Hastings: Falklands first
Max Hastings’ knighthood for services to journalism in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list is the royal seal on a distinguished career as a war correspondent and editor of The Daily Telegraph and London’s Evening Standard.
Voted Journalist of the Year in 1982 after being the first journalist into Port Stanley during the Falklands War, Sir Max, 56, retired this year to write books.
The son of journalists Macdonald Hastings and Anne Scott-James, he began his career in 1963 as a researcher for BBC TV on the Great War series.
He joined the Evening Standard in 1965 and went back to the BBC TV current affairs group in 1970 for three years, working on 24 Hours, Panorama and Midweek. Then he returned to the Standard in 1973 as a roving correspondent until 1985.
After a brief spell as a columnist on The Sunday Times, Sir Max was chosen by Conrad Black as editor of the Telegraph in 1986, later becoming editor-in-chief. It was one of the late Sir David English’s big coups to persuade Sir Max to rejoin Associated Newspapers as editor of the Evening Standard in 1995.
CBEs
MacGregor: 18 years on Today
Sue MacGregor, for services to broadcasting during her 18 years on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
MacGregor, who was awarded an OBE in 1992, retired from the programme in February after joining as a part-time presenter in 1984.
She took on the role of full-time presenter three years later.
MacGregor, whose autobiography was published earlier this year, is currently working on a new interview series for Radio 4. She began her journalism career at the BBC as a current affairs producer before becoming a reporter on PM and The World at One.
She was presenter on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for 15 years.
Ralph Bernard, chairman of the GWR radio group, for services to radio broadcasting.
Former chief executive of NTL, John Forrest, for services to the radio and communications industry.
Sebastian Faulks, journalist and novelist, for services to literature.
OBEs
Hale: campaigning zeal
Don Hale, lately editor of the Matlock Mercury, for services to campaigning journalism.
Hale conducted a six-year investigation into the wrongful conviction of Stephen Downing for the murder of Wendy Sewell.
Downing was freed on appeal after 27 years in jail. Hale’s honour caps 13 awards for his long investigation.
He began in journalism in 1975 and has worked for the Manchester Evening News and a number of BBC Radio stations in the north-west. He was editor of the Bury Messenger before becoming editor of the Matlock Mercury in 1985.
The BBC correspondent, Peter Taylor, for services to broadcast journalism.
Taylor, who joined the corporation in 1980 and is a specialist on Northern Ireland, picked up the judges’ award at the RTS awards in 2001 for his acclaimed three-part series on Ireland, Provos, Loyalists and Brits.
Taylor has made a number of Inside Story specials on the Maze Prison and Bloody Sunday and, as well as writing a number of books on Northern Ireland, has been a presenter on BBC2’s Newsnight and Brass Tacks.
Parminder Vir, film-maker and producer, and cultural diversity adviser for Carlton Television, for his services to radio broadcasting and film.
Edwin Boorman, for services to the British Legion in Kent. Boorman is the chairman of the Kent Messenger Group, and this year was president of the Newspaper Society.
Diane Hope Montague, for services to agricultural journalism. Montague trained on the Surrey Advertiser before joining Farmers Weekly and edited the monthly Agricultural Merchant and the weekly US-owned newsletter Agricultural Supply, which she launched and edited for 20 years.
Michael Wooldridge, for services to broadcasting in developing countries.
MBEs
Herbert: editor-in-chief in Wales
David George Armstrong, for services to journalism. Editor of the Portadown Times, Northern Ireland, his home-town paper for 35 years, Armstrong took the chair in 1967 when he was 23. He has been at the weekly’s helm throughout the Troubles.
Barbara Olive Butcher, journalist, Kentish Express, for services to the community. Eighty-four-year-old Butcher has reported the news and views of Ashford and district for 57 years for the Kent Messenger Group.
Her official retirement came many years ago, but she still contributed both as a valued community correspondent and with numerous stories from the groups and causes she has campaigned for and with over the decades.
"I still have my stamina and health and will continue to campaign. I have no intention of ceasing my story-
chasing," she said.
Peter Harvey, journalist, Sheffield Star, for services to journalism and the community. Harvey, 67, writes a weekly column chronicling anecdotes of the city and its residents. He has worked for the Sheffield Morning Telegraph and the Star for 30 years, beginning at 17.
He has been a reporter, feature writer, chief feature writer, features editor, municipal correspondent and music reviewer.
Reg Herbert, former editor-in-chief of the Evening Leader group in North Wales, for services to journalism.
Herbert moved from the Liverpool Evening Express to the Wrexham Leader in 1959 and was chief reporter and assistant editor before becoming editor of the Evening Leader and finally editor-in-chief of the group. He still works as a freelance.
Posy Simmonds, illustrator and cartoonist, for services to the newspaper industry.
Simmonds’ perceptive look at the life of the chattering classes has been a feature of The Guardian since she drew the strip cartoons The Webers in the seventies and eighties and more recently, Gemma Bovary.
BBC Radio 2 presenter Hubert Gregg for services to radio broadcasting and song-writing.
Patrick O’Ryan-Roeder, an ITN field editor, for services to television broadcasting. O’Ryan-Roeder joined ITN as a trainee film librarian in 1969 and began working as a field editor 10 years later.
He spent seven weeks in Afghanistan during the recent conflict and covered Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, the Nato bombing of Serbia and the Gulf War. "Unfortunately much of what I’ve seen has involved man’s inhumanity to man," he said.
Jean Morgan and Julie Tomlin
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