TELEVISION celebrity Richard White-ley heads an impressive list of Ilkley people who have been recognised in the in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The man who hosts the popular Channel 4 words and pictures game Countdown receives an OBE.

So does Ilkley-raised novelist Jilly Cooper.

But the top accolade goes to the principal of Dixon's City Technology College, John Lewis, 58,.

He has received a knighthood in recognition of his services to education. History teacher Mr Lewis, who already has an OBE, became a Knight Bachelor for his services to education.

"This is a great personal honour and one in which I take great pride," he said. "However, more importantly, it recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of all those who have been centrally associated with the new brand new secondary schools which I have been so privileged to lead."

Mr Lewis began teaching in 1969 and gained his first Head teacher position at Birchwood Community High School in Warrington in 1984. He became principal of Dixon's CTC in Bradford in 1989. He lives in Ilkley, and is married with three sons.

Burley Woodhead resident Whiteley, who gets an OBE for his services to broadcasting, acknowledged the other local people who were honoured.

"It's the place to be for an OBE," he told the Ilkley Gazette.

Whiteley started his career in 1965 as a trainee ITN journalist. He went on to be the first news reporter to appear on Yorkshire Television in July 1968, and was also the first face to appear on Channel 4.

"I'm obviously delighted and it hascome at such a good time. I've been at Yorkshire TV 35 years, Countdown for 21 years and I'm 60, so it's been quite a year," he said.

"I think what I'm really pleased about is that it's for services to broadcasting, and I'm thrilled to have spent all my broadcasting time in Yorkshire. You don't have to be in London to do this. I'm delighted that I've been able to broadcast to the region from the region." He also acknowledged all those in television who he has worked with over the years.

Meanwhile the Ilkley-raised novelist, Jilly Cooper - now living in Gloucestershire - was picked out for an OBE for her services to literature. She was said to have been surprised to receive the accolade.

The writer of racey novels including, Polo, Riders, The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous and Pandora, was brought up in Ilkley.

Several members of her family have also received similar honours. Her father, Brigadier William Salitt has the OBE and her brother, Timothy, was given the CBE.

A founder of Ilkley and District Talking Newspaper and member of Ilkley Soroptimists, Elizabeth Hughes, was honoured with an MBE for her services to Soroptimist International and her work in the community in Ilkley.

The 72-year-old former head teacher, of Silsden, joined Ilkley Soroptimists in 1972 and was responsible for setting up the talking newspaper, which is still produced and distributed every Saturday, except for the weekend before Christmas - and has become an essential service for blind and partially-sighted members of the community.

Miss Hughes said: "To receive an MBE is a great honour and I am very overwhelmed by it all."

The Talking Newspaper celebrated its 21st anniversary in October. It only once failed to be published as normal, when icy weather made the route to the Ben Rhydding headquarters too dangerous underfoot.

Two senior health professionals living in Ilkley were on the honours list.

West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority chairman, Linda Pollard, was awarded the OBE for services to the community in Bradford. She chaired the Bradford Can....Cancer Research Appeal which raised £1.2million in 16 months to support cancer research trials at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, and two years earlier she chaired the Millennium Scanner appeal which raised £1million for an MRI scanner at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

A Keighley magistrate since 1979, she is chairman of the Learning and Skills Council for North Yorkshire and a member of the North Yorkshire Police Standards Board.

"I am absolutely thrilled to bits, I', absolutely delighted. It has taken the wind out of my sails," she said.

Her other community roles include being a director of Bradford Common Purpose, a member of Bradford Breakthrough and a member of Bradford International Festival Comm-ittee.

Chief executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, David Jackson - another Ilkley resident - was awarded the CBE for his services to the NHS.

He has been chief executive for the past 14 years and under his leadership, Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's hospital have become recognised as one of best-performing group of hospitals in the NHS. They achieved a three-star rating for three successive years.

Mr Jackson said: "This award fills me with great personal pride as it is most unusual for an NHS manager to be honoured with a CBE."