Latest news with #CBEs
Edinburgh Live
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Steve Davis was astonished by Queen Elizabeth II's five-word comment to him
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Snooker legend Steve Davis recently recounted an encounter with the late Queen Elizabeth II that left him astounded, revealing her surprising interest in his career and the sport. The south London native, who soared to fame in the 1970s and became a snooker powerhouse through the 1980s, clinched six World Championships and featured in eight finals before hanging up his cue in 2016 at the age of 58. With an illustrious reputation over four decades, his fame had even reached the Queen, who sadly passed away in September 2022. READ MORE - Prince Harry's incredible £8,000 Disney-themed gift he gave Prince Louis READ MORE - Prince Harry and Meghan's 'wake up call photo' that made them quit royal family At a gathering in Leamington Spa back in November 2022, Davis shared an anecdote from 1989 when he was awarded his MBE. He described to the audience how Her Majesty had inquired "Did you win the final?", demonstrating her attentiveness to his achievements. (Image: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) (Image: © 2025 PA Media) (Image: GETTY) The snooker star, now 67, painted the picture: "You get put in this room, a posh guy comes in, he goes all the knighthoods at the front, form a queue, then the CBEs and the OBEs then all the crud at the back. When it is your turn, you are going to turn, and then bow, the Queen is going to be in front of you." Davis reminisced about his triumph at the Rothmans Grand Prix that Sunday, having trumped Dean Reynolds with a commanding 10-0 victory in the final, marking a period when he was at the top of his game. He recollected feeling validated as the best by none other than the Queen herself, reports the Mirror. With a smile, Davis detailed the moment of receiving his MBE: "It was my turn. I go like this, I turn, I bow, I take two steps forward, she pins on my MBE and as we are shaking hands she speaks to me. "She says, 'We had to go out of the country over the weekend. Did you win the final?' I thought, 'The Queen watches snooker!' I went, 'Yes ma'am,' and she went, 'Well done!'". Bursting with pride, Davis was eager to share his unexpected Royal encounter saying, "So I am off down to my local social club in Plumstead to tell everybody the Queen watches snooker and she thinks I am the best thing in the game. Fantastic,". Years later, after receiving an OBE, Davis recalled meeting Her Majesty again: "Five years later I get awarded the OBE." He humorously noted the procedural change upon his upgrade: "It is like an upgrade, you get further up the queue. That is the only difference I could see, but this time I was no longer the best thing in the game. Stephen Hendry had come along and taken all my ranking points, all my prize money, all my sweets." Reflecting on the evolution of his career, Davis shared a light-hearted moment during the OBE ceremony that signalled a shift in his status as a sportsman: "Well, the Queen confirmed I was no longer the best thing in the game. It is my turn." With laughter, he recounted the pivotal exchange with the Queen: "I took two steps forward, she pinned on my OBE and as we were shaking hands, once again she spoke to me. She said, 'Tell me, do you still play?' and that effectively was the end of my career!".
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Rob will be with me throughout London Marathon'
Lindsey Burrow says her late husband Rob "will be with me throughout" when she runs the London Marathon on Sunday. Mother-of-three Burrow, 42, is running in memory of former rugby league great Rob, who died in June 2024 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019. She will also run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon two weeks later to continue raising money for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity. "He will be in spirit with me throughout the whole run, in my head saying 'come on run faster, you can do this'," Burrow told BBC Yorkshire. "As I lace up my trainers I'll definitely be thinking of Rob and the MND community. That is ultimately why I am running the race, to make Rob proud." Rob's MND diagnosis came two years after he retired from a stellar 17-year career at Leeds Rhinos, during which he made almost 500 appearances and won 13 trophies. With the help of former team-mate and close friend Kevin Sinfield, they raised more than £15 million for MND charities as Rob battled the disease himself. Both men were awarded CBEs in the 2024 New Year Honours. "Rob will will be at the forefront of my mind. It will be emotional but I'm looking forward to it," said Burrow, who will run the 26.2 miles alongside her brother Mark. 'Our daughters will be with us,' say dads of Southport victims running London Marathon 'Once a fool to become an expert' - Yee set for marathon debut London Marathon 2025 - everything you need to know The official charity of the year for the 45th edition of the London Marathon is Pancreatic Cancer UK. Pancreatic Cancer is the deadliest common cancer - more than half of people in the UK who are diagnosed die within just three months. Thousands of people will be running and raising money for the charity, which is aiming to collect £2m to provide vital early detection tests. Earlier in April, 797 pairs of running shoes, donated by survivors, supporters and families affected by pancreatic cancer, were displayed on the banks of the River Thames in London. Among those running on Sunday will be Jo Curtis, who lost her husband, Stewart, to pancreatic cancer. Stewart, who had been training for the marathon when he was diagnosed, underwent successful surgery but the cancer returned a year later. "A key thing for me has been that we can't have gone through this for no positive to come from it. I kept thinking, 'What can I do?' There was a lightbulb moment where I thought, 'I can do the marathon for him'," Curtis told BBC Sport. "My hope is that collectively all of us who are doing it on the day raise a significant amount of awareness for the charity, hopefully a huge amount of money, and that can prolong the life of a dad, a mum, a sister and allow them more time with their family." "Stubborn to a fault... A lot of grit and determination... Just dad". That's how Dave Heeley's daughters Grace, Georgie-Lee and Dannie describe their father as they prepare to join him for his 17th and final London Marathon. Widely known as 'Blind Dave', the 67-year-old from West Bromwich first ran the London Marathon in 2002 and has embarked on several extraordinary physical challenges to raise money for charity despite being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 10. Among his achievements, Heeley became the first blind person to run seven marathons across seven continents in seven days in 2008. In 2011, he ran the length of the UK, completing 10 marathons in 10 days from John O'Groats to Land's End. "I asked the question, 'Why me? What have I done to deserve this?' Then I went on a bit of a journey and thought, 'You know what kid, life is for living'. Let's go out there and enjoy it," Heeley told BBC Sport. "Don't worry about what you cannot do. Concentrate your efforts on what you can do and you will achieve." Heeley, raising money for his club West Brom's Albion Foundation, said running with his daughters on Sunday will be "the best memory of all" after they persuaded him to run one last London Marathon having undergone two knee replacements. Flora Turnbull will continue to spread awareness of prostate cancer after losing her father, former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, to the disease in 2022. The number of prostate cancer referrals within the NHS reached a record high a year after Bill's death, following his work to raise awareness of the disease. His diagnosis coincided with that of actor Stephen Fry, with their willingness to speak about prostate cancer termed the 'Turnbull and Fry effect' by NHS England. On continuing the legacy of her father by running the marathon for Prostate Cancer UK, Turnbull, 33, said: "After his death, we as a family were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and thanks from people across the nation, and particularly those men who were inspired to learn more about their own prostate cancer risk and speak to their GP. "But there is still work to be done. I want to ensure that everyone can keep their dads, partners, brothers, sons, grandads, uncles and friends around as long as possible."
