.........................

[Keef]

LOL! Services to religion maybe?

[figgins]

Congratulations. With that out of the way, time to remember the wise words of John Peel RIP. When offered an honour, his first reaction was to think "I will turn it down". He then had visions of himself sitting in the pub in later life, regaling the assembled company with "They offered me an OBE but I turned it down..." Assembled company: "Yeah, right..."

Don't turn it down.

[Cassius]

Accept it - no matter what your feeling about it are - it's something that not many people get and getting it will be an experience that you can share with the forum at a later date. I'm not sure if it will be a good career move though - putting it after your name on a c.v will make you look a bit of a tosser!

On the other hand if you need someone who scrubs up well to accompany you to the palace just let me know..........

[SeanMacGabhann]

I miss John Peel a lot but if I think to a future time when I'm sat with my mates in a pub I would be happier with the following scenario

"when we learned that we were to stand straight and keep our heads slightly bowed, with our hands clasped in front of us. We were not to speak to the Queen until she had spoken to us first, or to offer a handshake unless she did so first. We were not to initiate conversation with the Queen. If she asked us a question, we could respond as we wished (with proper titles and such), but we were not to initiate it ourselves"

I thought, "is this bauble worth it? I know she is alleged to bring in more money than she costs for tourism, but she is still only a human being. Why exactly, is this an honour foe ME? I deserve more respect that this" so I just didn't go

And then they would buy me a pint...

[lozzyloz]

OBE

[lozzyloz]

You could always subtly break wind and then stare at Prince Philip accusingly. And then they would buy you several pints.

[SeanMacGabhann]

eh Loz?

[lozzyloz]

Oh Bloody 'Ell

Had to put something in. Previous sentence wasn't in English and one can't delete post entirely.

[SeanMacGabhann]

ahhhhh...

* edited for clarity *

[sphillips]

If I were you, I?d accept it but only to make your parents proud and they can boast to all their neighbours and friends. I believe you can take 2 people with you as guests to the investiture and it will give mum/dad the chance to dress up, see inside Buckingham Palace - and be very proud of you. Photos afterwards which they can display on their mantlepiece. But once that?s over, never mention it again. To anyone, ever. Place the medal in the box in which it came, store in attic and never look at it again. Similarly with the scroll which accompanies it signed by HM and Prince Philip (for some obscure reason). Never do a Jimmy Saville and place OBE after your name, (especially on your cheque book), otherwise people will think you are a complete and utter knob.

[LostThePlot]

posting removed for libellous content - The Administrator

Lost the Plot - SORRY! :-(

[Nero]

I am not at all impressed by people who turn down OBEs etc publicly. It's called having your cake and eating it, allowing everyone to know that you have been awarded this gong while at the same time decrying the system. That, in my book, is a just different form of ostentation. Nero

[SeanMacGabhann]

it appears I am in a minority here, but allow me to make the most of it

To my knowledge, most of the people on that list were "outed" by a journalist - not something they "let slip" to be ostentaious

And even if they wanted people to know, it's only ostentatious if the value is percieved by the owner - and if a value is attached then they would have accepted it

On a different tack - Lot's of people on here throw their hands up when people mention "class" but here we have something which perpetuates the whole bloody thing and it seems to be something to be proud of

[PeckhamRose]

Oooooooh LostThePlot what did ya write!

LostThePlot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> posting removed for libellous content - The

> Administrator

Was it along the lines of Screw the Monarchy and tell them to stuff their award?

Also, was it along the lines of "Why ask our opinion or was it just a way of showing off your achievements without telling us what they were anyway and by that method letting us know what a wonderful person you are without actually telling us why in a sort of passiveaggressive way? Sort of AggressivePassive?"

Nah, dint think so.

[Keef]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> To my knowledge, most of the people on that list were "outed" by a journalist - not something they "let slip" to be ostentaious

Oh come Sean, most positive things that a celebrity does are leaked to the press.

[SeanMacGabhann]

depends if you see leaking the news as positive - most people on here don't

And whilst your correct on the celebs leaking things to the press to show them in a good light, the names covered are over such a span and so disparate as individuals you would think the leaks would have happened over a period of time - but they didn't. Just one day - booom, here;s a list of stars wot refused it

Did they all club together? We should be told!

[tinagwee]

accept it and then when she comes up to you, give her a giant hug and say "alright missus?" loudly with a huge cheesey grin. I dare ya.

weirdly coming from a republican village in norn iron, my mum has always been very pro-monarchy and reads all the tripe about Diana avidly and so have been brought up to feel benevolently towards them and cant quite stop the feeling. Brainwashed I know.

Oh just accept it, you know you want to or you wouldnt have brought it up. Its like charity, its no good if you tell anyone youve done it, so no point turning it down if you are going to tell all and sundry you were offered it, basically the same as accepting it that.

[dulwichmum]

Good for you sweetie, well done you.

If you don't want it can I have it?

I would love to be a "Lady." How do you get to be called that - I am already a lady in so many other ways...

[Marmora Man]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have always been impressed by those lists of

> people who HAVE turned it down

>

> Just say NO kids

But isn't it better, ethically, to have refused and NOT made the fact public?

[Clyde]

Accept it. you don't have to quote it unless you want to. In twenty years time you won't look back and say "If only I had accepted that...."

[SeanMacGabhann]

Marmora

Surprised you didn't reference my earlier posts - I don't believe many people do make a habit of "revealing2 they turned it down - I believe there was a bit article published by a journalist. Easy enough to research I should imagine

But let's just say every one of them did, nudge nudge, wink wink, turn it down and then let slip - can't see what's un ethical about it. Can't even see what's wrong with it from a "having a cake and eat it". It's a fairly consistent position to hold - ie to say "I don't agree with the honours, or the monrachy, so of course I turned it down - it would have been hypocritical at best and unethical at worst to accept it"

Only people who support them think it's anything worth bragging about - people who "let slip" couldn't give a

[SteveT]

When the Beatles got their OBE many possessors of that award returned theirs in disgust as they did not wish to remain a part of that 'club' when it had been in their eyes cheapened by the inclusion of such riff-raff.

To quote another of Groucho Marks 'I do not want to belong to a club which allows in people like me'.

[Brendan]

I suppose one could argue that if one will not accept the queen's honours one should not accept her money.

Well perhaps not...

I think you can still accept the honour without agreeing with the institution.

[Muttley]

Has anyone ever played the Honours game?

What you do is pick out a whole load of established famous names from the world of business, sport, showbiz etc and then you have to guess whether they have a knighthood, CBE, OBE, MBE or nothing. Then check the answers.

Tom Jones? A knight. (Services to music apparently. And to his bank balance, no doubt.)

Nick Faldo? MBE.

Ellen McCarthur? Dame. (She was 29 at the time - the only way up is Queen as far as I can tell.)

Stephen Fry? Nothing.

Kylie Minogue? OBE.

Many of these guys are honoured for doing exactly what they wanted to do all their lives, and getting paid handsomely for doing it. The whole thing is a complete lottery, and should be scrapped immediately. Unless they offer me one.

[dita-on-tees]

does it give you tesco club card points.....

In the end it is someone or something that values your contribution. do you feel proud of it?? I have a a lovely friend who has an OBE and he made great personal and private sacrifices and sometimes you need someone or something to recognise that. I dont think this is about monarchy anymore (thank heavens) but some sort of waah hey various people in Britain arent you great.

In the end it can be quite a private thing - ie - you think ooh nice someone recognised my work or blah blah i got awarded by the queen for services to lycra and hip hop......