QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS

HE may be called on to repair fire tenders one day, then rescue flood victims the next, but his dual role in the fire brigade has helped Philip Harvey earn an MBE.

The 46-year-old is both fleet manager for the two counties' brigades and a retained sub-officer at Worcester.

So when he's finished ensuring all 165 vehicles, including 43 front-line fire tenders, are running properly, Mr Harvey could be called on to assist in any major incident at all hours of the night.

He was nominated for his services to flood relief following major involvement in the floods of the last few years.

He is especially proud of the part he played helping to rescue dozens of people at Abbots Salford caravan park, near Evesham, during the Easter floods in 1998.

The rescue involved firefighters, police and an RAF helicopter, and was later featured on the BBC's 999 Lifesavers.

"My crew took a very active part in what was a bitterly cold night," he recalled.

"There are jobs like that which come back to you and which you are proud of."

The divorced father-of-two, who lives in Diglis, has spent 20 years in the fire brigade, first joining as a mechanic.

Around 10 years ago, he successfully completed his training as a firefighter and eventually qualified as a sub-officer.

Yesterday, he was still digesting the news that he would be visiting Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE.

"I thought the letter was a wind-up, especially as they spelt my name Phillip. I still don't know who nominated me," he added.

"This award isn't just in recognition of me, because without my team I wouldn't have got it.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's an award for all of them."

* Letter hidden in briefcase

TO its disabled and elderly users, Worcester Wheels is nothing short of a lifeline that might otherwise leave them stranded in their own homes.

Now its leader, Sally Ellison, has been made an MBE for the bus service she and her team of more than 30 volunteers provide all week.

When Mrs Ellison joined the charity, based in The Tything, 10 years ago, there were up to three drivers running a dozen routes around the city.

Today, a team of at least 30 drivers takes turns to man three minibuses running up to 450 routes all day from Monday to Friday and at weekends.

"I think our passengers would see it as a lifeline," said Mrs Ellison yesterday.

"It's all about improving their quality of life and supporting people living in the community."

Mrs Ellison, who lives in Norton, near Worcester, is most proud of the charity gaining three minibuses, specially adapted for disabled passengers and regularly seen zipping about the city with their distinctive blue and white livery.

Mrs Ellison, married to Mike and with two children, Jenny and Anthony, said her MBE would not have been achieved without the rest of the Wheels team.

"We have people giving up evenings to drive the buses, so this could not be done without our drivers," she said.

"Funding is a problem, but that has always been the case. What we're always after are more drivers.

"The award does make me proud, but it was difficult not being able to tell anyone. I had to hide the letter in my briefcase."

* Sheila clocks up award trio

SHEILA Young must have a garden full of four-leafed clovers.

The Citizen's Advice Bureau volunteer has been honoured three times in the past year, culminating with an MBE awarded in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, today.

"It's absolutely incredible," she said.

"I seem to be on a roll, because last September, I was awarded by the National Association of CABs which gave me a Volunteer of the Year Award for Lifelong Achievement.

"Then I heard I'd been invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace next month, and now this. I did try the lottery as well, but I didn't win!"

The grandmother-of-six, who lives with her husband John in Leigh Sinton, has worked for Malvern CAB for 28 years.

She was a member of the council of community services, which became Community Action, and was asked to work for the CAB when it was launched in 1973.

"It's a totally different organisation now. When we first started we were really a referral agency," said the 71-year-old, who works as a debt counsellor at the Grange Road CAB.

"Now we do everything. I go to county court and represent people in debt-related matters.

"We have people experienced in employment and law and another person deals with social service matters - the big problems."

CAB in Malvern saw 15,000 people last year and this year is on-track to see around 17,000.

"Every year it grows, particularly because of changes in the legal aid system," said Mrs Young.

* Honour for 35 years' service to police

WORCESTERSHIRE'S William Taylor, QPM, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Scotland, has been awarded the CBE for services to the police.

Mr Taylor, of Elmley Castle, near Pershore, has had a 35-year career in the police force.

The 54-year-old, who has been HM Chief Insp of Constabulary in Scotland since January 1999. He is a former Commissioner of Police in London and HM Insp of Constabulary in England and Wales.

Mr Taylor is a key member of the executive committee of Interpol and was Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations at New Scotland Yard.

He has chaired the Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Committee for England and Wales. Mr Taylor has indicated that he will retire from the police force, probably later this year.

