Nurse and teacher honoured for work at the sharp end

A NURSE who has helped thousands of people give up smoking and a teacher who has devoted her life to special needs children were named in the Queen's Birthday Honours List today.

A stonemason who has helped protect some of Scotland's most precious buildings is another of the Lothians local heroes among around 120 Scots on the list.

They include entertainer Johnny Beattie and former Dunfermline football manager Jim Leishman.

But it is the recognition of the people who operate "at the sharp end" of society, according to the palace, that the birthday list is known for, and this year is no different.

Among them is Joyce Mudie, headteacher at Pilrig Park school, who has been awarded an OBE for her services to special needs education over the past 28 years.

Mrs Mudie said she was delighted to be included in the honours list, but keeping it a secret proved rather more difficult.

"I first found out a few months ago. It always seemed to be on the tip of my tongue, but the palace are very clear that you have to maintain secrecy," she said.

"It is a huge honour, and amazing feeling."

Mrs Mudie, 61, has been teaching since 1961 when she started at Muirhouse Primary School before moving to Lugton special school in Midlothian in 1979.

In 1985 she became assistant headteacher at St Michael's special school, until 1988 when she took the role of headteacher at Pilrig Park School.

"I had a qualification in nursing when I went into teaching, and I think that's why I decided to work with special needs children, because they need medical care as well," she said. "While it is a challenge, it's a really rewarding job.

"I'm sure there will be some kind of celebration tonight, but I'll also be having a celebration with the children on Monday," she added.

Also awarded an OBE was Dr Helen Hammond, a consultant paediatrician with NHS Lothian, who led the project to develop C-me, a computerised early warning system to warn doctors, teachers, social workers and police when a child is at risk, which was launched in West Lothian last year.

She was moved to create the system after her work chairing the inquiry into the death of three-year-old Kennedy McFarlane, killed in May 2000 by her stepdad, kickboxer Thomas Duncan, as well as her involvement with Caleb Ness inquiry.

Musselburgh stone technician Thomas Goodlet was listed to receive an MBE, for his work preserving ancient monuments with Historic Scotland, and restoring orphanages in Romania, a project he undertook in the summer.

The 59-year-old, who has worked with Historic Scotland for more than 16 years, said he was planning to spend the weekend celebrating with his family, and revealed he had only found out about the award yesterday. "I knew I was being considered for it, but I only found out on Friday that I was actually receiving it, so it was pretty unbelievable," he said.

"I am very chuffed. I've been in the building trade for 44 years and my father was a stonemason, so its probably having that kind of hands-on learning experience that got me interested in it."

Over the years Mr Goodlet has worked on projects across Scotland, from archways at Arbroath Abbey, to the fountains at Linlithgow Palace. He has also carried out work on the royal residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and has helped to keep Edinburgh Castle in pristine condition.

Professor Jeanne Elisabeth Bell was awarded a CBE for her services to medicine.

The professor of Neuropathology at the University of Edinburgh has been closely involved in work researching sudden infant death syndrome.

Last year she helped to establish the new Brain and Tissue Bank for the Investigation of Sudden Death. This will collect samples of healthy tissue from dead patients, with relatives' consent, in order to have a way to compare it with diseased tissue.

It is hoped that the tissue bank will prove an invaluable aid in research that could improve diagnosis and treatment of many disorders that are poorly understood, including cot death, drug abuse and epilepsy.

Professor Richard Morris was also awarded the CBE for his services to science. A professor of neuroscience, Mr Morris has worked on research into helping Alzheimer's patients.

Last year tests carried out by Morris and his team showed that a vaccine they created could boost brain function in genetically engineered mice with Alzheimer's.

Jeanette Kennedy, a theatre sister at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, was awarded an OBE for her services to nursing.

Helena Connelly, 54, a clinical nurse specialist in "smoking cessation" who helped set up Scotland's first stop-smoking clinic in 1993, at St John's Hospital in Livingston, was awarded an MBE.

Mrs Connelly, of East Calder, became a nurse in 1976 and while working with heart patients and seeing the damage caused by cigarettes, her interest in helping people to stop smoking grew.

"I would see these people every day who had real problems and they were struggling to quit," she said. "My own husband was a smoker, 60 a day, and I could see it when he quit as well, how much of a struggle it was for him.

"That's why I went about setting up the clinic at St John's."

Her years of experience have seen her provide advice to former First Minister Jack McConnell among others, but while she insisted she was just doing her job.

"It is nice to be recognised but then I feel I am just doing what I should be doing," she said.

ARISE SIR BEEFY AND FATWA AUTHOR RUSHDIE

SALMAN RUSHDIE, the novelist who spent years under threat of death after an Iranian fatwa, said he was "thrilled and humbled" by the knighthood awarded to him in the Queen's Birthday Honours today.

Also in the list are Oleg Gordievsky, the former Soviet spy who defected to Britain, cricketer Ian Botham, Dame Edna Everage's creator Barry Humphries and fund-raiser and terminal cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson.

It is "Arise Sir Beefy", as Botham gets a knighthood not only for his cricketing prowess but for his long-distance walks which have raised millions for charity.

There is a CBE for Humphries, who as Dame Edna once welcomed the Queen at a concert in Buckingham Palace with the words: "The Jubilee girl is here, possums."

Mr Humphries said today: "I'm deeply honoured. At last I can address Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage on an improved footing."

And there is a CMG (Companion of the Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George) in the Diplomatic List for Gordievsky, a one-time colonel in the KGB, who became the highest-ranking KGB defector ever.

Other big names in the list include footballers Ryan Giggs and Teddy Sheringham, Last of the Summer Wine actor Peter Sallis, TV historian David Starkey - once described as "the rudest man in Britain" - along with actress Sylvia Syms, rock star Joe Cocker and Nicky Clarke, hairdresser to the stars.

Deserved recognition for helping the community

FORMER Scottish Prison Service chief executive Tony Cameron, of Edinburgh, becomes a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

OBE

• Robert Armour, the company secretary and General Counsel of British Energy, for his services to the Electricity Industry.

Edinburgh's Walter Ferguson, former director of information Technology and Estates with the Crown Office.

Professor Robert Donovan of Dalkeith, former Foundation Chairman of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, for his services to science.

Tom Kelly, formerly chief executive of the Association of Scotland's Colleges, for his services to further education.

• Kathleen Reid, former director of Education and Cultural Services at West Lothian Council, for her services to education.

• James Simpson of Edinburgh, for services to built heritage in Scotland.

MBE

• Jacqueline Agnew, of Bathgate, manager of HomeAid West Lothian Furniture Reuse Recycling Centre, for services to recycling in Scotland.

• Thomas Balanowski, physics teacher at Linlithgow Academy, for services to education in West Lothian.

• Mary Benson, for services to the community in Livingston.

• Carol Downie, chief executive of Youth Scotland, for services to young people.

• Janet Jerome, former Clinical Lead, Prison Health Information, Scottish Prison Service.

• Rosamond Mary, Lady Cullen Of Whitekirk, former chair of the visiting committee at Polmont Young Offenders Institute, for services to the Criminal Justice System.

• Alan Milliken, of West Lothian, adult literacy and numeracy adviser, North Lanarkshire Council, for services to education.

• Dr Peter Nettleton, formerly head of virological surveillance at the Moredun Research Institute, for services to Veterinary Medicine.

• Archibald Pacey, for services to the community in Midlothian.

• Hilary Patrick, for services to mental health law.

Queen's Police Medal

• Ian Francis Grant Dickinson. Assistant Chief Constable, Lothian and Borders Police.

Queen's Fire Service Medal

• Ms Gale Coates. Retained watch manager, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service.