York author Kate Atkinson recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

The novelist, who has been made an MBE for services to literature, heads a long list of talented and hard-working Yorkshire residents who receive Royal recognition today.

Her debut book, Behind The Scenes At The Museum, which is set in York, won her the Whitbread Prize in 1995 and launched a career which has seen her garner critical acclaim from readers and critics.

Also honoured today is Stuart Donald, assistant chief constable of Humberside, who has received the Queen’s Police Medal in recognition of his 26-year career.

He said: “I consider it a massive honour and incredible privilege to receive the Queen’s Police Medal.

“I owe much of what I have achieved throughout my career to my colleagues, and in particular to my family who have always provided me with their unfaltering support. For that I am indebted.”

Mr Donald was promoted to assistant chief constable in 2008 with responsibility for operational policing across the area and was also responsible for leading the introduction of the Policing Pledge and improving public confidence in Humberside Police.

Made an MBE for more than 45 years of work in the region’s museums is Terry Suthers, 67, from Clifton.

His career saw him made assistant director and Head of Public Services at London’s Science Museum and before that, curator of the Yorkshire Museum in York.

He has worked in a huge range of positions spanning independent Trust museums to historic buildings conservation and educational charities.

He said: “This is a quite unexpected and huge honour, and it is especially pleasing and gratifying to receive national recognition for my work across the heritage sector here in Yorkshire.”

Other recipients today include Full Sutton Prison governor, Stephen Tilley, who is made an OBE. Colin Parkin, head of facilities at York St John University, is also made an MBE for services to higher education; while Dr Allen Warren, founder of the department of history at University of York is made an MBE for services to education. Charity workers include Richard Gleadhill, from York, who is made an MBE for his work with the Multiple Sclerosis Society, while Harrogate’s Christine Hamilton Stewart is made an MBE for her work with Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Didn’t he do well? - it’s strictly Sir Bruce

Arise Sir Brucie! Light entertainment king Bruce Forsyth receives a long-awaited knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List today.

The 83-year-old Strictly Come Dancing host’s prime-time TV career spanning more than half a century is recognised after years of campaigning by fans, including 73 MPs who signed a parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for the award.

Admitting he feared he might never get the honour, a delighted Sir Bruce said he could not wait to call his wife "my lady".

A CBE goes to Colin Firth, giving him a chance to ask the Queen in person what she thought of his Oscar-winning performance as her father George VI in The King's Speech.

Singer Bryan Ferry, whose hits with Roxy Music include Love Is The Drug and Virginia Plain, said it was a “great honour” to be awarded a CBE.

England's Ashes-winning cricketers are also honoured, with OBEs for captain Andrew Strauss, 34, and coach Andy Flower, 43, and an MBE for player of the series Alastair Cook, 26.

Ex-EastEnder Brooke Kinsella, 27, gets an MBE for her campaign against knife crime, prompted by the murder of her 16-year-old brother Ben in 2008.

Author Julia Donaldson, 62, best known for The Gruffalo, caps a week in which she was appointed the Children's Laureate by being awarded an MBE.

OBEs go to Graeme Garden, 68, and Tim Brooke-Taylor, 70, creators of much-loved madcap 1970s TV series The Goodies with Bill Oddie, 69, who received his OBE in 2003. The trio used to poke fun at the Government's readiness to hand out OBEs in the 1960s, and Garden joked: "It's quite ironic considering how rude we were about the honours all those years ago."

Other broadcasters honoured include BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour presenter Jenni Murray, 61, who is made a dame, and BBC Radio 2 DJ “Whispering” Bob Harris, 65, who gets an OBE.

Actor Bernard Cribbins, 82, who narrated cult children's show The Wombles and appeared in several Carry On films, said he was “completely gobsmacked” to be awarded an OBE. IVF pioneer Professor Robert Edwards, 85, is knighted eight months after being awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for his work that led to the birth in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world’s first test-tube baby.

Other sporting honours include Henry Cecil, one of the most successful racehorse trainers in Britain, who receives a knighthood.

There is also a knighthood for David Higgins, the Australian who led the enormous construction programme for the London 2012 Games.

Golfer Lee Westwood's fantastic year in 2010, when he ended Tiger Woods' reign as the world number one, is recognised with an OBE. David Sparkes, the chief executive of British swimming, also gets an OBE.