Actor Graham Cole, currently starring in the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime Aladdin, was among several Christians with Norfolk connections honoured by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours list. Keith Morris reports.
Former The Bill favourite Graham (pictured right), played PC Tony Stamp in TV show for more than 20 years and is currently starring as Abanazar in Aladdin. He has been made an OBE for services to the voluntary and charitable giving sector in the United Kingdom.
Graham is a member of the showbusiness charity The Grand Order of Water Rats and was King Rat in 2009. He is President of the National Holiday Fund, which takes sick and disabled children to Disney Florida, has been patron to Childline for over 18 years, and of the Orphans Gift Fund South East London Boroughs, Constables Branch Board, Metropolitan Police.
Click here to read our feature on Graham Cole.
Janet Stangroom, churchwarden at St Mary’s Church in Whissonsett for 25 years, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in Whissonsett, near Fakenham. Janet retired last year but she is still involved with the church as treasurer and parochial church council member.
She told the EDP: “There are many people in Whissonsett who work hard for the village and I didn’t think it was fair that I was singled out. I was persuaded to accept the award but only on the condition that it was on behalf of the many others who work hard for the village.”
Margaret Wynn has been made an MBE in recognition of her work running the St Cuthbert’s Church day centre for elderly people in Sprowston for 23 years.
Margaret, aged 72, said she was accepting the honour on behalf of the other staff and volunteers who help to keep the St Cuthbert’s Church centre open three days a week for its 30 guests. “It has been really tough to keep the day centre open but somehow we’ve managed to do it,” said Mrs Wynn. “If you really want to keep something going – and I have wanted to keep this going for years – then you are not going to let it go.”
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