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Rob will be with me throughout London Marathon'
Lindsey Burrow says her late husband Rob "will be with me throughout" when she runs the London Marathon on Burrow, 42, is running in memory of former rugby league great Rob, who died in June 2024 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in will also run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon two weeks later to continue raising money for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity."He will be in spirit with me throughout the whole run, in my head saying 'come on run faster, you can do this'," Burrow told BBC Yorkshire."As I lace up my trainers I'll definitely be thinking of Rob and the MND community. That is ultimately why I am running the race, to make Rob proud."Rob's MND diagnosis came two years after he retired from a stellar 17-year career at Leeds Rhinos, during which he made almost 500 appearances and won 13 trophies. With the help of former team-mate and close friend Kevin Sinfield, they raised more than £15 million for MND charities as Rob battled the disease himself. Both men were awarded CBEs in the 2024 New Year Honours."Rob will will be at the forefront of my mind. It will be emotional but I'm looking forward to it," said Burrow, who will run the 26.2 miles alongside her brother Mark. 'We can't have gone through this for no positive to come from it' The official charity of the year for the 45th edition of the London Marathon is Pancreatic Cancer Cancer is the deadliest common cancer - more than half of people in the UK who are diagnosed die within just three of people will be running and raising money for the charity, which is aiming to collect £2m to provide vital early detection in April, 797 pairs of running shoes, donated by survivors, supporters and families affected by pancreatic cancer, were displayed on the banks of the River Thames in those running on Sunday will be Jo Curtis, who lost her husband, Stewart, to pancreatic cancer. Stewart, who had been training for the marathon when he was diagnosed, underwent successful surgery but the cancer returned a year later. "A key thing for me has been that we can't have gone through this for no positive to come from it. I kept thinking, 'What can I do?' There was a lightbulb moment where I thought, 'I can do the marathon for him'," Curtis told BBC Sport."My hope is that collectively all of us who are doing it on the day raise a significant amount of awareness for the charity, hopefully a huge amount of money, and that can prolong the life of a dad, a mum, a sister and allow them more time with their family." 'Blind Dave' takes on 17th and final London Marathon "Stubborn to a fault... A lot of grit and determination... Just dad".That's how Dave Heeley's daughters Grace, Georgie-Lee and Dannie describe their father as they prepare to join him for his 17th and final London known as 'Blind Dave', the 67-year-old from West Bromwich first ran the London Marathon in 2002 and has embarked on several extraordinary physical challenges to raise money for charity despite being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of his achievements, Heeley became the first blind person to run seven marathons across seven continents in seven days in 2008. In 2011, he ran the length of the UK, completing 10 marathons in 10 days from John O'Groats to Land's End."I asked the question, 'Why me? What have I done to deserve this?' Then I went on a bit of a journey and thought, 'You know what kid, life is for living'. Let's go out there and enjoy it," Heeley told BBC Sport."Don't worry about what you cannot do. Concentrate your efforts on what you can do and you will achieve."Heeley, raising money for his club West Brom's Albion Foundation, said running with his daughters on Sunday will be "the best memory of all" after they persuaded him to run one last London Marathon having undergone two knee replacements. 'Still work to be done' - Turnbull continues dad's legacy Flora Turnbull will continue to spread awareness of prostate cancer after losing her father, former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, to the disease in number of prostate cancer referrals within the NHS reached a record high a year after Bill's death, following his work to raise awareness of the diagnosis coincided with that of actor Stephen Fry, with their willingness to speak about prostate cancer termed the 'Turnbull and Fry effect' by NHS continuing the legacy of her father by running the marathon for Prostate Cancer UK, Turnbull, 33, said: "After his death, we as a family were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and thanks from people across the nation, and particularly those men who were inspired to learn more about their own prostate cancer risk and speak to their GP."But there is still work to be done. I want to ensure that everyone can keep their dads, partners, brothers, sons, grandads, uncles and friends around as long as possible."