* MBE is dedicated to others

AN Evesham woman awarded an MBE for her work with schools, the church and the probation service, has said she will collect the honour "on behalf of all the other people who do such good work".

Mary Pinder, of Broadway Road, has spent more than 40 years as an active member of St Peter's Church, Bengeworth.

She has served on the Parochial Church Council "many times, on and off" and also runs the cleaning and flower rostas at the church and looks after the church hall bookings.

Mrs Pinder, who moved to Evesham from London when she married in 1947, has also served as a governor on the board of two Evesham schools.

She was "connected with" the Simon de Montfort Middle School, in Four Pools Lane, since it opened in 1976 until she retired as a governor in July 2000.

She also retired last year from her post as governor on the board of St Peter's CE First School, with which she had been involved since 1974.

Her son and daughter, now aged 51 and 48, attended the school.

Mrs Pinder is still very much involved in her work with the Probation Service, for which she has worked as a volunteer, with her husband, Ted, since 1972.

She visits prisoners in Evesham's Long Lartin prison and carries out support work with people on probation, in and around Evesham.

Mrs Pinder was nominated for the honour by several people, including the headteacher at Simon de Montfort Middle School, Gerry Burgess; the governors' clerk at Simon de Montfort, Cathy Small; the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby; the former chief probation officer, Jenny Roberts; Colonel Burlingham of Evesham, and the former headteacher of Prince Henry's High School, in Evesham, Stanley English.

Mrs Pinder is very excited about receiving her MBE and meeting the Queen, who, she says, she has something in common with.

"I have a bit in common with the Queen as we were both born in the same year and we were both married in the same year," said Mrs Pinder, who will be 75 in November.

"She's beaten me to it!"

* I thought it was an error

A WORCESTERSHIRE county councillor and dedicated charity worker is the proud new holder of an MBE.

The list of organisations which have benefited from Jennette Davy's help over the years is as long as your arm, but the Malvern councillor insists she dismissed the nomination as a mistake.

"I was told in May, but to be honest, I thought they must have the wrong person," the 62-year-old said.

"I'm completely overwhelmed but absolutely delighted."

Councillor Davy has played a major role in the Women's Royal Voluntary Service over the years, and was a brain behind the Langlands Central Association.

She was a founder member of Malvern's Community Action and the secretary for the Old People's Welfare Committee, now Age Concern, for 10 years.

She helped to set up the Malvern Citizen's Advice Bureau and Abbeyfield's residential home.

Coun Davy, who represents the Langlands Ward, said she suspected her colleagues at Malvern Hills District Council had put her forward.

"I think they nominated me for the work which precedes my political career," she said.

"I've been criticised for keeping my voluntary and council work apart but I don't feel I should mix the two, with the organisations being non-political."

Coun Davy, who recently moved 500 yards up the road from Langlands to Cedar Close, moved from Lancashire in 1958 to work as a computer operative for DERA.

"I met my husband there, who was from Yorkshire, which caused a bit of a 'War of the Roses'," she said.

"But 32 years later, we've both moved up through the ranks, and we have two children and two granddaughters."

* Professor works to help children

A PROFESSOR who strove to put early years education on the political map has been honoured with an OBE.

Christine Pascal, director of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, at University College Worcester, has spent years trying to improve the quality of provision for young children.

UCW principal Dorma Urwin said it was a very well-deserved honour for someone who is recognised nationally and internationally for her work.

"This involves the development and implementation of high quality education and care for the under fives," she said.

"She has been at the forefront of the development of University College Worcester as one of the National Centres for Early Childhood Education."

Colleague and co-ordinator of the centre, Fiona Ramsden, said the work directed by Ms Pascal, who lives near Bromsgrove, entailed going out to train practitioners themselves.

"We visit play groups, nurseries and schools to try and improve the quality of provision," she said.

"We help practitioners understand children's social and emotional development, disposition to learning and self-esteem.

"In this way, they can then help nurture them."

The team, led by Ms Pascal, also evaluates the Government's Early Excellence Centre programme.

* Training boss is honoured

THE Worcestershire-based former chairman of a Black Country training and enterprise council has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Keith Ronald Hirst, who lives near Bromsgrove, was chairman of the Sandwell TEC. The body ceased to exist earlier this year when it was replaced by the Learning and Skills Council for the Black Country.

Mr Hirst, who is a council member of the Learning and Skills Council, was honoured for his services to education, training and enterprise.

He was unavailable for comment as the Evening News went to press.