A WELL known local woman has received a British Empire Medal for services for services to the community in Ross-on-Wye.

Rosemary Webb who lives in Marstow, has been a governor at Goodrich Primary School since 2010. and has also been heavily involved in Monmouth Show for 47 years.

“I’m very pleased and like to think that my parents, who are both no longer here, would have been proud of me and done everything in my life to the best of my ability,” she said.

“School leaders and staff have very stressful lives so I’m pleased for them as well as me.”

Also recognised in the King’s Honours list was one of the founders of Monmouth Male Voice Choir, former Monmouth MP Huw Edwards who was awarded the MBE for services to music and charity.

Speaking after the Honours List was announced. Huw said: “Everyone involved with Monmouth Male Voice Choir over the past twelve years deserves to share in this honour – choir members, our conductors and accompanists, the thousands who have attended our concerts and those in the many charities we have supported.”

Huw was involved in forming the choir with Aneirin Hughes in 2012 and served as chairman for ten years. During this time the choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall on two occasions, competed in the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny and Llanrwst and sung on the pitch before Wales rugby internationals against Scotland and Georgia. This year the choir were privileged to be invited to perform for the United States Ambassador Jane Hartley as part of ‘Wales Week London’.

“The choir has grown steadily over the years and now has over sixty members. We aimed to promote the great tradition of Welsh male choral singing which is admired the world over. This tradition grew from the Welsh nonconformist chapels and the camaraderie and struggles of men in the Welsh coal, steel, and slate communities throughout Wales.

Huw Edwards grew up in a Welsh family in London and learned many of the hymns the choir performs from a young age at the Welsh chapel, Capel y Boro, where his father was Minister. After studying at Manchester and York he became a university lecturer in social policy. In 1991 he was elected Labour MP for Monmouth in an historic by election and served as MP for nine years. He now works with university researchers on promoting their work to policy makers.

Monmouth Male Voice Choir is keen to attract new members. There are no auditions, and no prior knowledge of music or Welsh is required. The choir rehearses on Thursdays at 7.30 in Monmouth Baptist Church.