Restaurateur Elena Salvoni,honoured after a 60-year career Imelda Staunton William Kilminster Jim Undertown Ian Walker Liz Forgan

THE New Year Honours list brought a bumper crop of awards for people living and working in Camden.
Among those honoured was legendary restaurateur Elena Salvoni, who received an MBE. She took over the management of a new restaurant, Elena’s L’Etoile, in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, 11 years ago at an age when most people are long retired.
Now 85, the daughter of Italian immigrants has forged friendships with writer Melvyn Bragg and actors Stephen Fry, Albert Finney and John Hurt during a lifetime spent working in some of London’s most famous restaurants.
In a 60-year career that started as a waitress in Café Bleu in Old Compton Street, she has worked at Bianchi’s, also in Soho, for 30 years, L’Escargot for 10 years, the Gay Hussar and then L’Etoile.
Of that latest move she said: “I had decided to turn it down but as I came down the road I realised I had to find somewhere to hang all my pictures. So I said yes.”
Honours have also gone to Camden Town-based architect John Miller, who received an OBE; David Magliano, of Hampstead, who was given an OBE for services to the Olympic bid; and former news journalist Liz Forgan who started in the local press, from Regent’s Park, and was made a dame commander of the British Empire for services to broadcasting and heritage. She was a founding commissioning editor at Channel 4 and subsequently the channel’s Director of Programmes, and was Managing Director of BBC Radio from 1993 to 1996. She is the chairwoman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
Actress Imelda Staunton, nominated for an Oscar last year for her performance in Vera Drake, was awarded an OBE for services to drama. The film and theatre star, who lives in Crediton Hill, West Hampstead, is a former pupil of La Sainte Union School in Highgate Road, Dartmouth Park.
Among academics honoured was Professor David Cesarani, who lives in West Hampstead and works at Royal Holloway College. He received an OBE for his services to Holocaust education.
Businessman John Ritblat, chairman of British Land, which owns land in Camden, has been awarded a knighthood for his services to one of the largest collections of art in Europe, the Wallace Collection.

Bravery of the bombs heroes

HEROES of the July 7 bombings have been honoured for their bravery in saving lives.
Station managers at Russell Square and King’s Cross received MBEs.
King’s Cross manager Peter Sanders, 57, was praised for helping the injured from the wreckage of a bombed train, and for ensuring the station opened the next day. Mr Sanders, who has been with London Underground for 31 years, managed to get through the badly- damaged train to the front carriage and set up a relay system to help people to safety.
Russell Square Tube station manager David Boyce, 26, was confronted with a scene of carnage in a train carriage. He helped injured passengers before returning to the platform to collect more first-aid supplies and water to carry to the bomb scene. He made several round trips, each of more than a kilometre in exhausting conditions, helping passengers back to the station every time.
Paramedic William Kilminster , one of the first on the scene at the King’s Cross bombing, has received an MBE. Mr Kilminster, who lives in Regent’s Park, has been a paramedic in Camden for 16 years. He said: “I was the first person on the train but I was really proud of all my colleagues, who did a great job.”
Paramedic Jim Underdown, who was also awarded an MBE, arrived at the scene of the Number 30 bus bomb moments after the explosion in Tavistock Square. Mr Underdown, who has since left the service attended the IRA bombing at Harrods store in Knightsbridge
in 1983.

Award for Asbo czar

THE man who has overseen more than 200 Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) for Camden’s worst troublemakers has received an OBE.
Ian Walker, 46, who has been with Camden Council for 23 years, believes the Asbos have made “a noticeable difference”. He added: “We are now working on Asbos for cannabis dealers in Camden Town.
“This award is for the whole team and the biggest part of the team is the community who work together against anti-social behaviour.”