A TOWN crier, a lawyer and a primary school head teacher are just a few of the people from the North-East who have been recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

Colin Beswick, Durham's town crier has something to shout about after he was made an MBE for services to the community.

Mr Beswick, who has carried out more than four decades of public service in the city, became Durham's official town crier last year after he held the role unofficially for six years.

The 76-year-old former headteacher of Witton Gilbert Primary School was first elected to Durham City Council in July 1962 - the start of 40 years' continuous service on the authority.

During that time, the Liberal Democrat member for Nevilles Cross ward served as mayor and chairman of the planning committee before he retired in 2002.

He also found time to serve on the Durham University Council, the Durham Town and Gown Society, Nevilles Cross Over-60s Club and the Shakespeare Temperance Trust, which has donated more than £500,000 to local organisations.

The son of two County Durham headteachers, Jim McManners, head of Cassop Primary School, near Durham, has been awarded an OBE for services to education.

His school was the first school in the country to get a wind turbine in its grounds and since then it has introduced solar panels, and a scheme to heat the school using recycled wood waste.

The school is sponsored by Premier Waste, which provides a bus to bring schoolchildren from across the region to Cassop Primary to help their education.

Mr McManners grew up in Ferryhill and helped out in his mother's classrooms throughout his childhood.

When the New Year Honours were announced last Friday, he said: "I am pleased for the school and pleased because my mother is still alive and I know she will be pleased."

Mr McManners has been headteacher of Cassop Primary for almost 30 years and before that worked as a teacher at Dean Bank School in Ferryhill.

He lives with his wife Margaret in Trimdon; they have three children Joe, Jimmy and Ben.

He said: "My big enthusiasm is for first-hand learning, that is getting the kids out walking and camping and doing practical things."

Congratulations have been passed on to a senior figure on Durham University's governing body, academic lawyer Anne Galbraith, who was awarded an OBE.

Although she works as chairwoman of the Newcastle-based Prescription Pricing Authority, the award reflects her work, in different fields, "for the community".

Her various roles have included posts involved in the National Health Service, the Children's Foundation and the Citizens Advice Bureaux in the North-East.

Mrs Galbraith, 64, a mother of two grown-up children, lives with husband John near Haydon Bridge, Northumberland.

The former chairwoman of Newcastle Royal Victoria Hospital's NHS Trust, has also served on the Northern Regional Health Authority for three years.

She is the serving vice-chairwoman of the governing council of Durham University, where she also chairs the audit committee and is chairwoman of the council of its largest college, St Hild and St Bede.

University vice-chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman wrote to congratulate Mrs Galbraith.

"The university is delighted at the award. She is someone who clearly does a lot for the region and, in particular, helping to shape the university in the new century," added Sir Kenneth.

He also passed on congratulations to other former Durham graduates and honorary graduates featured in the New Year's Honours. Leading light among them is four-time Olympic rowing gold-medallist Matthew Pinsent, an honorary graduate of the university, who was knighted.

Others include former Chief Inspector of Schools, Mike Tomlinson, and David Swift, the deputy chief constable of Staffordshire.

An OBE was also awarded to HMS Customs and Excise senior business manager, Peter Maclaren Aitken, of Brancepeth.