John Metcalfe awarded MBE

It was with great delight that Dorchester read in the Queen's Birthday Honours list that John Metcalfe had been appointed MBE for services to the community, in particular for the work he carried out as project manager for the works undertaken as a result of the Dorchester Abbey campaign.

Everyone is delighted that John's work has been recognized. Ten years ago he offered Canon John Crowe several hours a week for three years to bring his expertise to the Abbey campaign. He has been a superb project manager and has worked at least full time for much longer than he anticipated in order to achieve the recent refurbishment of the Abbey. Amongst proud moments were the listing of the Cloister Gallery Display for the Gulbenkian Prize and the visit of the Princess Royal (at her own request) to see the (almost!) completed works in December 2005.

A number of people were delighted to write in support of his nomination. Everyone commended his vision and commitment as well as his ability to draw together volunteers and focus their efforts to achieve a truly worthwhile result.

John himself was particularly delighted to be included in the same honours list as the campaign chairman, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Hugo Brunner, appointed KCVO.

Sir Hugo Brunner awarded KCVO

Hugo Brunner, the widely loved and appreciated Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire since 1996, has been appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The whole village will rejoice at the news. He has been an outstanding friend of Dorchester. He agreed to chair the Campaign Committee for Dorchester Abbey at John Crowe's request and for more than five years gave unstintingly of his time, effort and enthusiasm for all that goes on here to help raise the £4m for refurbishment. He and John were excellent partners backed up by a fantastic team. Many who have been involved in the Abbey campaign and from the wider Oxfordshire community took great delight in contributing to the corbel made in his image that sits between the South and West doors of the Abbey-and surprising him with it just before the end of the campaign celebration in the Abbey. This will be a lasting mark of a happy time for many in the county.

Hugo also knows other parts of the Dorchester team-I remember his delight at presenting one of the first Queen's Awards for Community in Berinsfield to Jan Hiles and being astonished at his capacity to remember people and names. He has been active and generous in the affairs of the Hurst Water Meadow Trust and opened the Buck Pool Spinney on its acquisition in 2002. He always has a moment for everyone and the happy knack of making even difficult moments good ones. Ten years ago as a parent I saw him officiate at a formal send-off for Scouts who were to attend the World Scout Jamboree in Chile. General Pinochet was in custody, and the boys had to be told it was likely that the trip they had spent three years working towards was likely to be cancelled. It is a measure of Hugo's great skill that those boys left as enthusiastic as they had arrived.

In sending him our congratulations we wish Hugo and Mary Rose a very happy 'retirement' with more time for walking and grandchildren.