldersby Park and then, after retiring, came out of retirement to teach for a further five years at Pocklington School.

Another teacher receiving an MBE is Tim Pocock, 58, of Wath, near Ripon, for services to education and charity.

He is said to have been an inspirational English teacher in St Aidan’s CoE High School for 32 years, with a unique teaching style, caring pastoral work and 'legendary' assemblies.

When a student was diagnosed with leukaemia while preparing for his GCSEs, he co-ordinated coursework and provided essential support enabling him to complete his English GCSE.

Through his fundraising activities, he has also helped many colleagues through difficult times.

He was appointed to the post of charities co-ordinator more than 20 years ago and since then has raised nearly £1 million for more than 113 different charities.