Arise Sir Christopher !

This is more like it ! Over recent years the honours system in the U.K. (Knighthoods etc.) has become a bit of a joke, after all in a system where Jeffrey Archer is a Lord, the whole thing becomes devalued. And then there are the transparently populist awards of gongs to celebrities who have often done pretty much bugger all to earn them. Winning a gold medal is impressive, but to my mind it doesn't justify a knighthood when you consider that it took Churchill 70 years and winning World War II to get one.

But now, Christopher Lee has been knighted, and about bloody time too. He's 87 years old now, still in full-time work and more popular than ever. First becoming famous as Dracula in the 50's and 60's, he later went on to be one of the best Bond villains (Scaramanga), a genuinely sinister preacher in 'The Wicker Man', has been a stalwart of Tim Burton films for years and lately managed to star in both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. He's always been one of my favourite actors and I'm delighted that he's got this honour, which for once is thoroughly deserved. And how appropriate that on Halloween, we can wish him all the best.