Who really deserves a knighthood?

14th November 2008

WHEN it comes to knighthoods, Yorkshire, and the business community in particular, never seems to get its fair share.

How many Yorkshire business people can you think of that have knelt before Her Majesty?

This region has been woefully short of knighted entrepreneurs. Of course there is the knight of the aisles Sir Ken Morrison, serial non-executive director Sir Rodney Walker. Sir Graham Hall picked up his gong after his work at the helm of Yorkshire Forward.

But after that I'm struggling to name many more.

I always felt the late Arnold Ziff was deserving of such an honour given his contribution to business, the arts, education, the public sector and so much charitable work.

Another who would carry the honour deservingly well would be former Leeds United chairman, Kalon founder and philanthropist Leslie Silver.

And at the top of my list - and many others - would be Victor Watson.

The former chairman of family firm Waddingtons has just published a fascinating book called The Waddingtons Story which covers its early days as a humble Leeds printer, to its launch of Monopoly in the UK and, perhaps most revealingly, the repelling of two takeover bids from the late media tycoon Robert Maxwell.

Victor has achieved much in business, but this is only part of a life that has certainly been lived in technicolour.

His friend, property entrepreneur Neil Pullan, describes Victor as "a frustrated actor".

It sums up a man who has done things with panache - the Cary Grant of the printing world.

But as his career as a thespian stretched to amateur dramatics and panto, Victor channelled this performing bent into his other activities.

Oh to have been a spectator when he chaired the Waddingtons board meetings, or hosted shareholders at an AGM.

Then there is his work for the city of Leeds, its charities, chamber of commerce and the arts.

To call him well rounded is an understatement. He's also an accomplished pianist. Public relations man Andrew McKeon tells of a time when he accompanied Victor to the World Monopoly Championships at the Breakers Hotel in Miami with Waddingtons a key sponsor.

Walking past the hotel's vast ballroom one morning, Andrew was drawn to the sound of a Scott Joplin rag being played on its grand piano. There at the keyboard was Victor, relaxing by playing some of his favourite tunes.

At the age of 80 Victor Watson has a CBE where others, who have achieved a lot less, have higher honours.

Perhaps it is because unlike others, he has never gone looking for public glory.

He tells the story of opening a letter from Queen over breakfast one morning which informed him he would receive the CBE.

His wife Sheila said: "What are you going to do about it, you have never had any time for the honours system?"

To which he replied: "That was a rather immature view."

What we need from the powers that be is a mature view of who really deserves the honours.

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