King’s Birthday Honours: Motorbike champion and ‘Mr Pork Pie’ among individuals recognised in Lincolnshire

A women’s motorbike champion, a beloved children’s teacher and a ‘stalwart supporter of British agriculture’ are among the Lincolnshire names recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2023. The first list under King Charles III, it aims to recognise Brits who have made a contribution to culture and services in the UK or around the world.

The honours range from Orders of the British Empire to knighthoods and damehoods. Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden MP said: “This year’s honours list is a testament to ordinary people who have demonstrated extraordinary community spirit, and I pay tribute to all those who have been recognised today.

“Our honours system has long been a way of recognising people who make an incredible contribution to life in Britain and beyond. We are now focussed on levelling up the system to ensure it represents the length and breadth of the country, and I hope that the fantastic stories this year ensure more regional nominations in the future.”

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Among the Lincolnshire names is Emma Bristow, a professional motorcycle trials rider and eight-times Women’s World Trials champion. Theresa Ellerby, the director of the Montessori school The Children’s House in Grimsby, will likewise receive an MBE for services to education.

Ms Bristow, from Boston, began her international career in 2006. The 32-year-old won her eighth championship in 2022, and has been awarded a Medal of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to motor sports and women in sport. She runs the Children’s House in Grimsby, which specialises in the Montessori method. The method was designed around the concept of children learning best when they’re in an environment that allows them to do things themselves.

In 2019, her twin sister Sylvia Tiffney was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to children. Dr Zoe Leach, from Bourne, is being recognised with an Order of the British Empire medal for her services to the pig industry.

Dr Leach, the CEO of the National Pig Association who goes by @Mrs_Pig on Twitter, describes herself as a ‘stalwart supporter of British agriculture’. She has also served as the eastern regional director for the National Farmers Union, where she has campaigned on a myriad of issues including pig welfare and costs in the industry.

Also making an appearance is ‘Mr Pork Pie,’ Stephen Hallam – the man behind the nationally renowned Melton pork pie. Though his shop, Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, was based in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, he has a business, Bakersrest, registered in Cranwell.

He is being recognised for services to the baking industry, as well as to the communities in both Leicestershire and Sleaford. The last two Lincolnshire names to receive an MBE are Spalding man Steven Machin and Lincoln resident Penelope Taylor.

Mr Machin, the head of counter-terrorism at HM Prison Whitemoor, is being recognised for his services to prisons and to the probation service. Ms Taylor serves as the head of the Newark College and Air and Space Institute and will receive the accolade for her services to skills and employment in Newark and Sherwood.

The ninth and final name on the list is forester Lawrence Langton, from Forestry England. The Gainsborough craftsman is being acknowledged for his services to forestry.

Famous faces such as Davina McCall and Nottingham’s Vicky McClure also make the list, alongside footballer-turned-pundit Ian Wright. The oldest recipient in the UK is Joan Willett, 106, who will receive a BEM for her charitable fundraising for the British Heart Foundation.

The youngest recipient is Junior Jay Frood, 18, who receives a BEM for services to vulnerable children.

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