New Year's Honours List

George Smith, 69, of Heslington, York, has gained his award for his services to flower arranging.

Mr Smith, a trained horticulturist who turned to flower arranging while doing his National Service, has travelled to 28 countries on six continents in the past 35 years and is regarded as a foremost ambassador of British flower arrangement.

Mr Smith said: "I'm absolutely thrilled, and thrilled for my colleagues and peers because they are going to share in this."

Mr Smith regularly opens the gardens at his home, The Manor House, Heslington, to the public.

He created flowers for the rededication of York Minster's South Transept in 1988. In July 2000 he created the altar arrangements for the visit of the Queen, and was presented to her by the Archbishop of York.

Meanwhile, continuing the horticultural theme, retired gardener Vic Atkins, who has been made an MBE, clocked up an impressive 50 years with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. He reckons he has trimmed, pruned and mowed virtually every one of the 1,000 gardens in Rowntree village New Earswick.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the foundation and love being outdoors."

He said: "I thought the letter was one of the lads at work winding me up."

But the Rowan Avenue resident, whose daughters and wife also work for the foundation, said he was "over the moon" with his honour.

"I might go down to pick it up in London on my lawnmower," joked Vic, 65.

York swimming legend Alan Clarkson, 67, of Haxby, is made an Officer of the British Empire for his services to the sport.

The former international swimmer and Great Britain team manager is now a member of Britain's Olympic Committee.

Mr Clarkson, a partner in a chartered accountancy, said: "I learned to swim when I was ten at George Street Baths, and never left," he said. "If you stop doing a sport you might never go back to it, but I and my family have always been involved."

Mr Clarkson is married to Pauline, who as Pauline Musgrove was York's first Olympic swimmer in the Helsinki games in 1952, and his children are also keen swimmers.

He swam in the 1958 Commonwealth Games, and managed England for three Commonwealth Games during the 1970s, and Great Britain for the 1976 Los Angeles Olympics.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted to be given this honour."

Professor Janet Ford, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of York, is made an OBE for services to housing.

Prof Ford, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, was director of the university's Centre for Housing Policy and Joseph Rowntree chairwoman of housing policy from 1996 until 2003.

Another University of York academic, Professor Philip Stell, honorary research associate at the Centre for Medieval Studies, is made an MBE for services to history.

Prof Stell, 70, of The Village, Haxby, was a surgeon before taking up history in retirement. He said today that he was very surprised to receive the honour.

Professor Robin Butlin, of Heworth, York, who is a professor of historical geography at Leeds University, is made an OBE for services to geography.

Philip Wilkinson, 50, of Harrogate, is made an OBE for his services to the dairy industry in which he has invested more than 31 years.

The former chairman of the Dairy Council, who helped create the celebrated "White Stuff" milk promotional campaign, said he was "privileged and surprised" to be honoured.

He said: "I've been involved as a catalyst between farmers, retailers and processors in all the difficulties dairy farmers have had over the past two years."

John Baragwanath, of Ripon Way, Carlton Miniott, Thirsk, is made an OBE. As team leader of the Business Relations and Innovation Team (BRIT) at the government office for Yorkshire and Humber, he monitors business support activities in the region for the Department of Trade and Industry.

John Hunt, 64, of Knayton, near Thirsk, is made an MBE for services to the restoration of bridges in North Yorkshire.

Project manager Mr Hunt, who is set to retire soon after 30 years with North Yorkshire County Council and more recently its consultants, Mouchel Parkman, said: "I'm just a member of a team. We work together, so I hope they get some of the reflected glory."

Mr Hunt's projects have included work on the York Outer Ring Road, Ripon Bypass and the rebuilding of Mercury Bridge in Richmond, which was partially washed away in the floods of 2000.

Carol Bardy, 56, of Huntington, said she was "Surprised and quite shocked" when she discovered she was to be made an MBE for her services to the NHS.

Mother-of-two Mrs Bardy, who has been patient affairs officer for York Hospitals NHS Trust since 1988, said her diverse role included handling finances from overseas patients and dealing with compensation claims to counselling bereaved parents in York Hospital's maternity unit.

She said: "I advise ladies that have had still born babies about what funeral facilities can be arranged, and help to look after them. Also if an adult dies but has no family to arrange a funeral, I deal with that as well.

"It is a very rewarding job and I feel very privileged in dealing with the people I deal with."

A founder member of Age Concern York and York Blind and Partially Sighted Society is made an MBE.

Holgate resident Jack Archer, 84, an alderman of both York and North Yorkshire Councils, was given the honour for his work for the York community.

Herefordshire-born Mr Archer, who was twice Lord Mayor of York during his 38 years as a councillor, moved to the city after marrying York girl Ena during the Second World War.

