By Leeza Clark

MEN AND women from all walks of life converged on the Palace of Holyroodhouse yesterday to receive honours from the Queen.

They were honoured for their careers in a diverse range of subjects from medicine and education to working with young people the armed forces and came from as far afield as Brechin and Inverkeithing.

Apart from a dedication to their work, the one thing they all had in common was the delight shared at the recognition they—and their teams—had received.

Heading the recipients was the former Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire, John Smart, who was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Although he has met the Queen on a number of occasions, he said he was honoured to be at the investiture ceremony yesterday and had enjoyed the day very much.

Presented with a CBE is Dundee’s army cadet chief Colonel A. K. Miller, who was quick to dub his award Carol’s award, in honour of his wife.

As a defence attache, he has lived all over the world, including a spell in Tel Aviv—meaning that his wife has had 19 houses in 25 years.

Having received an OBE some years ago, and in his former role as Colonel of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, he too had met the Queen before but said each time, and in particular yesterday, was special.

“This is recognition not only for me and the team which has been with me but also for my family,” he said.

Also receiving CBE were a trio of east of Scotland men, Mike Ferguson the professor of molecular parasitology at Dundee University, Professor Jeremy Greenwood of Balmullo the retired director of the British Trust for Ornithology, and Raymond Young from Dunning, the chairman of Architecture and Design Scotland.

Professor Ferguson said, “I am absolutely delighted, it is a great reflection on the team of people who work together on the main job to find a new medicine for African Sleeping Sickness.”

Professor Greenwood has been responsible for publishing the two largest surveys on British bird populations and is also president of the European Ornithologists Union, and a trustee of the British Birds Charitable Trust, which publishes British Birds magazine.

Mr Young again said his award was an honour for the team which was a relatively new body having only been running four years.

With his background in architecture, he said he was particularly pleased to be at the ceremony at Holyrood.

“I am also a member of the Historic Scotland board and this is a wonderful palace—the best wee palace in the best wee country,” he added.

Being made an OBE was Susan Pinder from Tullibody, who is the principal at James Watt College having served as principal of West Lothian College and assistant principal at the then Lauder College in Dunfermline.

Also collecting his OBE was Mike Galloway, director of planning and transport for Dundee City Council, for his services to urban design and regeneration, who was proud the improvement to Dundee had won royal recognition.

“It is really good the Queen has heard Dundee is improving and it is an honour for the whole team and for everything which has been happening in Dundee over the last 15 years,” he said.

Former Fife Councillor Andrew Keddie also collected an OBE for public service.

A former firefighter, he continued his interest in safety throughout his local government career, serving as chairman of Fife Council’s community safety committee, the Levenmouth community safety panel and the Scottish Police Conveners’ Forum.

He revealed the Queen had asked in particular about the forum, which was established 10 years ago.

“Chuffed” with his award Mr Keddie, who was accompanied by wife Catherine, daughter Andrea and grandson Joshua, added, “I think it is a great honour for the police in Fife and for the conveners in general throughout Scotland that I have received this.”

The Dunfermline-born chief executive of tourist body VisitScotland, Philip Riddle, was given his OBE.

Of course, he said, the Queen doesn’t need to be wooed to Scotland, spending her summer break at Balmoral, in a trend started by Queen Victoria.

“The royal connection with Scotland has always been very good-Queen Victoria started a great boom in the 19th century and maybe that is coming round again as Scotland is accessible but also a place where you can get away from it all,” he said.

Mr Riddle added again his award was for the whole organisation and its hard work.

Mike Blair from Stanley was presented with his award to be a member of the Royal Victorian Order for his role as former Clerk to the Lieutenancy in Angus.

In that capacity he had spent 20 years—from 1988 to earlier this year—organising many events for the lord lieutenant in the region, including the presentation of honours in local ceremonies for those who could not attend the palace.

And again, the lawyer, who was with wife Ann, had met the Queen before, but said yesterday was very special as it was very personal.

It was a very proud family who shared in Corporal David Adam’s MBE yesterday.

The Dundonian, who joined the RAF in 1997 and is stationed at RAF Kinloss, is soon to be deployed to Afghanistan, having already served in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the Falklands, but was matter of fact about it. “It is your job,” he said.

He was given the award after raising over £200,000 for charities and good causes and has spent the last 27 years helping mostly children and raising awareness of those children who are terminally ill, disadvantaged, have disabilities and illnesses and latterly those affected with autistic spectrum disorders.

Today there will be a huge number of new MBEs in Fife, Perthshire, Tayside and Angus.

Kelty’s Linda Orr received hers for her volunteer work with the Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, providing supported accommodation for young people who have committed offences.

It has been a hat trick of special occasions for Monifieth’s Lisbeth Thoms this year.

Not only did she reach 60 but her mother Helen, who accompanied her to the palace along with good friends Pat Clegg and Hilary Gibson, was 90.

Miss Thoms was thrilled to meet the Queen and enjoyed a discussion about her conservation work on historical buildings.

In fact she was able to tell the Queen about the conservation work to the gates at Holyrood after they had been damaged by a lorry.

“This award was totally unexpected and came right out of the blue—I was amazed,” said the archaeologist and heritage adviser.

Appropriately in the week of the NHS’s 60th anniversary, an Inverkeithing woman who spent close on 45 years in the caring profession was given her MBE.

Doreen Trainor, watched by husband Michael and daughter and son in law Jennifer and Alan, collected her award for services to nursing.

She retired from her role as chief nurse with West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership this year and revealed the Queen had asked about her long career.

“This was a lovely end to my career and I am very pleased to be here, meeting the Queen was overwhelming,” she added.

Another former Fife Councillor, chairwoman of Kirkcaldy Civic Society Ann Watters, was also thrilled by yesterday’s ceremony.

Mrs Watters, who was off for lunch at Edinburgh Castle, had chatted about the importance of involving young people in our heritage.

Sixty years of service to the Royal British Legion Scotland in Perthshire brought Douglas Braidwood of Crieff his MBE.

Mr Braidwood, who was originally from Glasgow, was one of the longest serving British Legion officials and only stepped down recently.

Alex Condie, received his MBE for services to social housing in Fife, having been instrumental in setting up Fife Special Housing Association which recently changed its name to Fife Housing Association.

The chairman said he discussed the important role social housing plays in local communities.

“In Fife it is recognition for the team which deserve this as it often hasn’t been the easiest of tasks for them.”

Rounding off the MBE recipients was Stuart Wardrop from Scone, whose services to the children’s hearing system in Scotland was honoured.

Mr Wardrop, who was with wife Grace, had been impressed by the Queen’s knowledge of the role the system performed.

Admitting he “babbled” to his wife when he first heard of his award, Mr Wardrop added, “It was absolutely a bolt from the blue, I could not take it in that I was receiving this recognition for something which is actually my job.

“I hope that this is because somebody thought I had done my job that little bit better,” he added.

Someone who has brightened up many of the Queen’s days with her floral displays is Elisabeth McInnes from Cupar who was presented with the Royal Victorian Medal (silver) after retiring from her long career as flower arranger in Holyrood.

And she revealed it was an accident which brought her to the role she carried out for over 40 years—and in fact another accident which saw her helping prepare the palace for the Queen’s annual stay north of the border.

“I trained in London and came to help someone who was doing the flowers but she became ill and I took on the job and have had it ever since,” she said.

However, even though she retired as a member of the royal household she returned to arrange the flowers in the royal apartment earlier this week as the person who took over had broken her leg.

“It was an honour to become a member of the royal household.

“Everything has to be perfect and the best of everything and it is great fun but it is quite stressful,” added Mrs McInnes who has also worked at Windsor.