Let's get Richard Parks knighted

Ok we all think the Western Mail is a load of old nonsense but I would urge you all to sign up to their campaign to get Mr Parks knighted for his 737 challenge. Do it, Do it now!

[url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2011/12/04/tributes-in-praise-of-ex-rugby-hero-richard-parks-and-his-amazing-737-achievement-91466-29890128/[/url]

Well, he's arguably achieved more than Sir Clive Woodward or Sir Alex Ferguson as their achievements have been through other people (although that's what coaching is I suppose). And he's done more than someone else in a similar field (Sir Ranulph Fiennes) as he was the first to do all 6 peaks in a year.

Logic says he should get knighted!

Absofeckinglutely

Whoever was in charge of the marketing of this extraordinary achievement needs shooting (and i say that in a Clarkson esque way!)

To be honest, while it's an excellent achievement and for a worthy cause, I think a knighthood is a bit over the top.

Let's not get carried away, chaps.

SafeAsMilk wrote:To be honest, while it's an excellent achievement and for a worthy cause, I think a knighthood is a bit over the top.

Let's not get carried away, chaps.

Obviously it's over the top in your opinion he's Welsh.

He def needs some recognition - what a guy and what an achievement

mckay1402 wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:To be honest, while it's an excellent achievement and for a worthy cause, I think a knighthood is a bit over the top.

Let's not get carried away, chaps.

Obviously it's over the top in your opinion he's Welsh.

frankly i couldn't care what his nationality is it hardly seems relevant

he has completed the ultimate adventure and only someone who has never got off his sofa or climbed a mountain or read Scott or Shackleton woudl fail to recognise just how big his balls are

Gatts

I completely agree. I was just commenting on how some people on here have the default reaction to belittle anything acheived by a Welshman.

With regard to Richard Parks I emailed the prime ministers office as soon as he finished the challenge to request he be considered for a knighthood. He should be knighted and as somebody says above whoever did the PR for his challenge wants shooting

There was another thread like this and I aaid he should get an MBE. However I know more about it now and agree a knighthood would be appropriate. I dont see it happening - not because he is Welsh - but as the event didnt really capture the publics attention at the time. Were it not for a friend of mine who supports Dragons I genuinely wouldnt have known about this.

Welsh people are just as eligible for decorations as anyone else, but I just don't think it warrants it. I don't agree with lots of the people who have been knighted.

He set a world first with the 737 challenge in a faster time than originally planned.

The mass media has more or less swept this achievement under the carpet, if they had promoted it he could have raised a lot more money for a good cause.

IronMike

Quite agree. It's a massive shame and I don't really understand why. It is a huge achievement for Britain but seems to have been mostly ignored.

Safeasmilk

Well i guess we'll have to disagree. I think given how much he sacrificed to do it and what he did it for he well deserves a knighthood. I do think they have been given out frivelously in the past but this is one person who really deserves it. My bet is that he'll be given an MBE but when you think of someone like Bruce Forsyth being knighted it makes you wonder what Parks would have to do to actually be knighted.

mckay1402 wrote:IronMike

Quite agree. It's a massive shame and I don't really understand why. It is a huge achievement for Britain but seems to have been mostly ignored.

Safeasmilk

Well i guess we'll have to disagree. I think given how much he sacrificed to do it and what he did it for he well deserves a knighthood. I do think they have been given out frivelously in the past but this is one person who really deserves it. My bet is that he'll be given an MBE but when you think of someone like Bruce Forsyth being knighted it makes you wonder what Parks would have to do to actually be knighted.

He'd probably have to go on some cheap reality TV shows, then charm the nation on some soap opera before hosting a TV Game show to get knighted.

It is appalling how little it was advertised - but it just shows that TV/Media companies are just looking to produce cheap and shocking programmes/stories and the public are just as eager to eat it up...

If that cricketer deserves an MBE for batting a bit then surely Parks deserves a knighthood

Why? What's this dogmatic excitement on MBE's, knighthoods and other such rot? It's only the monarchy's way of saying they recognize your achievement. I'm sure Parks doesn't need an elderly woman patting his shoulder to know that he's done a great thing.

Knowsit17 wrote:Why? What's this dogmatic excitement on MBE's, knighthoods and other such rot? It's only the monarchy's way of saying they recognize your achievement. I'm sure Parks doesn't need an elderly woman patting his shoulder to know that he's done a great thing.

He deserves recognition of the highest order for what he has done, had he had a decent PR agency behind him he woudl have got it

I agree he deserves recognition, appreciation and so on but unlike many I don't think a knighthood ought to symbolise the highest order anymore...

fair enough, what do you suggest

free beer for life?

