A popular former principal kick-started the new year with a double celebration after being honoured with an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

John Lockett OBE is better known to pupils and parents in east Belfast as the former headmaster at Grosvenor Grammar School, where he spent nearly 20 years at the coalface of education.

Mr Lockett may have retired last year but his name being secretly put forward to receive the Order of the British Empire for services to education in Northern Ireland proves he has not been forgotten.

The retired headmaster, who spent 15 years as principal of the east Belfast grammar school, said he was honoured and completely surprised on receiving the prestigious award.

“It was a great surprise, a very pleasant surprise. I got a letter in the second week of November but I didn’t tell anyone, well I told my wife, but I didn’t tell my three children. It was quite difficult trying to keep it secret,” he said

“There was a period of wonder, when I wondered whether I was going to get it and I didn’t know until I saw my name in the press.”

But the popular former principal is now faced with the difficult decision of who gets to go with him to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.

“I’ve had a letter since saying we’ll be given six weeks notice to go to the palace and I can bring three guests. My wife Vera will definitely have to come and two of my children but I don’t know which ones,” he laughed.

Modestly the former head said the award was not just for him but the staff he spent years working alongside, his supportive family and his former school’s Board of Governors.

“I certainly never thought of it. I was really surprised [to get the nomination letter] and it is nice to think that the work done was worthwhile.

“It is really recognition of the people I worked with, my family support and the Board of Governors. It is a very, large family award — is the way I see it — a family ticket for all of them. I think it’s fantastic. I’ve received so many messages of congratulation from these people and they are really congratulating themselves. Without them I wouldn’t have got it,” he said generously.

Mr Lockett wasn’t the only east Belfast educator to be recognised as Bangor woman Patricia Grindle was awarded an MBE for her sterling work as principal of Mitchell House Special School.

The pair were amongst 51 people from Northern Ireland who received CBEs, OBEs or MBEs in the Queen's New Year’s honours list.

A total of fifteen people from Belfast were honoured including John Logan, Brian McCargo, Thomas Scott, Brian Sinnamon, who all received OBE, while Robert Bloomfield, Timothy Craig, William Grindle, Ping-ka Wong JP, Robert Guiler, Kenneth Hemming were awarded MBEs.

Meanwhile, Desmond Austin, Philip James and Christine McCullough were also named to receive the Queen’s Police Medal.