New Year Honour

The New Year Honours List for 2019 has been published and I find that once again I have been denied the opportunity to turn down an award.

I find more than adequate compensation, however, in the award of Beard of the Year 2018. I was presented with the Certificate in Tiny Rebel Cardiff by Beard Liberation Front organiser and spokesbeing Keith Flett (left; picture by Megan Davies)

The certificate mentions a joint award but I am yet to receive the joint.

Anyway here is the certificate in close up.

Although I saw I was doing well in the popular vote, I was surprised be a winner as I thought it would be given to someone with a higher public profile than me. Happily, for me anyway, the Electoral College decided in my favour.

We bumped into two members of the School of Physics & Astronomy at Cardiff University in Tiny Rebel (both of whom, I must say, appeared to be rather the worse for drink). A short discussion arose as to whether Beard of the Year could be submitted as evidence of ‘impact’ for the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework. I was working at Cardiff for about half the period covered by the award, you see. I’ll leave that as a matter for the relevant authorities to decide.

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