124-554: Richard David Briers CBE (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio , stage and television . Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines (1961–66), but it was a few years later, when he narrated Roobarb (1974–76) and Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (1976–77) and played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life (1975–78), that he became
248-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in
372-556: A Cad , an affectionate comedy drama by Roy Smiles about the relationship between Terry-Thomas and Briers, played by Martin Jarvis and Alistair McGowan respectively. Set in 1984 when he had suffered from Parkinson's disease for many years, Terry-Thomas is delighted by the visit to his home in Ibiza of the much younger Briers, whom he recognises from television, and who proves to be his first cousin once removed. Briers cheers him up by recalling
496-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
620-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
744-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
868-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
992-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1116-677: A class with both Peter O'Toole and Albert Finney , Briers later credited academy director John Fernald with nurturing his talent. Graduating from RADA with a silver medal, he won a scholarship with the Liverpool Repertory Company, and after 15 months moved to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry for 6 months. He made his West End debut in the Duke of York's Theatre 1959 production of Gilt And Gingerbread by Lionel Hale . In 1961, Briers
1240-407: A day of tribute to Briers titled "Ever Increasing Wonder", with a variety of his BBC Radio recordings, many of them introduced by those who knew him and worked with him. Guest speakers included: Prunella Scales , Stephen Fry , Michael Chaplin , Alan Bennett , Michael Ball , Kenneth Branagh , Ed Harris as well as Briers's widow Ann Davies and their daughters. Commander of the Order of
1364-598: A flagship university. In 1990, the Polytechnic was accredited for Research Degrees and in 1991 the Central Catering College at Waterloo and South West London College merged with it. In 1992, the newly created Baroness Perry (August 1991) became the University's first Vice-Chancellor. In 1992, the Polytechnic was granted university status and accordingly changed its name to South Bank University. That year also saw
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#17328586872801488-507: A gifted amateur singer who attended classes at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . His mother, Morna Briers, was a concert pianist and a drama and music teacher, and a member of Equity , who wished for a showbusiness career, having acted in her youth. The couple had met when Joseph Briers asked Morna to stand in for his regular pianist for a performance; by this time his first marriage had collapsed and six months later they had entered
1612-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1736-550: A guest in series 7 in 2005), a role which saw him return to the limelight. He contributed " Sonnet 55 " to the 2002 compilation album , When Love Speaks , which features famous actors and musicians interpreting Shakespeare's sonnets and play excerpts. In 2005, he appeared alongside Kevin Whately in Dad , a TV Film made by BBC Wales exploring issues of elder abuse . In 2006, he made an appearance in an episode of Extras , and portrayed
1860-507: A history of pantomime written by Gerald Frow. Between 1973 and 1981, Briers played Bertie Wooster in the radio series What Ho! Jeeves with Michael Hordern as Jeeves . Briers narrated numerous commercials, including adverts for the Midland Bank in which he was the voice of the company's Griffin symbol. Between 1984 and 1986 he made a series of commercials for the Ford Sierra done in
1984-745: A household name. He starred as Martin in Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89), and had a leading role as Hector in Monarch of the Glen (2000–05). From the late 1980s, with Kenneth Branagh as director, he performed Shakespearean roles in Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996) and As You Like It (2006), and also appeared in Branagh’s Swan Song (1992), Peter's Friends (1992), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), and In
2108-400: A minor role in the film Spice World . His last film was Cockneys vs Zombies (2012). He was a familiar voice actor . Briers narrated the animated children's TV programme Roobarb (1974). Originally shown on BBC1 just before the evening news , each five-minute cartoon was written by Grange Calveley and produced by Bob Godfrey . He was the original narrator and voice actor for all
2232-586: A motto taken from Ecclesiastes — "Do it with thy Might". A gala event was held to mark the occasion which was widely reported in the press because of Lord Rosebery 's speech on the banning of smoking in the new Institute. One of the speeches made included the hope that "the Polytechnic would do its share towards perfecting many a valuable gem found in the slums of London". The Polytechnic specialised in courses that reflected local trades including leather tanning, typography, metalwork, electrical engineering, laundry, baking, and boot & shoe manufacture. Instruction
