MBE Investiture

Councillor Phil Bateman Wednesfield North [Labour] Deputy Mayor of Wolverhampton and the Corporate Affairs Director for Travel West Midlands is to receive an MBE for services to Transport from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on October 15th 2004.

Well the big day is just two days away, and there is a certain buzz in the house, as family and close friends are calling and wishing me luck. It is obviously a very great honour and a little hard to keep a handle on my emotions as so many people seem so genuinely pleased with the announcement of the award.

The house is bristling with posh frocks and make-up...none of them mine I may add!

But the family has arrived in force and the fashion parade has been endless now for a week or more. I am very lucky because whilst only three persons are to be allowed to accompany me into Buckingham Palace...Mary my wife, my sister Eileen and my wonderful Mother in Law ...the other Mary in my life. Are the chosen few.

But my nephew, nieces, brothers and sisters in law, are also decending on London.

The capital better be ready for there is some hard party animals going to be mooching about the City!

I fully expect that a pub or two will be visited during Wednesfields visit to London!

I will 'blog' as soon as I can but the 'breaking news' element may be a day or so late as we move towards the week end...you know what I mean! Where's Stringfellows?!