A POPULAR TV actor, best known for his starring role in the Sixties sitcom The Likely Lads, heads the North-East list in the Queen’s Birthday Honours Sunderland-born James Bolam has been awarded an MBE for his constant presence in TV comedy and drama roles ever since he played loveable sponger Terry Collier in The Likely Lads.

The 70-year-old actor starred in the Tyneside-based sitcom opposite Rodney Bewes, who played Terry’s more restrained friend, Bob Ferris.

The characters, who would often ponder the merits of beer and birds, returned in the Seventies with Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

The spin-off saw Terry return from a stint in the Army to try to find work in a North- East that had changed dramatically, while Bob was busy trying to climb the social ladder into the world of the middle classes.

Typical Terry lines included: “I’d offer you a beer but I’ve only got six cans.”

During his career Mr Bolam’s appearances on television include Born And Bred, Only When I Laugh, The Beiderbecke Affair, Second Thoughts, Bedtime and The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner.

He also played GP Harold Shipman in a drama about the serial killer.

In recent years, Mr Bolam is known for BBC1’s comedy drama New Tricks, starring alongside Amanda Redman, Dennis Waterman and Alun Armstrong. The show centres around a group of retired detectives who find a new lease of life by re-investigating old unsolved crimes.

New Tricks is a family affair for Bolam, whose wife, Susan Jameson, also acts in the show.

Speaking of his work in 2005, he said: “To me, acting has always been just a job, albeit a job that I try to do as well as I can.

“Nowadays everyone's calling it celebrity but ten or 15 years ago you were a star.

“In another ten years’ time it’ll be something else. So it goes on, but the basic essence of what we do won’t change.

“I just feel sorry that the current young generation don’t have the opportunities we had in weekly rep.”

A representative for Mr Bolam said he declined to comment on his honour.

Top of the class...

A FORMER headteacher has been awarded an OBE.

Carol Dover, 61, from Darlington, is honoured for her services to education.

Mrs Dover started her teaching career at the now closed Central School, in Darlington, before moving away from the area.

She retired last year after 19 years as headteacher of Lees Brook Community Sports College, in Derby, although she retains an active role as a governor for the school.

When she took over as headteacher in 1989, the school was unpopular with parents and had only 600 pupils on its roll.

Now, it is performing successfully as a specialist school for sport, languages and applied learning, and has 1,150 students.

In 2003, the Lees Brook school was merged with neighbouring High View school, with Mrs Dover as executive head teacher.

Within eight months, the “profoundly failing” High View saw standards dramatically improve.

Teaching runs in Mrs Dover’s family. Her older sister, Eva Rowell, was headteacher of Darlington’s Borough Road Nursery, and her younger sister, Margaret Smith, is a member of the senior leadership team at Whinfield Primary School.

Honour ‘shock’ for Alderman

A FORMER traffic warden is made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours.

Alderman Eric Turner was a councillor on Derwentside District Council for 20 years and has been given the award for his services to local government.

He has represented the Medomsley and Ebchester ward since 1989 and was the last chairman of the authority before it was replaced by Durham County Council.

Ald Turner, 78, of Hamsterley Colliery, said: “This came as quite a shock. You go through life helping people, and I get great pleasure from that, but you don’t anticipate something like this.”

Greek expert tells of delight

A UNIVERSITY professor said he was delighted to be awarded an OBE.

Christopher Rowe, a professor of Greek at Durham University, is honoured in recognition of his services to scholarship.

Prof Rowe said: “I am delighted by the award, which I imagine is connected with my national and international role in advancing a proper understanding of ancient Greek civilisation, language and philosophy, especially Plato.

“I have a particular concern with developing teaching at university level and I’ve enjoyed working with some of the best colleagues and students in the world.”

‘I feared letter was a fine’

A RETIRED police officer thought the letter notifying him of his MBE was a speeding ticket.

Geoff Knupfer, of Lartington, near Barnard Castle, received his honour for services to the police.

The 61-year-old served with Greater Manchester Police for 30 years before retiring from the service as a Detective Chief Superintendent in 1997.

During the course of his career as a police officer he worked on many high-profile cases, including the Moors murders and the Manchester air disaster.

In 1998, he was made Chief Officer of Durham Special Constabulary and, last year, became deputy chairman of the Association of Special Constabulary Chief Officers.

He said: “I travel a lot between Teesdale, Manchester and Ireland, so when I saw the stamp on the envelope I presumed I’d picked up a speeding ticket,” said Mr Knupfer, who lives with his wife of 30 years, Dorothy.

“It was a wonderful surprise,”

he added.

RAF stalwart is recognised GROUP Captain Mike Longstaff, Officer Commanding RAF Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire, becomes an OBE for services to the Armed Forces.

In a career spanning more than 30 years Group Capt Longstaff has clocked up more than 5,000 hours of flying and is now Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Linton.