2356-688: A number of other educational institutions. In 1888, Edric Bayley, a local solicitor and member of the London School Board , set up the South London Polytechnics Committee whose members included the Lord Mayor of London , Archbishop of Canterbury , Lord Salisbury , Lord Rosebery and Sir Lyon Playfair . The committee was successful in persuading the Charity Commissioners to pledge to match whatever could be raised from
2480-586: A parrot who lived on a tropical island. The series ran for ten episodes and first aired on ITV on 23 April 1990. In the 1990s, he voiced the part of Mouse, opposite Alan Bennett 's Mole in the TV series Mouse and Mole , based on books by Joyce Dunbar and James Mayhew . He latterly starred alongside Neil Morrissey in Bob the Builder (2005) as Bob's Dad, Robert to his credit. As well as performing all 12 of Fiona Waters' stories on
2604-640: A pentagon surrounded by five other pentagons. An official designation service took place the following year, at which Margaret Thatcher was the guest speaker. In 1972 the purpose-built Wandsworth Road site opened, providing space for the Polytechnic's Faculty of the Built Environment, which at the time was the biggest and most comprehensive faculty in Europe for teaching built environment subjects such as surveying, town planning, architecture, civil engineering and other property related professional disciplines. In 1975,
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#17328586872802728-785: A poster featuring the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the stand erected by the students from the South Bank Atheist Society during the Fresher's week, claiming it was " religiously offensive ". This action drew criticism from the British Humanist Association which claimed it amounted to "petty censorship in the name of offence". The LSBU-sponsored University Academy of Engineering South Bank opened its doors to students in September 2014. The purpose-built facility
2852-599: A production of Noël Coward 's Hay Fever (1968) and the storyteller in several episodes of Jackanory (1969). In 1970, he starred in the Ben Travers farce "Rookery Nook", shown on the BBC. In the 1980s he played several Shakespearean roles, including Twelfth Night . Briers was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions, in May 1972 and March 1994. In a role specifically written for him by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey , Briers
2976-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
3100-613: A rare failure also featuring Hannah Gordon ; the lead role of Martin Bryce in Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89); and as Godfrey Spry in the BBC comedy drama If You See God, Tell Him (1993). He also starred in All in Good Faith (1985), Tales of the Unexpected as Albert Dobson (in episode 9/4 "The Verger" – 1988), and the first episode of Mr. Bean (1990) as Mr. Sprout. In 1987, he appeared as
3224-543: A relationship. The family occasionally received money from a wealthy relation, and Briers's maternal grandparents paid for his education, despite not being particularly well-off, and having lived in slightly reduced circumstances in India before returning to England and coming to live at Wimbledon. Briers attended Rokeby School in Kingston-upon-Thames , Surrey, and, having failed the examination for King's College School ,
3348-658: A series exclusive character called Captain Broom, and was one of the very few actors who stayed for all three series. His work in radio included playing Dr. Simon Sparrow in BBC Radio 4 's adaptions of Richard Gordon 's Doctor in the House and Doctor at Large (1968), and a retired thespian in a series of six plays with Stanley Baxter Two Pipe Problems (2008), and later the play Not Talking , commissioned for BBC Radio 3 by Mike Bartlett . In 1986 he narrated Radio 4's Oh, yes it is! ,
3472-619: A sitcom style portraying the Sierra as "one of the family". Briers narrated the public information film Frances the Firefly , about the dangers of playing with matches , firstly in the mid 1990s when first made, and then in the early 2000s when re-made by the Government fire safety campaign Fire Kills. He also recorded the voice of a satnav specifically designed for senior citizens in BBC 2 's TV Show Top Gear , Series 19, episode 5, which aired only
3596-482: A week after his death. Presenter Jeremy Clarkson paid a brief tribute to his memory at the end of the episode. After 1990, he appeared in Lovejoy , Inspector Morse , Midsomer Murders " Death's Shadow " as Stephen Wentworth in 1999, Doctors , New Tricks , Kingdom , and If You See God, Tell Him . Richard Briers starred as Hector in the first three series of Monarch of the Glen from 2000 to 2002 (and as
