Once again, I can assure you all that I will not be getting a OBE or MBE from Mrs Windsor this year. In fact Mrs Fitzjames Horse is a shoe-in to be offered one at some stage. She has been a dedicated employee in the “caring” sector long before we married thirty years ago. And she jokes with me that she will accept a bauble when inevitably offered. At least I hope she is joking.

But as always the question is……how many Kaffliks will be on Mrs Windsor’s “Nice List”. In Jubilee Year, “Royal Visit” Year, Olympic Year….it is inevitable that some local Kaffliks will be “honoured”. Perhaps Fermanagh folk who arranged that visit to the Church in Enniskillen. Perhaps the Olympic boxers, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlon? Perhaps an honoury knighthood for An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny? I wouldnt put it past him.

Is it going to be one of those yaers when some SDLP councillor will get a medal of sorts. And could I live with the shame of it? Could I live with the humiliation of someone in the nationalist community getting appointed to the House of “Lords”.

No doubt “Dimbleby” Walker already has a template prepared with only the names to be inserted.

But I wonder if this year…..and I have been predicting this for years and “stopped clock” syndrome suggests that I will be right eventually, Lilibet might be advised that the time is right to appoint an English Catholic churchman, like the Archbishop of Westminster to the “Lords”….possibly along with Muslim, Jewish and non-conformist leaders. It WILL happen.