A MIX-up in addresses meant Prof Karen Holford had less notice than most that she was in the New Year’s honours list.

Prof Holford, one of the country’s leading engineers, only found out that she had been nominated for a CBE when she received a phone call from the Cabinet Office a few weeks ago asking if she would accept the honour.

She said: “A letter was sent to a previous address and I then had a phone call from the Cabinet Office asking if I was going to accept it.

“I was absolutely gob-smacked.”

The honour is for services to engineering and for encouraging women into engineering, science, technology and maths.

­Her interest was sparked by helping at dad Eric’s garage on the A40 at Huntley and by events such as Concorde flying over the village.

At school in the 1970s women were not encouraged to consider engineering, but it was her art teacher at Newent School, Miss Nash, who inspired her to follow her dream and become the first person in her family to attend university.

She said: “When I started I was unusual as a woman in engineering but now we have lots of brilliant female students studying engineering

“We need people from all backgrounds to become engineers.

“What all engineers have in common is a desire to make things better for people.”

The other local people to receive honours are:

Stuart McLester of Coleford who receives an MBE for services to education.

Mr McLester was chair of governors at Monmouth Comprehensive School for 17 years and is still chair of the governing body at Coalway Junior School.

Warrant Officer Robert Weaving, whose family still live in Cinderford, receives the MBE for services to the Royal Air Force.

The 53-year-old was educated at Bilson School and the Forest of Dean Grammar School and currently lives in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the RAF.

Louise Rooney of Chepstow was awarded an MBE for services to nursing and prison healthcare.

The former ward manager at Chepstow Community Hospital was asked to lead a review of health services at Usk Prison.

She was seconded to the prison in 2012 where she led a number of improvements to healthcare.

Prof Simon Gibson of Monmouth is made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to the economy in Wales, having previously been awarded an OBE.

The professor is chief executive of the Wesley Clover Corporation which invests in businesses and is founder of the graduate entrepreneurship programme the Alacrity Foundation.