3720-513: A wheelchair. He was diagnosed with emphysema in 2007. Briers died at his home in Bedford Park, London , on 17 February 2013 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . His funeral was held at the local church of St Michael and All Angels in Chiswick on 6 March 2013. The BBC referred to Richard Briers as "one of Britain's best-loved actors". Sir Kenneth Branagh paid tribute to him, saying, "He
3844-833: Is a public university in Elephant and Castle , London . It is based in the London Borough of Southwark , near the South Bank of the River Thames , from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Polytechnic Institute , it achieved university status in 1992 under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 . In September 2003, the university underwent its most recent name change to become London South Bank University (LSBU) and has since opened several new centres including
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3968-768: Is also an actress; Kate (or Katie) has worked in stage management, and is a primary school teacher. Briers and his friend Paul Eddington shared a similar sense of humour, and knew each other before being cast in The Good Life . After Eddington was diagnosed with skin cancer , Briers accepted a role opposite him in David Storey 's play Home in 1994, agreeing to take on all of the publicity interviews to allow Eddington time for his treatment. At Eddington's memorial service, Briers read both from Cymbeline and Wodehouse; he later read chapters from Eddington's autobiography on BBC Radio 4 . In 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast Memories of
4092-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
4216-498: Is in the Walworth area of Camberwell and can accommodate 150 students aged 11–19. Lambeth College is intending to merge with the University. The main campus populates a triangular section of roads in the Borough of Southwark , immediately north of the Elephant and Castle . London's South Bank is a short tube or bus journey away from Waterloo or London Bridge . To the north of
4340-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
4464-636: The Beijing Institute of Technology , Hunan University , Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications , Northwestern Polytechnical University , and the National Academy of Education Administration. The collaborative educational programmes both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels have been running for over ten years with the Chinese partners. LSBU established the first Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2007. In November 2016,
4588-541: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
4712-617: The Renaissance Theatre Company production of Twelfth Night . Briers joined the company, and went on to play title parts in King Lear and Uncle Vanya . Briers also appeared in many of Branagh's films, including Henry V (1989, as Bardolph), Much Ado About Nothing (1993, as Signor Leonato) and Hamlet (1996, as Polonius ). The theatre production of Twelfth Night (1988) was adapted for television, with Briers reprising his role as Malvolio. In 2010, Briers played in
4836-865: The Royal National Theatre revival of Dion Boucicault 's London Assurance , alongside Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw . A performance of this was broadcast live to cinemas round the world as part of the NT Live! programme. He also played the character of Captain Bluntschli, in George Bernard Shaw 's play Arms and the Man . Briers made his film début in the British feature film Bottoms Up (1960). He then took parts in Murder She Said (1961), The Girl on
4960-457: The 1995 Stories For Bedtime book for audio cassette , he recorded all 4 of the seasonal Percy the Park Keeper stories for a grand CD release based on the books by Nick Butterworth , creating memorable voices for all of the animal characters as well as Percy the Park Keeper himself. Briers also featured in the television series adaptation of Watership Down (1999–2001), this time voicing
5084-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
Richard Briers - Misplaced Pages Continue
5208-653: The Bleak Midwinter (1995). Briers was born on 14 January 1934 in Raynes Park , Surrey , the son of Joseph Benjamin Briers (1901–1980) and his second wife Morna Phyllis (1909–1992), daughter of Frederick Richardson, of the Indian Civil Service . He was the first cousin once removed of actor Terry-Thomas (Terry-Thomas was his father's cousin). He spent his childhood at Raynes Park in a flat, Number 2 Pepys Court, behind
5332-623: The Boat (1962), A Matter of WHO (1962), The V.I.P.s (1963); and Raquel Welch 's spy spoof Fathom (1967). He later appeared in Michael Winner 's A Chorus of Disapproval (1988) and the film Unconditional Love (2002), as well as the Kenneth Branagh adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing (1993), in which he played the role of Leonato. In 1997 he played the Archbishop of Canterbury,
5456-426: The Borough Polytechnic between 1945 and 1954. One of the university's halls of residence, David Bomberg House , carries his name and a handful of his works are on display at the University. Major paintings by Bomberg were acquired by the Tate Gallery after his death. London South Bank University works in partnership with institutions in the UK, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. It currently works closely with
