Dedicated Worcester tour guide recognised in Queen's New Year's Honours List

Everyone from a tour guide to a roadside milestones champion have been honoured.

They join Olympic heroes Mo Farah, Andy Murray and Jessica Ennis-Hill, veteran comic Ken Dodd and Kinks frontman Ray Davies in the list.

A stalwart member of the tourism industry has had her tireless voluntary work recognised.

Miriam Harvey, of Northwick Road, Worcester, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to heritage, tourism and visitors to the city.

The 80-year-old, who has a wealth of knowledge about the history of Worcester, is a qualified Green Badge guide and is secretary of Worcester Walks.

She said: "It was a total surprise, I really thought it was a mistake at first. They sent me a letter from the Cabinet office. I had to get my husband to read it to me!

"I'm absolutely thrilled to bits really."

The mother-of-two began her career as a nurse at Worcester Royal Infirmary and, during her 42 years there, developed a fascination with the history of the building.

When she retired in 1996, the grandmother decided to train to become a qualified tour guide and has been showing people around the city for 16 years.

Aside from tour guiding, she has written books about the history of the Royal Infirmary, held a position on the executive committee of the Worcester Tourism Association and worked in the archives of the Museum of Worcester Porcelain.

Mrs Harvey said: "I meet so many interesting people. I'm learning something every day. This is what I love - I love to learn.

"Walking and doing this guiding keeps my body and mind exercised. I have wonderful help and support from my husband and my family."

Alongside her other duties, she also leads Elgar Walks during the Three Choirs Festival and has given many talks to WI groups about the history of the hospital.

Meanwhile, a heritage champion who has long been prepared to go that extra mile to preserve the fabric of Britain's history has been named in the New Year's Honours.

Mayoress of Bromyard Jan Scrine of Copsewood Avenue, Worcester has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours for ‘services to roadside heritage’.

The 67-year-old mother-of-two, who has strong family ties to Suckley, is a founder member of the Milestone Society, a registered charity with over 400 members throughout the UK.

She said she felt she was accepting the honour on behalf of others who had contributed so much to the society and deserved the honour more, including Terry Keegan of Clows Top, near Bewdley, who died in June 2012 whom she described as 'an inspiration to all of us' and Colin Parry who died in July this year.

She feels the honour as a tribute to these men and others but said she was delighted to accept the honour 'on behalf of the team'.

Established in 2000 in Worcestershire, the Society has no paid staff and Miss Scrine has served as honourary treasurer for 12 years and as chairperson for two.

The Society aims to raise awareness of the historic significance of these ‘quirky lumps of rock or rusty iron sitting quietly by the wayside’.

The majority of milestones date from the Turnpike era, 1720s – 1860s, when tolls were charged to users of almost all the highways in the UK.

Some milestones, for example in Oxfordshire, date back to the 1600s.

In Worcestershire there were over 30 Turnpike Trusts responsible for more than 600 miles of road.

The county has a thriving branch of the society which has located and recorded details of over 200 remaining milestones, have restored many and have published information in ‘Finding Worcestershire Milestones’, followed by ‘Worcestershire Turnpikes and Tollhouses’.

Miss Scrine has been particularly recognised for her work in West Yorkshire where she lived for 18 years. Over the last decade she has helped raise £130,000 for the cause.

Miss Scrine said: “For me, while milestones and the history they represent are intrinsically interesting, the real opportunity is to leverage heritage funding to bring tangible benefits for the community."

Miss Scrine is working on a sustainable tourism heritage trail for Bromyard, where she is now a mayoress.

Meanwhile, a dedicated community worker has had her tireless voluntary service recognised in the list.

Diane Bennett, who lives in Greenhill, Evesham, has been made an MBE for services to young people in the Vale town.

The 52-year-old, who runs the charity Caring Hands in the Vale, said: "I was completely gobsmacked, I have to say. I think I'm still a bit gobsmacked!"

Other recipients include:

CBE Sascha Kindred, OBE. For services to Swimming. (Herefordshire)

OBE Rosalind Alstead, of Bromsgrove. Director of nursing and clinical standards. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Nursing.

Air Vice Marshal Michael David Smart, DL. Vice chairman (Air) Council of Reserve Forces and Cadets Associations. For voluntary service to the Armed Forces and the ex-Service community. (Herefordshire)

MBE

Jacqueline Banks, of Evesham. Manager, asset performance Environment Agency. For services to Communities and Flood Risk Management.

Maj James Newton, Hereford, DL. For services to the Rifles Regiment and to the community in Herefordshire.

Mary Quinn, of Leominster, education consultant and lately executive principal. Stourport High School and Sixth Form College. For services to Education.

Charles Talbot, Kidderminster, for services to the community.