Queen honours Oxfordshire's finest (From Witney Gazette)

Queen honours Oxfordshire's finest

6:15am Saturday 30th December 2006 in Headlines By Matt Wilkinson

OXFORDSHIRE'S retired police chief, a grandmother who has clocked up 49 years of voluntary work and a woman who helped set up a League of Friends tea bar at the Churchill Hospital have today been honoured by the Queen.

Maureen Tweney, 67, of Colly Wood, Kennington, was struggling for weeks to keep secret the news that she was to be honoured with a MBE in recognition of her 49 years' voluntary work.

She said: "When I got the letter it said from the Prime Minister's Office. I thought what have I done, have I been caught speeding? Then I opened it and couldn't believe it. I was like a zombie for the rest of the day.

"I eventually told my children today and we all started to cry. I couldn't sleep last night because I knew I was going to see them and I could tell them at last. It has been murder for the past six weeks having to keep it a secret.

"I am really honoured that someone took the trouble to write a letter about me."

The mother-of-two, with three grandchildren, has devoted almost half a century to helping the Scouts, the Oxford Gang Show, the Narrowboat Trust, St John Ambulance, playgroups and holding a regular tea dance at Oxford Town Hall. She is a qualified swimming official at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Her MBE was awarded for services to the community.

Dave McWhirter, who retired from Thames Valley Police in September, has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal.

The medal is awarded for distinguished service during his 30 years as a police officer in Thames Valley, including Head of Control Rooms and Head of Crime Support. He was an acting Assistant Chief Constable before becoming Area Commander for Oxford in 2000. When the force was restructured in 2004, he was appointed Oxfordshire commander.

Acting Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: "I am absolutely delighted for Dave. This recognises his contribution both to the Force in many different roles, but particularly to Oxfordshire where he was a key player in the local community for the past six years.

"The performance of the Oxfordshire Basic Command Unit was consistently the best in the force under his command and that was very much due to Dave's high standard of leadership."

Dr Farhan Nizami, founder director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, has received the CBE.

Dr Nizami, 50, founded the centre in 1985 with Dr David Browning.

A Fellow of Magdalen College, Dr Nizami has been recognised for his services to Islamic studies at the centre, which encourages the study of Islam and the Islamic world.

A spokesman for the centre in George Street said: "Everyone will be delighted. This is well deserved."

Prince Charles is a patron and visitors have included Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.The centre is assisted by an Academic Advisory Committee consisting of senior members of Oxford University.

Former banker Margaret Hughes received the MBE for services to the community after 27 years of loyal service for the League of Friends.

Miss Hughes, 71, of Henley Avenue, east Oxford, was a founder member of the League of Friends tea bar and shop at the Churchill Hospital when it launched in 1979.

After retiring as administration manager for the NatWest's Woodstock branch in 1990, she transferred her financial skills to the League of Friends' Churchill branch, volunteering as its treasurer.

She said: "I am delighted to be recognised in this way and I shall probably celebrate with a glass of champagne once I have telephoned my brothers to let them know.

"I was invited to the Queen's Birthday Garden Party in 1985 but I was not expecting this.

"Staff at the League of Friends' cafés at the hospitals do a wonderful job and they are always ready with a smile for patients and their families.

"It's a charity but it is run as a business like any other and it needs someone to monitor the finances."

Miss Hughes, who was born in Cowley, has never married because she was always "too busy".

When she is not counting the takings at the League of Friends, she enjoys eating out, playing the keyboards and flower arranging.

Conservation volunteer Patrick Wixey, 65, of Orchard Way, Witney, has been rewarded with a MBE for helping dramatically improve the numbers of endangered Barn Owls in west Oxfordshire by building nest boxes.

Since 1986, the number of Barn Owls he has tagged has risen from just four pairs to 134 chicks and 40 pairs this year. The award is for services to bird conversation in Oxfordshire.

He said: "I am overwhelmed about it all. I am not one for the limelight. I really enjoy being on my own in the field bird watching.

"Last year I was invited to the Queen's Honours List party and I thought that was enough for me. I'm honoured that someone thought I have done something good.

"The Barn Owls were endangered when I first started and now it is good to see so many of them coming back to west Oxfordshire."

Widow Mary Gibson, 86, has received an MBE for services to the Bomber Command Association.

Mrs Gibson was a member of the Woman's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) between 1941 and 1946, repairing damaged planes at Magdalen College, Oxford.

After retiring in 1993 from the NHS she set up the Thames Valley Bomber Command Association branch and has held 44 lunches, visited 25 schools giving talks about the sacrifices made by RAF pilots and raised around £10,000.

Mrs Gibson also designed and sent out memorial cards to 1,500 Bomber Command Members.

She said: "I realise it is an honour. I have a lot of wonderful friends who are MBEs or OBEs in my membership and they are a wonderful crowd and I love them all."

Retired engineering lecturer Peter Lund, the local organiser of the Best Kept Village competition for Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, has won an MBE.

The 81-year-old from Binsey, near Oxford, has four children and nine grandchildren. He said: "Like many of these things the honour really belongs to other people and I seem to be the lucky one who had his name put forward."

Hugh Laurie, the actor, comedian and writer who was born in Oxford and whose father was a GP in Blackbird Leys for 30 years, gets an OBE. He is best-known for his TV comedy work, especially with Stephen Fry, including A Bit Of Fry And Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves And Wooster.

He recently became a star in the US as Dr Gregory House in the TV hit show House. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama this year and an Emmy Award nomination the previous year for his work in the series.

Other Oxfordshire people receiving honours were:

• Michael Rake, chairman of KPMG International at Henley, becomes a Knights Bachelor for services to the accountancy profession.

• Prof Doreen McBarnet, professor of Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford, CBE for services to Social Science.

• Prof Stephen Nickell, formerly member of the Monetary Policy Committee and warden of Nuffield College, University of Oxford, CBE for services to economics.

• Ms Sarah Spencer, chair of the Equality and Diversity Forum and Associate director, COMPAS, University of Oxford, CBE for services to equal opportunities and human rights.

• Dr Patrick Upson, managing director of Enrichment Technology Company Ltd of Henley, CBE for services to industry.

• Lady Brigid Crofton,of Oxford and formerly Trustee and vice-Chair, UNICEF UK, OBE for services to children and families overseas.

• Huw Evans, former headteacher at Watchfield Primary School OBE for services to education.

• Prof Geoffrey Meen, of Abingdon, professor of Applied Economics, Department of Economics, University of Reading, OBE for services to Social Housing.

• Robert Thompson, of Bicester, Director of Fundraising, Royal British Legion, OBE for services to Ex-Servicemen and Women.

• Guy Woolfenden, composer and conductor from Banbury, OBE for services to music.

• Mrs Violet Miles. MBE for services to the community in Milton-under-Wychwood.

• Peter Ogles, MBE for services to the Royal Mail and to St. John Ambulance Brigade in Chipping Norton.

• George Parker, MBE for services to the community in Barford St Michael, near Banbury.

• Mrs Anne Waters, of Deddington, watch manager, RDS, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, MBE for services to Fire Safety.