5580-405: The British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or
5704-739: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
5828-443: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
5952-445: The Brixton School of Building (founded in 1904), the City of Westminster College (founded in 1918 – and not the same institution as the current City of Westminster College ) and the National College of Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering (founded in 1947) merged with the Polytechnic to become the Polytechnic of the South Bank . The new institution adopted a coat of arms designed to include two Thames barges set above
6076-436: The Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings (CEREB). The building also houses skills laboratories for the University's nursing students. Further campus developments included a new Student Centre in 2012, followed by an Enterprise Centre in 2013. In 2016 LSBU opened its new media centre, Elephant Studios at LSBU. On 1 January 2014, Dave Phoenix was appointed Vice-Chancellor. In 2014 university officials removed
6200-416: The Diamond Jubilee parade for Queen Victoria . In 1902, the Borough Road building was once again let to sightseers who wished to see the Coronation parade of King Edward VII . Through a donation from Edric Bayley, the Edric Hall was built in 1908, along with the Lancaster Street extension buildings which gave the Polytechnic new bakery rooms, gymnasium, workshops and its triangular campus site. In 1911,
6324-400: The Governors commissioned Roger Fry to create a set of seven murals to decorate the student dining room with the theme of "London on Holiday". These comprised: In 1931, they were sold to the Tate Gallery . During the First World War , the Polytechnic manufactured munitions and gas masks for the war effort and ran courses for the army. After the War, the National Certificate system
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#17328586872806448-419: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
6572-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
6696-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
6820-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
6944-417: The Polytechnic was designated a Regional College of Technology and Dr J E Garside was installed as the new Principal until 1965, when Vivian Pereira-Mendoza took over. Further extensions to the buildings were made during the 1960s with the opening of the National College Wing in 1961 and the extension buildings and Tower Block in 1969, which were officially opened by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . In 1970,
7068-425: The Polytechnic's new buildings. In 1933, Dr D H Ingall took over as Principal and a sports ground at Turney Road Dulwich was obtained for the Polytechnic. In 1933, farriery was dropped as it was too difficult to bring horses into the building. During the Second World War , a third of the Polytechnic's campus was destroyed or damaged from the Blitz . Southwark was bombed seven times and its population halved by
7192-404: The Polytechnic. In 1985 South Bank Technopark opened on London Road and in 1987 the Polytechnic changed its name again to become South Bank Polytechnic. In the same year, the British Youth Opera (BYO) was founded and made a home at the Polytechnic's Southwark campus. In 1987, Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark was appointed Director, who oversaw the conversion of the Polytechnic into
7316-401: The Ridgeway School in Wimbledon , which he left at the age of 16 without any formal qualifications. Briers's first job was a clerical post with a London cable manufacturer, and for a short time he went to evening classes to qualify in electrical engineering, but soon left and became a filing clerk. Aged 18, Briers was called up for two years' national service in the RAF , during which he
7440-459: The School of Health and Social Care, the Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings (CEREB), a new Student Centre, an Enterprise Centre, and a new media centre Elephant Studios. The university has 16,840 students and 1,700 staff. In November 2016, the university was named the Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards . In the inaugural 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework , London South Bank University
7564-427: The South London Polytechnics Institutes Act was passed, so that by June 1891 the governing structure and general aims of the new Institute had been created. These aims were "the promotion of the industrial skills, general knowledge, health, and well-being of young men and women" and also for "instruction suitable for persons intending to emigrate". W. M. Richardson was chosen to be clerk to the governing body, C. T. Millis
