MBE for Professor Barbara English
Wed 7th January 2015
Professor Barbara English, a great campaigner for Beverley, member of the Beverley Civic Society and one of the main forces behind the 2014 Georgian Festival, was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Years Honours list.
The MBE was for services to heritage and the community in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, and is richly deserved for someone who gives so much of her own time to support Beverley and help to maintain its status as one of the Great Towns.
Professor Barbara English MBE said: "In November I got a very official-looking envelope from the Cabinet Office. With memories of 'come to my study' I assumed that I had done something horribly wrong, and slid the letter out of the envelope very, very carefully, looking at the first line before I read the rest. The first line is:'The Prime Minister has asked me to inform you'…still could be trouble, but then it went on 'he is recommending that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased' etc. and hurray, astonishing and excellent news.
"You are not allowed to tell anyone, although there are obviously leaks (James Corden this year). So, a great secret to keep until New Year's Eve. My family and friends are delighted, as of course am I.
"I hope people will see the award as something for everyone who has worked in this town over the last decades to protect it from the horrors inflicted on many other British towns, in some cases ruining them for ever. People come to Beverley because it is different, and it must remain so; its difference is its slow evolutionary development, with the retention of all that is best from the past (although we lost some along the way).
"It is often listed in the top towns of the UK, most recently being one of only two runners-up for 'Great Town'. But endless road schemes and 3,500 new houses without (as the Great Town judges noted) a clear development brief or urban design input, are not going to be easily absorbed."
Professor English MBE has worked tirelessly for many years, campaigning on residents' behalf.
"Sometimes we wonder if anyone is listening," she added. "The award suggests that yes, heritage is significant, and yes, work for it in the community is noticed. So, let's keep on going."
