Political Honours

THE QUEEN has been pleased to appoint the Rt Hon the Lord Strathclyde PC to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).

The Order of the Companions of Honour is conferred on people for recognised services of national importance, for a pre-eminent and sustained contribution in the arts, science, medicine or government.

It confers no Knighthood or other title or status, but recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “CH”.

The Order was instituted in 1917 by GEORGE V at the same time as the Order of the British Empire was founded.  The Order of CH consists of the Sovereign and 65 members.

HER MAJESTY has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Lord Henley, the Lord Brabazon of Tara DL, the Earl Howe, and the Lord Williams of Elvel CBE to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Lord Hill of Oareford CBE to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council. Lord Hill will be a member of the Cabinet.

Anmer Hall

It has been disclosed that Anmer Hall is to be the family home of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Anmer Hall is situated in the Norfolk village of Anmer, about two miles east of The Queen's residence at Sandringham.

It was leased by TRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent as their country house from 1972 until 1990.

Anmer Hall has formed part of the Sandringham estate since 1898. It is a late-Georgian house, of brick and tile to the front elevations, and of Carstone and tile to the rear and north.

The long front comprises eleven bays, with a three-bay central pediment, and the house has two storeys and dormers, with a bell tower slightly off centre.

The ground-floor windows are set in blank arches and there is a semicircular porch on two Tuscan columns.

In 1990, The Duke and Duchess of Kent left Anmer Hall, since when it has been leased to the Everett family.


THE DUKE and Duchess of Cambridge will move into their official London home at Kensington Palace this summer:

Apartment 1A, which is being renovated, was previously home to The Princess Margaret. The property, which has five bedrooms and three reception rooms, has had to have asbestos removed and undergo rewiring and an overhaul of its antiquated heating and plumbing systems.

Granolas

Can any readers recall my moaning about how uninspiring I find breakfast cereals? And my lamentation re the fact that honey and nut bran flakes are no longer widely available?

Well, two granola cereals have been procured today for the Belmont seal of approval, don't you know.

Honey Granola by Dorset Cereals Limited, which costs £3.99 for 19½ oz (550 g) will be on the table for the trusty gnashers. Dorset trumpets their cereal "gently baked with pecans & almonds".

Next shall be Tesco's Finest Nut Granola, at £2.69 for 17½ oz (500g); which claims to have ten various kinds of nuts and seeds.

I encountered a lovely young lady at the cereal aisle, whom I consulted; and it transpired that she had tasted both.

She advised me to buy both the Dorset and Tesco varieties; though she bagged Quaker Oat Granola because it has less fat; whereas I tend to focus on the fibre content.

Tesco are selling masses of large Samsung televisions. I notice that they now proudly display a conspicuous royal warrant on the packaging:

"Samsung UK proudly announces that it has been awarded the Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen as supplier of televisions and audio-visual equipment.

Samsung was awarded the Queen’s Royal Warrant in 2012 - the first time that a manufacturer of televisions and audio-visual equipment has received the honour.

In 2006, Samsung Electronics became the first official provider of TVs to the British Royal Family, also offering them a dedicated support service.

Since then, Samsung UK has provided more than 100 premium TV and AV products to the Royal residences.
 
Samsung is delighted to have achieved the right to display the Queen’s coat of arms and continues to strive for the highest standards of quality and service."

Don't Panic!

Timothy Belmont was in top gear this morning; since, when the telephone rang and my aunt told me she had suffered a nasty leak in a water hose in her shower-room, I came to the rescue (!), and provided her with my plumber's number.

Michael came round in a jiffy, stemmed the leak, turned off the requisite valves; took a photograph of the parts; and bade us Goodbye.

A new tap and hose shall be required; so he will order it for fitment next week, we expect.

What ho!

The Hawthorne Restaurant

I am delighted to learn that The Hawthorne Restaurant, although associated with the Fulton's Furnishings business for two decades, shall continue to trade, as usual, at Fulton's premises on Boucher Road, Belfast.

The owner of the Hawthorne writes:-

"The Hawthorne Restaurant is ... an independent business which will continue to trade in spite of the recklessness of the bank and its agents who plan to close the renowned and long-standing Fulton family furnishing business, which has been established for over 40 years."

Sylvia will continue to provide "the best in cuisine and friendly service to our very loyal customers".

Reluctant Teetotaler

For the benefit of any readers who have not yet read his column, here is the latest splendid missive from Peter Oborne.

One whole month without the devil's brew? I raise my glass, No, my hat, to you!

Best of British, Peter; and I will be following your progress keenly.

Period Comedy

I'm eagerly anticipating the new period comedy series to be broadcast on BBC One shortly, Blandings, based on the books by Sir P G Wodehouse KBE.

As far as I know, the first episode begins on Sunday, 13th January, 6.30-7pm.

Many of my friends and readers will be aware that Wodehouse is possibly my favourite writer of his genre; and that I am particularly fond of Crom, too.

Set in 1929 in the fictional Blandings Castle, Timothy Spall OBE plays the amiable but befuddled 9th Earl of Emsworth (Clarence to his friends).

Jennifer Saunders stars as his indomitable sister, Lady Constance Keeble (Connie).

Blandings was filmed on location at Crom Castle, County Fermanagh, with the support of Northern Ireland Screen.

THE EARL OF ERNE KCVO; NOEL JOHNSTON; JENNIFER SAUNDERS; ARLENE FOSTER MLA; JOHN, VISCOUNT CRICHTON

Crom Castle is the seat and family home of the Earl and Countess of Erne.