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#17328586872807688-493: The Sunny Side of the Street " by Louis Armstrong . His favourite piece was the Organ Concerto in F major "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" by George Frideric Handel . Briers met Ann Davies while both were at Liverpool Rep. Davies was employed as a stage manager, and had acted on television and in films from the mid-1950s. Soon after meeting, he borrowed £5 from his mother, bought an engagement ring and they were married within six months. They had two daughters, one of whom, Lucy ,
7812-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
7936-414: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
8060-427: The Wandsworth Road site was sold. On 1 September 2003, the university underwent its most recent name change to become London South Bank University (LSBU) and in that year officially opened the Keyworth Centre. Martin Earwicker was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2009, the year in which another major building on their Southwark campus, the Grimshaw-designed K2, was opened to house the School of Health and Social Care and
8184-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
8308-416: The campus is Borough Road , where the main entrance is situated and the original building of the Borough Polytechnic Institute. To the west is London Road and to the east is Southwark Bridge Road . At the northwest corner is St George's Circus . Schiller International University had a campus in the Technopark Building on the London South Bank University property. In August 2011 Schiller stated that it
8432-649: The career the film-star has long forgotten. It was re-broadcast in 2016. As a result of Terry-Thomas's Parkinson's, Briers became President of Parkinson's UK . He also helped to launch a Sense, The National Deafblind and Rubella Association campaign. Briers was also a non-medical patron of the TOFS ( Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula Support) charity, which supports children and the families of children born unable to swallow. Interviewed by The Daily Telegraph in 2008, Briers admitted that, while on holiday, he enjoyed being recognised, saying, "I'm gregarious by nature, so I love chatting to people. It really cheers me up." Briers
8556-413: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
8680-409: The characters in the Noddy (1975) TV series based on the Enid Blyton character, and then another series with Godfrey, Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (1976). He also provided the voice of Fiver in the animated film adaptation of Watership Down (1978). In 1990 Briers provided the narration and voiced all the characters in the five-minute animated series Coconuts about a monkey, a king lion and
8804-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
8928-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
9052-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
9176-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
9300-555: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
9424-489: The end of the War. At the start of the War the boys and girls from the Polytechnic's Trade Schools were evacuated to Exeter . From 1940 to 1941, the Polytechnic was bombed five times but continued to provide hundreds of meals a day to the homeless of Southwark during this period. From 1945 to 1953, British painter David Bomberg taught art at the Polytechnic forming the ' Borough Group ' of artists with his pupils in 1946. In 1956,
9548-509: The extensive London Road building was opened, providing space for expanding business courses and the library. In 1976 the Battersea College of Education merged with the polytechnic, bringing sites at Manresa House , Roehampton and Manor House, Clapham Common . Battersea College of Education was previously known as Battersea College of Domestic Science (1948 to 1965). Also in 1976, part of Rachel MacMillan College of Education merged with
9672-515: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
9796-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
9920-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
10044-620: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Borough Polytechnic Institute London South Bank University ( LSBU )
10168-470: The inaugural 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework assessment which ranked the quality of undergraduate teaching across UK universities and applied either a bronze, silver or gold ranking, LSBU was awarded a "Silver" ranking. 70% of UK students at London South Bank University are Londoners. Students primarily come from the South London Boroughs of Southwark , Lambeth , Lewisham and Croydon , and
10292-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
10416-681: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
10540-438: The last episode in 1978 was performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II . In 1977, he starred with his The Good Life co-star Penelope Keith in the televised version of Alan Ayckbourn 's trilogy The Norman Conquests . He also starred as Ralph in 13 episodes of The Other One (1977–79) with Michael Gambon . During the 1980s and 1990s, Briers had leading roles in several television shows, including Goodbye, Mr Kent (1982),
10664-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
