SOUTH Oxfordshire and The Vale were well represented when the Queen's Birthday Honours List was unveiled.

Seven people living here were awarded the MBE and told The Herald of their surprise and honour at being recognised. They are: Stan Eldon - for his voluntary service to athletics Janet Anderson - 31 years' work at the Oxfam shop in Wallingford John Metcalfe - co-ordinating work on the £4m refurbishment of Dorchester Abbey Daisy May Hall - or May Hall as she is known - for her services to the community Children's author Roderick Hunt - for services to education and children's literacy Dr Leslie Drain - for work on footpaths in the Chilterns Susan Terry - for her voluntary service to the community in Shellingford.

Mr Eldon, a champion of sport for disabled people, has been awarded an MBE for his voluntary service to athletics. The 72-year-old former athlete, of Dagdale Drive, Didcot, has been chairman of the English Federation of Disability Sport in the South East since it began in 1998.

Mr Eldon, who is married to Marion, said: "As organiser of the Reading Half Marathon, I got involved with disabled people and saw how important it was for them to take part in sport.

"Sometimes it has been hard work because not everyone accepted there should be total integration, but most people now accept they should play a part."

The former policeman and father-of-five won the World Cross Country Championships 50 years ago and also broke the British record for five miles, six miles and 10,000 metres. In the 1970s, he was asked by Sport England to encourage people to run and helped to form the National Jogging Association.

He founded the Reading Half Marathon in 1983, controversially inviting disabled participants to take part. As a result of the publicity, the London Marathon began to accept wheelchair entries for the first time in its history a few months later.

As chairman of the federation - and before that the British Sports Association for the Disabled - he attended the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, at Westminster Abbey in 1997.

In 2002 he published his first book about his experiences, called Life on the Run.

Mrs Anderson started doing a part-time job in the Oxfam shop in Wallingford in 1977 - and she's still doing it 31 years later. It is her dedication to the work of Oxfam in the town that has earned her the MBE. Mrs Anderson, 81, of St Nicholas Road, Wallingford, said: "I was flabbergasted when I got the letter saying I had been given the award. I must have read it 20 times and I still can't believe it. I am very proud to receive it. I think it really is an honour."

Mrs Anderson still does three shifts a week in the shop, sometimes four, and she organises the rota for the rest of the staff.

"I just love my work in the shop. I love the people who come in and I love the people I work with," she said.

"I started at the shop for something to do after I had a big operation, but that was 31 years ago and the job has taken over my life."

As well as working behind the counter, she has also been treasurer for the past 15 years.

Mr Metcalfe has been honoured for a ten-year labour of love in co-ordinating the work on the £4m refurbishment of Dorchester Abbey, including liaising with architects, grant-giving bodies, English Heritage, councils and conservators.

He said: "It was a long hard slog but the end result is worth it.

"The Abbey is a wonderful building, the refurbishment has transformed it from a great barn to a welcoming place of worship and what is most satisfying is that the work we've just done will be around for at least another 500 years."

At the end of the project, Mr Metcalfe had the honour of showing the completed work to The Princess Royal when she visited the Abbey.

Mr Metcalfe, 75, of Queens Street, Dorchester, also led the Abbey in the bid for Gulbenkian Foundation money for the museum section and was disappointed when the money went elsewhere. Mr Metcalfe, who was in publishing for 20 years and before that was an agricultural scientist, said: "The Cloisters museum area in the Abbey is my special interest and I think it's a delight."

He said he had secretly hoped for an award for his work at the Abbey but never mentioned it to anyone. "I'm really pleased about it," he said.

Mrs Hall, a former postmistress from Sunningwell who once helped fight off a controversial planned housing development planned in the village, has been honoured for her services to the community.

She said: "It's a delightful village and that is why I always fought off the development which would swamp the village because it would have taken away its character. I think that's my greatest achievement."

Mrs Hall helped found the Abingdon and District Volunteer Centre and ran the post office from her front room for 20 years. A school governor at Sunningwell Primary School and now correspondent to the governing body, she also served on the parish council and spent time as chairman.

Mrs Hall, whose husband Ronald died 20 years ago, said: "I have enjoyed everything I have done and I am doing. I just enjoy helping other people.

"I feel I have been blessed and I wanted to use my talents. I'm very organised, some people might say I'm a bossy boots."

She said: "I would like to know who nominated. It's very exciting. I don't know what I'm going to wear!"

Mr Hunt, 69, of Wilsham Road, Abingdon, is a best-selling children's author and has been awarded the MBE for his services to education and children's literacy.

A former English teacher, he founded the Oxford Reading Tree - a hugely successful reading scheme used by millions of schoolchildren across the world, to help them learn to read.

His books have been translated into five languages and sold worldwide, including in Mongolia and South Korea.

Mr Hunt, whose titles include the popular Magic Key series, Floppy's Phonics and Wolf Hill for struggling readers, said: "I wanted to make reading fun and interesting. My little boy found reading hard and I found that if it's fun, that's half the motivation. Making a good story is the secret really.

"It's wonderful because I get letters from children who are excited by the stories. I get dozens of letters and the postbag is very rewarding."

Mr Hunt is also behind the popular children's programme, Bobinogs, shown on the BBC's CBeebies. The father-of-two taught English at Matthew Arnold School, Oxford, before becoming head of English at Temple Cowley and deputy headteacher at Ivanhoe School in Blackbird Leys. He also taught at Dunmore Junior School in Abingdon.

He retired from teaching after 19 years in 1979 to become a full-time writer and has no plans to stop.

Dr Drain, 81, of Goring, has been honoured for his work in opening and clearing footpaths in the Chilterns.

The former AERE Harwell scientist said: "I was very surprised. I don't really hold with all these honours, but I will accept it."

He said he had worked with the Chiltern Society for 40 years, and has been chairman of the Henley area footpath group for 34 years.

"When we started there were many blocked and overgrown footpaths in the Chilterns," he said. "Now they have been cleared and people can walk freely and in comfort."

Oxfam had reason for a double celebration. As well as Mrs Anderson's MBE, the organisation's chief executive Barbara Stocking, was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire.

Mrs Stocking, 56, who lives in Old Headington, Oxford, said: "I want to share this with everyone who works with and supports Oxfam, especially in the difficult and dangerous trouble spots of the world."

Other Oxfordshire recipients included: Knights Bachelor: Professor Andrew McMichael for services to medical science Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order: Hugo Brunner, pictured CMG: Nigel Chapman for services to international broadcasting CBE: Prof Paul Collier for scholarship and development; Prof Paul Harvey for science; Janet Meacham OBE: Prof Dennis Anderson for energy industry; Susan Berry, voluntary work for sport; Prof Wendy Davies for research in the humanities and to higher education; Prof John Harry Dunning for international business scholarship; Margaret Peggie for fitness, dance and sport MBE: Major Raymond Brooks, Ministry of Defence; Christopher Elliott for HM Revenue and Customs; Linda Soderberg for healthcare; Peter Sutherland for voluntary service to sport; Sue Holden for community work; Patricia Brittain for voluntary service.

12:04pm Monday 16th June 2008

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