Heck, why not?

If I got a medal or title, I'd rather it be from someone who actually runs the country instead of from someone who just wishes they did.

Treasonous republican!

Treasonous republican!

Eh?

Gatts wrote:Treasonous republican!

Viva revolution!

Knowsit17 wrote:If I got a medal or title, I'd rather it be from someone who actually runs the country instead of from someone who just wishes they did.

Who then?

Barry Welsh?
That guy who used to be in Eastenders (Huw?)?
The cast of Rownd a Rownd?

I'd love to see Barry Welsh running the country lol!

I belive he's talking about the PM rather than the queen - but u prob already knew that

Knowsit17 wrote:Heck, why not?

If I got a medal or title, I'd rather it be from someone who actually runs the country instead of from someone who just wishes they did.

The queen only gives it to them. the government decides who gets them. thats why I emailed the prime ministers office and not buckingham palace...

Currently a knighthood is the highest recognition this country has to offer so that is what I would like to see. Whether or not you believe in the monarchy is irrelevant as it's about recognising this mans acheivement and as he tweeted about it yesterday I'd say he is interested in it...

He'd be a lot more deserving than a lot of the ar$es that get knighted. Expect he'll get an MBE lobbed at him. If he continues to do charity work i'm sure a knighthood will be in the pipeline (eg Sir Ian Botham). It's generally the case that you get an OBE/CBE/MBE for one off successes and a Knighthood for continued service to a cause or sport or fatuous television career.

Carpe Diem wrote:He'd be a lot more deserving than a lot of the ar$es that get knighted. Expect he'll get an MBE lobbed at him. If he continues to do charity work i'm sure a knighthood will be in the pipeline (eg Sir Ian Botham). It's generally the case that you get an OBE/CBE/MBE for one off successes and a Knighthood for continued service to a cause or sport or fatuous television career.

+1

Carpe Diem wrote:He'd be a lot more deserving than a lot of the ar$es that get knighted. Expect he'll get an MBE lobbed at him. If he continues to do charity work i'm sure a knighthood will be in the pipeline (eg Sir Ian Botham). It's generally the case that you get an OBE/CBE/MBE for one off successes and a Knighthood for continued service to a cause or sport or fatuous television career.

I agree that there are a lot of undeserved recipients out there. However, comparing Parks with Botham doesn't really work for me given that Botham has raised an awful lot for charity AND reached the pinnacle of his sport.

How much has Botham raised for charity - as although I haven't really followed his activities all I ever noticed was him doing a sponsored charity run which went past my house - but that was years ago I think when he was still playing - ohh and he's on a lot of Weetabix boxes if I remember rightly. Nice to know he's doing stuff though, good on him, I'm just interested in what

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Carpe Diem wrote:He'd be a lot more deserving than a lot of the ar$es that get knighted. Expect he'll get an MBE lobbed at him. If he continues to do charity work i'm sure a knighthood will be in the pipeline (eg Sir Ian Botham). It's generally the case that you get an OBE/CBE/MBE for one off successes and a Knighthood for continued service to a cause or sport or fatuous television career.

I agree that there are a lot of undeserved recipients out there. However, comparing Parks with Botham doesn't really work for me given that Botham has raised an awful lot for charity AND reached the pinnacle of his sport.

Whereas Parks, retired through injury, only reached the pinnacle of the 7 highest mountains on 7 continents and 3 poles in under 7 months whilst also raising large amounts of wedge for Marie Curie

Smirnoffpriest wrote:How much has Botham raised for charity - as although I haven't really followed his activities all I ever noticed was him doing a sponsored charity run which went past my house - but that was years ago I think when he was still playing - ohh and he's on a lot of Weetabix boxes if I remember rightly. Nice to know he's doing stuff though, good on him, I'm just interested in what

Botham has raised more than £12M for (among others) Leukaemia Research.

I've just chucked my 2p in, I heard him on Radio 2 a few weeks ago and he was so incredibly modest, he did get a little emotional about the Denali ascent as he was suffering a lot of pain from frostbite at the time.

I had to go and listen to the rest of the interview in my van as I was in danger of getting a bit weepy, it may be the 21st century - but tears on a building site is only going to go one way.

Great bloke, superhuman effort and as mentioned above - shoot the PR team.