10788-512: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
10912-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
11036-594: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
11160-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
11284-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
11408-638: The new university celebrate its centenary and adopt the marketing slogan, "the University without Ivory Towers". In 1993, Gerald Bernbaum was appointed Vice-Chancellor and the Centenary Library was renamed the Perry Library. Redwood College of Health Studies and Great Ormond Street School of Nursing merged with the university in 1995, leading to the establishment of two satellite campuses teaching Health at Havering and Whipps Cross (which closed in 2011). In 2001, Deian Hopkin became Vice-Chancellor and
11532-440: The now demolished Rialto cinema, and later at Guildford . His father, Joseph Briers, was the son of a stockbroker , of a family of Middlesex tenant farmers ; a gregarious and popular man, he contended with a nervous disposition, and drifted between jobs, spending most of his life as a bookmaker but also working as, amongst other things, an estate agent 's clerk and a factory worker for an air filter manufacturer, as well as being
11656-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
11780-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
11904-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
12028-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
12152-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
12276-524: The plays of Alan Ayckbourn, and became a national figure in his television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s, notably The Good Life , he could mine hidden depths on stage, giving notable performances in Ibsen , Chekhov and, for Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance company, Shakespeare ." On 30 March 2013, BBC Two broadcast a one-hour long review of Briers's life and career, with tributes from many friends and colleagues. On Christmas Day 2013, BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast
12400-521: The principal villain in the Doctor Who serial Paradise Towers , a performance which was described by Radio Times writer Patrick Mulkern as Briers's "career low". In 1995, he played the character Tony Fairfax in the BBC comedy Down to Earth . In the Inspector Morse episode " Death is Now My Neighbour ", he played the evil master of Lonsdale College, Sir Clixby Bream. During the 2000s, Briers
12524-569: The public, up to the sum of £200,000 to establish polytechnics in South London. A public meeting at Mansion House kick-started the public appeal and by 1891 enough money had been raised to establish polytechnics at Battersea and at Borough Road, Southwark, now LSBU. During 1890, the former buildings of Joseph Lancaster 's British and Foreign School Society were purchased for the Borough Polytechnic Institute. In May that year,
12648-633: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
12772-613: The servant Adam in Kenneth Branagh's 2006 Shakespeare adaptation, As You Like It . He made a cameo appearance as a dying recluse in the 2008 Torchwood episode " A Day in the Death ". In 2009 he appeared in Agatha Christie's Marple "Why didn't they ask Evans?" as Wilson. On 17 December 2000, Briers was the guest on BBC Radio 4 's Desert Island Discs . Among his musical choices were "Di quella pira" from Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi , "I Feel A Song Coming On" by Al Jolson and " On
12896-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
13020-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
13144-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
13268-658: The university was named the Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards. The Guardian ' s 2018 league table of teaching excellence ranked the university 92 out of 121 British institutions. The Sunday Times ' league table, measuring a number of different factors including teaching quality, research quality and employment rates, ranks the university 120th. However, The Guardian rated LSBU joint 13th for law students. In
13392-529: Was a filing clerk at RAF Northwood , where he met future George and Mildred actor Brian Murphy . Murphy introduced Briers, who had been interested in acting since the age of 14, to the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute , now London South Bank University , where he performed in several productions. When he left the RAF, Briers studied at RADA , which he attended from 1954 to 1956. Placed in
13516-449: Was a keen visitor of Britain's historic churches, and visited over one hundred for his book English Country Churches , which was published in 1988. From his national service in the RAF, he was a supporter for a national memorial for RAF Bomber Command . Briers was appointed OBE in 1989, and CBE in 2003. According to his daughter Lucy, he quit smoking in 2001 immediately after a routine chest X-ray suggested he would otherwise soon be in
