Three local personalities have been celebrating this week after receiving awards in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Well-known Tenby businessman and Chairman of the Wales Tourist Board, Philip Evans, has been awarded the CBE, while there are MBEs for stalwart Narberth councillor Eric Feetham and Whitland cheesemaker, Sue Jones. An MBE has also been awarded to another Pembrokeshire resident, Mrs. Margaret Myfanwy Jones, chairman of the Milford Haven branch of Cancer Research UK.

PHILIP EVANS

Philip Evans has received his CBE for his 'services to tourism in Wales'.

Appointed to the Wales Tourist Board in October 1998, he became chairman in April 2000. He is also chairman of the Vox Group Plc, and previously chairman of Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire, Celtic Haven Villages and of magazine publisher and holiday operator, Activity Wales Ltd. The formation of the Vox group in 1975 was the start of Philip's involvement with tourism. He was born in Tenby and educated at Greenhill School, Tenby. His career in marketing commenced through a graduate management programme with Beaverbook, publishers of the Daily &and Sunday Express. He later held the positions of editor of 'Property' magazine and was advertising group head at the Daily and Sunday Mirror. Prior to moving back to Wales to form his own company, Philip was commercial director of London Broadcasting.

ERIC FEETHAM

Having recently enjoyed a trip down Memory Lane to celebrate his 80th birthday, former five times Mayor of Narberth, Clr. Eric Feetham, will soon be making another memorable trip with a visit to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE Clr. Feetham, of 29 Springfield Park, Narberth, has received the award for 'services to the community in Narberth'. Born and brought up in Llawhaden, Clr. Feetham, a retired businessman, first joined the Urban District Council in 1968, before taking his seat on Narberth Town Council when it was formed in 1972. Married to Doris for over 50 years, he also represented Narberth on South Pembrokeshire District Council for 13 years and was honoured to be chairman in 1984/85. Chairman of both Narberth Enhancement Committee and Narberth in Bloom, Clr. Feetham is involved in various organisations within town, including the Queen's Hall management committee, PLANED (formerly SPARC) and Civic Week. On hearing of his the award, Clr. Feetham said: "I'm very honoured to receive the MBE, not just for myself, but also for all the people who have have worked with me over the years in the community; it's a real boost for the town of Narberth." Clr. Feetham also pointed to the tremendous support and help he has received over the years from his wife Doris, daughter Elizabeth and son-in- law Nev. Although Clr. Feetham and his wife Doris knew he had been put forward for the honour in May, they both had to wait with the rest of the country for the announcement when the full list of honours was published on Saturday. "We heard no more until Saturday morning when we read our copy of the Western Mail and saw Eric's name on the list; only then did it finally sink in that he'd been honoured with an MBE," Doris said. Clr. Feetham pledged, though, not to rest on his laurels and promised to keep up the good work. "I'm very much looking forward to continued good health and also carrying on working for the community for many more years to come," he said.

SUE JONES

A businesswoman from Llanboidy who helped put Welsh cheese on the menu has also been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. Twenty years ago, Sue Jones began making cheese after she read that milk from a rare cow herd she kept at her Whitland farm was ideal for dairy products. Now her business, Llanboidy Cheese, exports to the US and Holland and fills shelves in delicatessens in the UK. Mrs. Jones, who helped found the Welsh cheesemaking co-operative, said: "The award still has not sunk in at all, I'm totally and utterly overwhelmed by it, but pleased it's for Welsh cheese." With her sister Alison she set about making cheese using traditional hand-made methods that are still used today. "Right from the start we never wanted to compete with the big boys because we wanted something that was special and unique with a strong Welsh identity," she explained.