A ROYAL NAVY commanding officer, a former town mayor and a botanical artist from the Caradon district have been recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. Steve Malcolm, a Royal Navy commanding officer who helped carry out an important survey following the Boxing Day tsunami, has been awarded an OBE. His ship, HMS Scott, gathered information in the Indian Ocean following the tsunami which hit in 2004. The letter he received from the Queen praised his ship's work, saying the results delivered were of immense significance to the wider international scientific and environmental communities. Commander Malcolm, 47, lives with his wife Jane in Botus Fleming, near Saltash, but spent Christmas away from the UK as his ship is conducting further survey operations in the Indian Ocean. An 88-year-old botanical artist whose drawings have appeared in 37 books has been awarded an MBE. Marjorie Blamey, of St Germans, has been honoured for her services to art following her illustrated work in the million-selling guide The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe. Former Torpoint town mayor and dedicated fundraiser Michael Pearn was recognised in the honours list for his service to the Torpoint community. He is now an MBE after more than 45 years of fundraising efforts. Mike, 63, first became involved in fundraising in the 1960s, being a committee member of the Torpoint Athletic Football Club. He organised the Torpoint Carnival for more than 20 years and was a Torpoint town councillor for 12 years and a mayor for two. Mike is currently chairman of Mount Edgcumbe District Scout Group and vice-chairman of Torpoint Archives. He has raised money for local charities as well as Shelter Box, Cancer Research UK, the Primrose Appeal, the Chestnut Appeal, Kosovo and Croatia. 'It is absolutely brilliant, he has done a lot for this town,' said his wife Val. 'He has always done things for the town and not himself.' Other people from Cornwall to collect MBEs included: Cornwall County Council's recycling education officer, Richard Bower, chief executive of the Bishop's Forum John Bray, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's fishing vessel surveyor, Michael Collier, and the vice-chair of the Cornwall Area Committee of the fire service's National Benevolent Fund, Keith Roszell. The chairman of Culture South West and chief executive of the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, Adrian Vinken, received an OBE.
