Great Britons 2004

Daily Telegraph
Poignant search for the Best of British
By Philip Johnston (Filed: 02/12/2004)
John Peel and Fred Dibnah, two quintessential Englishmen who died this year, and Jane Tomlinson, the terminally-ill triathlete, are among more than 1,600 nominations so far received for the first "Great Britons" awards celebrating outstanding achievement in the past 12 months.
Peel, the DJ and radio presenter, and Dibnah, the Lancastrian steeplejack who spent his latter years defending the nation's industrial heritage, have been posthumously recommended for the prize, which is sponsored by Morgan Stanley in partnership with the RSA and the Telegraph.

Jane Tomlinson: terminally ill but still a tireless fund-raising athlete
The award is aimed at those successful in their field who have also shown particularly British attributes, exhibiting a doggedness of spirit leavened with humour and self-deprecation.
Nominations close a week today and can be made at www.greatbritons04.co.uk. There are seven categories: the arts, sport, public service, business, science and innovation, creative industries and campaigning.
A testimonial to Peel reads: "This man summed up all that is British with his sympathetic approach, his support of the underdog and his love of family and country."

For campaigning, the most nominations have been received on behalf of Neil Herron, a former market trader from Sunderland who was a key figure in defeating John Prescott's plans for a North-East regional assembly. One supporter said: "He stood up for the idea that governments govern only with the consent of the people." Another said: "He epitomises the bulldog spirit."

Also named is Gary Frankum, a former speedway star with ME who campaigns to raise awareness of the illness.

The sports category is led by Kelly Holmes, the double gold medal winner in Athens – "who struggled, failed, battled and eventually won through", and Matthew Pinsent, the four-time Olympic rowing champion, who retired from the sport this week.
There is also support for Jane Tomlinson, a mother of three, who is terminally ill with breast cancer but completed the Florida "Ironman" challenge and cycled from Italy to Britain to raise money for charity.

She was described by one voter as "an inspiration to all… who meets and exceeds the criteria of British success".

Among the businessmen nominated are the entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and Philip Green. The sciences are represented by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the world wide web, and the physicist Roger Penrose.

Arts nominations include Benjamin Zephaniah, the poet, David Hare, the playwright, and Dido, the singer. Gurinder Chadha, the film-maker behind Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, and Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer, are nominated in the creative industries category.

The nominations will be whittled down to a shortlist by a panel of judges before the winners in each category are decided and a final winner chosen.

The announcement of who is Great Briton of 2004 will be made at a ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice next month.