Hello once again playmates and here we go on another of my rambles. Last two gentlemen, at different places had the kindness to come up to me and say they enjoy these weekly trips down memory lane. By it's nature writing is a solitary activity and feedback is rare so it was encouraging to hear.

I read the Birthday Honours to see who in showbiz were being awarded gongs. I am not a great fan about how they are decided upon as it is obvious some recipients are given an honour to make the process popular and to get some headlines. Some young stars get awards whilst they are really just a few years into a hopefully long career. Surely any award should be for a lengthy period of performing and that the career has stood the test of time ?

At the other end they give a gong to a well loved entertainer who are so old that they are dead soon after. Think of the great Ken Dodd and Bruce Forsythe for instance. This is not new. They waited until he was in his mid 80s before they knighted the legendary Charlie Chaplin who died a couple of years later in 1977 on Christmas Day. Not a lot of people know this but his coffin was dug a few months later and his body held for ransom! Luckily the police arrested the culprits and his coffin was reburied but with some cement on top. I suspect Charlie would have been amused.

In the old days the Whitehall mandarins who select, with advisors, the recipients would ignore anybody who went to live abroad and in their eyes became a tax excile. Hence there were no honours bestowed on such great names as Ronald Colman, David Niven, Cary Grant, James Mason or Richard Burton to mention a few.

Some stars turned down an award which is a mark of character as it is very flattering. I can think of Robert Morley who declined a knighthood and my friend Trevor Howard who refused a CBE.

I got my MBE for 'saving' Elstree Studios in 1997 and there was no way I would have said no with an ego like mine. Indeed when the letter dropped into my letter box with a form saying will you accept, the reply was in the post within the hour. The odd thing is I think I have only worn the medal once since .

Another well known actor who never got an award was the legendary Boris Karloff , king of the horror movies from the 1930s until the 1960s. As quiz fans will know his real name was William Pratt and although he resided in Hollywood for many years I believe retained his British citizenship In more recent years they gave a knighthood to Anthony Hopkins although he had become an American citizen.

I mention Boris as he is best remembered for playing the role of the Frankenstein monster and I am told it is 200 years since the novel on which the films were based was written.

I had the pleasure to get his autograph at the end of the 1960s when he was working nearby on his last major film called Curse Of The Crimson Altar with Christopher Lee. He was in a wheelchair and obviously in poor health but a great gentleman in every sense. It is a long time ago but I think it was at Grimsdyke Manor which is now a hotel. I am sure some of you will know it. I think it was once the home of Gilbert or Sullivan but it is late at night as I write this so my memory is not great.

Anyway I am off to bed to watch another DVD episode of that great early 1960s gangster tv series called The Untouchables starring Robert Stack. It is black and white and good fun. Until next time make sure you take care as these wanderings down memory lane are pointless without you..