13640-457: Was a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man. He was greatly loved and he is deeply missed." Briers's agent, Christopher Farrar, said: "Richard was a wonderful man, a consummate professional and an absolute joy to work alongside. Following his recent discussion of his battle with emphysema, I know he was incredibly touched by the strength of support expressed by friends and the public." Fellow television star Penelope Keith said, "He
13764-543: Was also given in art, science, elocution, literature and general knowledge and the Polytechnic held public lectures by the likes of George Bernard Shaw , J. A. Hobson , Henry M. Stanley , and Ralph Vaughan Williams . On 10 October 1894, the National School of Bakery and Confectionery (later the National Bakery School ) was opened with 78 pupils. In 1897, the Polytechnic was let to sightseers who wished to see
13888-495: Was always courteous, always generous and always self-deprecating" adding, "He was also such a clever actor that he made you feel secure. You believed he was who he was portraying on the screen or on the stage... I just think of Richard and smile." Writing in The Guardian , critic Michael Coveney described Briers as "always the most modest and self-deprecating of actors, and the sweetest of men," and noted: "Although he excelled in
14012-513: Was appointed as Headmaster, Miss Helen Smith was appointed Lady Superintendent and Edric Bayley was appointed the first Chair of Governors. On 30 September 1892, the Borough Polytechnic Institute was officially opened by Lord Rosebery , with a remit to educate the local community in a range of practical skills. The Polytechnic was given a seal based on the Bridge House emblem of the City of London and
14136-517: Was awarded a Silver rating and maintained the rating in the 2023 assessment. London South Bank University was founded in 1892 as the Borough Polytechnic Institute. It has since undergone several name changes, becoming the Polytechnic of the South Bank in 1970, South Bank Polytechnic in 1987, South Bank University in 1992 and London South Bank University in 2003. The university has also merged with
14260-466: Was cast in the lead role in The Good Life (1975–78), playing Tom Good, a draughtsman who decides, on his 40th birthday, to give up his job and try his hand at self-sufficiency , with the support of his wife Barbara, played by Felicity Kendal . Briers persuaded the producers to cast his friend Paul Eddington , a fellow council member of Equity , in the role of Jerry. An enormously successful series,
14384-650: Was cast in the leading role in Marriage Lines (1961–66), with Prunella Scales playing the role of his wife. In between the pilot and the series itself, Briers appeared in Brothers in Law (from the book by Henry Cecil ) as callow barrister Roger Thursby in 1962. He was cast in this role by adaptors Frank Muir and Denis Norden , who had seen him in the West End. His other early appearances included The Seven Faces of Jim (1961) with Jimmy Edwards , Dixon of Dock Green (1962),
14508-762: Was closing its London campus and will not start the Autumn 2011 semester there, due to stricter student visa requirements in the United Kingdom. There is a smaller satellite campus in east London: at Havering (LSBU at Havering), diagonally opposite Harold Wood station . A central Croydon campus is due to open in September 2021: it will be at Electric House in Wellesley Road. The university has seven Schools, they are; The University announced in April 2021 that in 2021 they were not admitting students to study history or human geography. The British painter David Bomberg taught Art at
14632-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
14756-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
14880-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
15004-455: Was playing alongside Michael Hordern and Celia Johnson in the London production of Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking . After a long career in television sitcom, and looking to expand his career, his daughter Lucy took him to Stratford-upon-Avon to watch Kenneth Branagh in Henry V . After meeting Branagh backstage after the performance, Branagh offered Briers the role of Malvolio in
15128-566: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
15252-463: Was taken up, engineering courses were offered to women in the 1920s and printing classes were dropped and run at Morley College. J W Bispham was elected the new Principal in 1922 when C T Millis retired and a rebuilding scheme was undertaken including a new facade for the Borough Road building. Class numbers increased to 8,682 students by 1927 and on 20 February 1930 the Duke of York officially opened
15376-465: Was the curmudgeonly and extravagant father Hector MacDonald in the BBC television programme Monarch of the Glen (2000–05), appearing in series 1, 2, 3 and 7. Also in the 2000s, specifically 2006, he appeared in an episode of New Tricks entitled Old Dogs playing a character called James Farlow. Briers spent much of his career in the theatre, including appearances in plays by Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw . In 1967, one of his earliest successes
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