Lt-Governor toasts recipients of Queen’s Birthday Honours

Tina Pipet has attended many such events over the last few years, but always in her role as PA to the Lt-Governor of the day.

‘I would have been working in the background,’ she said, ‘checking how the queue is going and keeping an eye on the recipients, because when 12 o’clock comes they would need to be in the vicinity.

‘It’s a bit like shepherding lost sheep, and you have to be in a place where you can see everybody.’

There was no such pressure on Mrs Pipet yesterday as she was one of four recipients toasted by Lt-Governor Richard Cripwell.

While Mrs Pipet has received the MVO in recognition of her service at Government House, Advocate Peter Harwood was named an OBE for services to the island, Jack Honeybill received the MBE for services to the community, and Marlene Place the British Empire Medal for services to veterans.

Mrs Place is chairman of the Royal British Legion Guernsey Welfare Team and among the events she organises is a monthly ‘banter breakfast’ for veterans, which Lt-Governor Richard Cripwell said that after two months in the island he found it hard to believe that something like this actually needed to be organised.

The list of Mr Honeybill’s accomplishments ‘goes on and on’ said Mr Cripwell, citing his role in raising funds for Les Bourgs Hospice, leading the Guernsey Concert Brass and being executive director of the Town Centre Partnership in particular.

Mr Harwood, a former deputy and one-time chief minister, was described as a ‘trusted adviser to government, business leaders and the third sector over many, many years’, as well as being the founder trustee of Help a Guernsey Child, one-time chairman of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission and the chairman of Guernsey Victim Support and Witness Service.

‘I’m going to ask you all to toast these extraordinarily deserving people,’ said the Lt-Governor.