HONOURS LIST

I have always been perplexed by the Honours system, to me it supposed to represent an award for some outstanding achievement but when you really evaluate it is not true e.g.
A Private Secretary to a Government Minister seem to always get a knighthood for his services, yet all he has done is worked for the same group for ex amount of years and was paid very well in the process, working on that parameter every Nurse, Doctor, Teacher, Policeman, Fireman should get a Knighthood and they are not paid as much.
Then we get the Odd ball ones the school secretary who has worked at a school for 10 years, a Lollipop man etc if they are worthy of an OBE/MBE if they why not many others.
The Pop Star who spends his life on drink, Drugs etc but because he or she has made a couple of popular records is awarded a gong
Every Athlete from the Olympics who wins a medal gets a gong for winning surely that is what they train for? If it is for the effort they put in for winning, well what about the others who trains as hard but did not get a medal.
You may ask why do I now bring this subject up well a friend of mine has recently suffered a Stroke, which I was told was life threatening, thank God it was not and hopefully he will make a full recovery.
My Friend is Sittingbourne Man Ron Reeves most probably the greatest Powerlifting Coach this Country has had; he was British Team Coach for many years and trained countless World Champions. I first stared training with Ron when I was 21 in 1971, I had ambitions to become a World Class athlete and I did to some degree winning World Masters Judo title, reserve for 1980 Olympics, World Jiu Jitsu silver, 3 World Sombo Silvers, it was Ron who spent time with me developing my explosive strength introducing me to Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting I have some pride in that I won SE England tittles in both disciplines. Ron used have a Gym behind the George Pub, he then had a Hall at our Martial Arts Centre in East Street from there he moved to Periwinkle in Milton. Sadly this Gym closed some years ago Financial unviable, Nobbys Gym has kept Power and Olympic lifting alive but without Ron it is not the same.
Not only had Ron trained countless World Champions but also trained many local people, he brought Regional, National and International Tournament to the Town, he spent over 40 years of his life teaching and investing money into a sport he loved. Ron was 73 this week when he gets better I expect he will go back to his job as a Security Guard, no lavish pension for Ron no matter what he has done.

Now there a person I think deserves an award what do you think


Martin Clarke Sittingbourne