The Sunday Times yesterday published the full list of people known to have
turned down gongs in the last 30 years or so
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-939310,00.html (but sadly this
might not work for overseas Pnpers since Rupert likes to stop beastly
foreigners from reading his papers for free). www.guardian.co.uk also covered
the story but without the complete list. Looking through it one can't help
thinking some people were just a bit disappointed at the tininess of their
gong - eg Paul Scofield turned down a knighthood twice but accepted a
Companionship of Honour which is higher up the pecking order.

Helen Mirren turned down a CBE from John Major but accepted a Damehood from
Tony Blair. No other actual Pnp people on the list that I could see but a few
other notables like Kevin Brownlow, Albert Finney, Trevor Howard (bet he was
miffed not to be offered a knighthood in 1982) and most surprisingly Constance
Cummings who accepted a CBE in 1974 but turned down a Life Peerage in 1975. Is
this a mistake (she was American for one thing) and while she was fine in
Blithe Spirit and did a lot of stage work I can't imagine why she would have
been offered a peerge. Anyone know ?

Nicky