A carriage worker, Mr Archer threw himself into public life and voluntary work as a way to adjust to new surroundings.

He said: "I am over the moon to receive this, and I hope it can be taken as a step towards confirming the importance of voluntary organisations and how much voluntary work does in the city."

Prison governor Michael Shann, of Selby, is made an OBE for services to the prison service.

Mr Shann, 56, of Doncaster Road, Selby, started as a clerical worker at Thorpe Arch remand Centre in 1966, and is now governor of Winson Green Prison, Birmingham.

He comes home every weekend to his Victorian semi in Selby, where his younger daughter, Frances, 17, is on a business studies course at Selby College.

He said: "I'm delighted with this award, which is also a tribute to the prison staff and fellow managers."

Sergeant Mohammed Khan, based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, has been made an MBE for the links he has forged between the RAF and ethnic minority communities throughout Yorkshire and Teesside.

He represents the Leeds RAF careers office and spearheads the RAF's 'diversity' project.

He focuses much of his attention on visits and personal development courses for Asian youths using the facilities at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

Richard Gibbon, 59, a former head of engineering collections at the National Railway Museum, is made an OBE for service to the railways.

For Mr Gibbon, who retired on July 2, it was the third "gong" this year. He was awarded a lifetime achievement award from Prince Michael of Kent, patron of the Transport Trust, and also received an outstanding contribution award from the Heritage Railway Museum.

Alan Pemberton, 60, of Huntington, is made an OBE for services to science.

Mr Pemberton was a plant pathologist at the Central Science Laboratory, now based at Sand Hutton, for 33 years.

He was given his award for his work in curbing and legislating against plant diseases.

Mr Pemberton, who retired at Christmas, said: "It is going to be overwhelming at Buckingham Palace. It is a tribute to a whole team of people that I worked with."

A retired businessman with his heart firmly in his local community has been recognised in the honours list.

John Michael Saville, of Askham Bryan, is made an MBE for his tireless charity work.

The 67-year-old admitted he was "absolutely amazed" when told about his accolade. "I was very surprised, quite taken aback," added Mr Saville, who said he accepted the MBE on behalf of everyone who has worked with him "for the good of the community".

York-born Mr Saville is on the management committee of York Boys' Club, and is a trustee of York Against Cancer and of St Martin's and St Helen's Churches. He is also involved with a range of charities and trusts.

Mr Saville started working in the family business - Saville Audio Visual - after serving in the Army.

The business started life as a York chemists in 1876, but under his leadership transformed into a photography and audio/visual firm.

Knighthood for England rugby coach

England's World Cup rugby heroes are the toast of the New Year honours list published today.

There is a knighthood for coach Clive Woodward, a CBE for captain Martin Johnson and an upgrade to OBE for the match-winning goal-kicker Jonny Wilkinson, whose father, Phil, attended Pocklington School. Most of the other members of the squad, including former Ampleforth College pupil Lawrence Dallalgio, being made MBEs.

The former rugby international attended Easingwold School for two years. Woodward's former games teacher, Gerry Kershaw, told the Evening Press when he won the Coach of the Year accolade in the BBC Sports Personality of Year Awards, that he was always destined for success, with "a twinkle in his eye" even as a young teen.

"He was a sporting natural," he said, "Always destined to reach the top in whatever he chose to do."

The list also includes an array of showbusiness, arts and media personalities including Eric Clapton, Joan Plowright, Roy Hudd, Chris Tarrant, Pete Postlethwaite, Nicholas Parsons, Stephen Daldry and Ray Davies, co-founder of The Kinks pop group.

They rub shoulders with figures from the realms of education, health and law and order.

Britain's tennis hope, Tim Henman, gets the expected OBE. Documents leaked to the Sunday Times recently suggested Henman's name was included to "add interest" to the list.

The recent furore over how honours are given prompted the Government to announce a review of the system.

Government scientist Colin Blakemore also threatened to quit after it was revealed that he was not put forward for an honour because of his support for animal experiments.

In today's list, there is an OBE for Martin O'Neill, the hugely successful manager of Celtic Football Club.

In the world of science there is a knighthood in the Diplomatic List for Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.

There is also an MBE for steeplejack and TV personality Fred Dibnah for services to broadcasting.

Two famous cartoonists are honoured: Ronald Searle, 83, and creator of the notorious St Trinian's girls, gets a CBE, while Stanley McMurtry ("Mac" of the Daily Mail) receives an MBE. Alongside them are "ordinary" people, described by Downing Street as being at the sharp end, those working in such jobs as lollipop ladies, school janitors and milkmen.

Updated: 11:08 Wednesday, December 31, 2003