LOCAL historian, Michael McGarvie who was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list has had to receive his medal in the post because of the Covid-19 crisis.
Michael was awarded the medal for his services to local history in Frome. Normally BEMs are presented by the Lord-Lieutenant of the county and recipients get the chance to go to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace but both those have been shelved because of the Covid-19 crisis.
“Obviously it’s a bit of a disappointment to receive the medal in the post; it’s not exactly how I thought I would receive it!” Michael told Frome Times. “But it’s not anything to be concerned about in the current circumstances.
“I put the medal on myself; it was on my birthday and a neighbour did me a birthday tea in the garden (at a safe distance, of course) so it was still something to remember.
“Hopefully there might be a presentation by the Lord-Lieutenant at some point and perhaps even a chance to go to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party but we’ll have to see.”
Michael at 83 is self-isolating. “My wife died five years ago so I’m used to living alone but I have to say how helpful the neighbours have been, getting my shopping and prescriptions; this crisis has brought out the best in people.
“And I’ve got to grips with new technology; I use Zoom now to chat to my three daughters.”
Michael received the BEM for his work promoting, recording and preserving local history for over 45 years and for his campaigning to save listed buildings, especially in Frome, which has one of the largest collections of listed buildings in Somerset.
Speaking to Frome Times about his BEM in January, he said, “I am very pleased – I have worked hard for nearly 50 years on the history of this area. Local history is part of the jigsaw of our national history, and it’s now getting the recognition that it deserves. And I also feel that this is not just a tribute to me, but a tribute to other people, who have sadly now died, who worked on the history of the district and produced written work on it. So I feel that it is a joint honour in the wider sense.”
Michael has helped to raise funds for important building restorations as well as recording and promoting the area’s rich and varied history. His detailed history of Marston House helped to persuade the local authority that the building should be saved from demolition. The house has been fully restored and he is now the archivist and historian to the current owner. He has been an active member and supporter for a number of regional historical organisations and campaigns over many years, including the Somerset Record Society, Frome Museum, Hardington Church, the Ancient Monuments Society, Mells Manor and the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. His Book of Frome is particularly popular, now in its fifth edition.
Photo credit: Andrew Edwards
