Footballers, Beano cartoonist, and a clown among Scots recognised in New Year Honours

A footballing trio, a cartoonist who has drawn comic strips for the Beano for 60 years and a clown who taught himself to juggle while working at a holiday camp in Ayr are among around 100 Scots recognised in the New Year’s Honours.
The New Year's Honours List has been revealedThe New Year's Honours List has been revealed
The New Year's Honours List has been revealed

Beano illustrator David Sutherland, who began his career at the Dundee-based comic in 1962 and is responsible for iconic characters including The Bash Street Kids and Dennis the Menace, is to receive an OBE, alongside Aberdeen-born clown, Tweedy, the star of Gifford's Circus – and otherwise known as Alan Watt Digweed – who is to receive an MBE for “services to the circus”.

Meanwhile, Professor Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, is knighted for services to higher education, while two other Scots are to receive knighthoods and two are to become dames.

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Scottish footballers Kim Little and Jen Beattie are made MBEs, as is Scotland captain and Liverpool player Andy Robertson

Alan Digweed, who is also known as Tweedy, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Circus and to the community.Alan Digweed, who is also known as Tweedy, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Circus and to the community.
Alan Digweed, who is also known as Tweedy, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Circus and to the community.

Scotland and Arsenal player Beattie is made an MBE for services to football and to charity, while Arsenal player Little, Scotland’s vice-captain at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, is honoured for services to association football. Robertson is recognised for services to football, charity and young people.

Ian Reid of Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, who was chief executive of the organising committee of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, is made a CBE for services to sport.

Tweedy, who had wanted to be a clown from an early age and was inspired by slapstick cartoons and comedy duo Laurel and Hardy before getting a job as an entertainer at Butlins in Ayr, said he had almost missed out on hearing about the honour.

He said: “The honour was a complete surprise. I nearly missed out because for some reason I didn’t get the email, and then they got in touch by my agent. I was too late in the end to respond to it, but they let me off for being late, typical clown fashion I guess.”

David Sutherland has been responsible for iconic Beano characters including the Bash Street Kids.David Sutherland has been responsible for iconic Beano characters including the Bash Street Kids.
David Sutherland has been responsible for iconic Beano characters including the Bash Street Kids.

He added: “I went to Butlin’s in Ayr, Scotland, but I didn’t know how to become a clown at the time, there was no Google back then, so I taught myself how to juggle and unicycling and did shows there, and then I joined the circus the year after and learnt on the road, with some other clowns.”

Anita Frew, the first female chairwoman in Rolls-Royce’s history and one of only 18 women leading boards among Britain’s biggest listed companies, is given a damehood for services to business and the economy.

The Scottish businesswoman said: “It is a great privilege to be recognised in this way.

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“I’m sure that if anyone had told me, as a young girl growing up in Scotland with a father and a grandfather who worked at Rolls-Royce, that one day not only would I chair that company but would have the honour to be made a dame, I would not have believed it.”

Dr Julie Maxton, executive director of the Royal Society and originally from Edinburgh, receives a damehood for services to science and to the law.

Professor Sir Peter said he was “honoured and flattered” to receive the knighthood.

He said: “I do see it as recognition of the standing of the university. I’m privileged to lead one of the world’s great universities and we’ve got a quarter of a million alumni around the world and almost 50,000 students.

“I feel there’s a big community and I think it’s a recognition of the standing of the university in society within the world and I’m very proud of the university, proud to be its principal.”

William Robertson, who founded Robertson Group in Elgin, Moray, in 1966 and is executive chairman of the company, is knighted for services to the construction industry and to charity in Scotland, while Norman Keith Skeoch, previously chief executive of Standard Life Aberdeen, receives a knighthood for services to the financial sector.

Andrew Crummy, the artist behind the Great Tapestry of Scotland, has been made an MBE for services to art and cultural heritage.

Mr Crummy has worked on a number of large-scale public projects, including designing a 143-metre long tapestry which tells the history of Scotland.

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The 63-year-old, of East Lothian, said it was a “honour” to be given the rank and to have worked with people on the various projects he has been involved with.

Two people who helped save one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s historic tea rooms in Glasgow have also been made MBEs.

Celia Sinclair Thornqvist, founder and patron of The Willow Tea Rooms Trust, and Professor Pamela Robertson have both been honoured in recognition of their work helping to restore the Scottish architect’s original Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.

Two lifeboat volunteers who have helped save lives at sea over several decades are among those recognised in the New Year honours list.

Dupre Strutt, mechanic at RNLI Kirkwall Lifeboat Station in Orkney, has been made an MBE, while William "John" Collins, of Kirkcudbright Lifeboat Station, receives the British Empire Medal (BEM).

Mr Strutt followed in his father's footsteps in joining the lifeboat charity, having grown up around the station. Since joining in 1983, he has been directly involved in more than 300 rescues, saving more than 60 lives.

He said: "I feel proud of what we've achieved and like I've made a difference to the seafaring community. Knowing that there'll be some families together that wouldn't have been because of that contribution makes me proud.”

Also in the business world, former BT Scotland head Brendan Dick was awarded the OBE for services to Telecommunications and to Business in Scotland.

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Mr Dick said: “I started out in the telecoms industry in 1980. In that time Scotland has moved from a copper-driven telephony country to one that’s exploiting fibre broadband capability in one of the most challenging geographies in Europe – and doing it well.”

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