Queenzieburn man to be honoured by The Queen for services to Order of St John

Jim is due to travel to London in September to receive his accolade of knighthood from the Grand Prior of the Order, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester.

On behalf of the Queen, the head of the Order of St John, the Duke will tap Jim on the shoulder with a sword to invest him as a knight.

The Order of St John, formally the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, is a British royal order of chivalry first constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria.

Its mission is “to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world”, and is perhaps best known for founding St John Ambulance.

Jim, a former vice-chairman and secretary of St John in Glasgow, has had a 30-year involvement with St John. Now a senior figure, he sits on the board, as well as being director of ceremonies ... meaning that he takes charge of Order ceremonial on formal occasions.

For a decade, he served as assistant director of ceremonies. His abilities were recently recognised by Major General Mark Strudwick, prior of St John in Scotland, by Jim being appointed director of ceremonies for a further three years.

Jim’s reaction to all this? Ever the master of understatement, Jim modestly said: “This is one festive season I’m unlikely to forget”.