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Smirnoffpriest wrote:How much has Botham raised for charity - as although I haven't really followed his activities all I ever noticed was him doing a sponsored charity run which went past my house - but that was years ago I think when he was still playing - ohh and he's on a lot of Weetabix boxes if I remember rightly. Nice to know he's doing stuff though, good on him, I'm just interested in what

Botham has raised more than £12M for (among others) Leukaemia Research.

How about Sir Clive Woodward. Hardly Alex Ferguson-esque in his contributions to the sport over the years. More of a 'couple of season wonder'. Is he deserving of it?

Griff wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Smirnoffpriest wrote:How much has Botham raised for charity - as although I haven't really followed his activities all I ever noticed was him doing a sponsored charity run which went past my house - but that was years ago I think when he was still playing - ohh and he's on a lot of Weetabix boxes if I remember rightly. Nice to know he's doing stuff though, good on him, I'm just interested in what

Botham has raised more than £12M for (among others) Leukaemia Research.

How about Sir Clive Woodward. Hardly Alex Ferguson-esque in his contributions to the sport over the years. More of a 'couple of season wonder'. Is he deserving of it?

Nope. He deserved recognition for achievement, but not a knighthood.

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Griff wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Smirnoffpriest wrote:How much has Botham raised for charity - as although I haven't really followed his activities all I ever noticed was him doing a sponsored charity run which went past my house - but that was years ago I think when he was still playing - ohh and he's on a lot of Weetabix boxes if I remember rightly. Nice to know he's doing stuff though, good on him, I'm just interested in what

Botham has raised more than £12M for (among others) Leukaemia Research.

How about Sir Clive Woodward. Hardly Alex Ferguson-esque in his contributions to the sport over the years. More of a 'couple of season wonder'. Is he deserving of it?

Nope. He deserved recognition for achievement, but not a knighthood.

Agreed.

Disagree. What he has achieved is well worth a knighthood. It wasn't for self agrandandisement but I think e can all agree that the PR team should refund their fee...

Although I agree that Parks deserves official recognition for what he achieved, I think he deserves better than a knighthood. Those honours aren't worth the paper they are written on these days. The honours system is seriously inconsistent - anyone can get one if they're nominated to do so - so you have people who are simply fortunate and/or popular getting the same honours as those who've gone above and beyond to do something for the benefit of others. Do you think Parks has done more than a civil servant who's been lucky enough to be in their job for 35 years? I do, but they'd both get the same knighthood. Also, receiving an honour doesn't really benefit the individual's career because they're so common now. Personally, I always respect those who've turned them down. That says more about their integrity and why they did what they did than acceptance.

I agree that the knighthood has become tainted by the pointless ones but as it stands it is still our countries highest recognition. What would you suggest? A gold Duke of Edinburghs award?

I don't know, I'm not sure what's out there. Even a Freedom of the City award is better than a knighthood. What about something from the charities/communities he's respresented?

I always think modern Knights should be expected to fullfill their original roles and raise forces to support the monarch. Would love to see Sir Bruce tabbing around Afghanistan dodging the shoite. You could have any number of luvvies out there, would save a fortune on the defence budget.

possibly not that effective though...

To be fair Carpe Diem the old knights never really fought they were just rich land owners with expensive armour who forced the peasants on their land to fight for them (or the king) otherwise they'd be thrown off the land.

As it stands today the knights would probably be media moguls whipping up the lower classes into a frenzy to hate some percieved enemy and encouraging them to sign up and their nearest recruitment office...

Not sure that's the case either priest. The knights were the ones on horses who did the chivalrous stuff. They did fight hand to hand if they lost their mount too. Can't see Brucie doing that somehow

He certainly deserves recognition, but think a knighthood might be a bit much at this stage.

Someone like Sir Ranulph Fiennes spent years adventuring and raising money for charity (not to mention his Army & SAS career) before he got his knighthood for “human endeavour and charitable services”, and many of his achievements were things that had never been done before. As impressive as Parks' achievement was, it had been done before (and more fully, Parks' 1 degree of latitude to the N&S poles is quite a bit less than the normal pole challenge), just the people who did it hadn't focused on doing it within a certain time limit (and the full challenge wouldn't be possible within the same time frame).

A few more years dedicated to raising money and he'll be fully deserving of a knighthood.

Maybe Parks should go here to raise his chances: http://awardsintelligence.co.uk/

can't someone just ban sourmilk as he's just not funny and doesn't add anything of note to any threads!

seconded

Why do you want people banned if they don't agree with you?

I explained why I didn't think he deserved a knighthood. I think we'll have to agree to differ.

I've got nothing against people disagreeing with me

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I've got nothing against people disagreeing with me

Oh yes you have!