CHILDREN OF COURAGE AND ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Established in 1946 by Walter Henderson as a memorial to his son, Douglas, who died in France, the awards, open to nominees from all over Scotland, ran until 2005. Walter's great-grandson Dougal supervised the final Awards, a task he inherited from his father, Gordon. Incapable of self-assertion, he was coerced into accepting nominations of parties unfit to share a roster with the Children of Courage and Achievement of the past. While Gordon had no compunction in rejecting nominations based entirely on affliction and misfortune, Dougal, cursed by a weakling's need to be liked, rubber stamped every application with the consequence that the awards became meaningless. I'm a compassionate person, but sickness is no achievement in itself, however stoicially borne.

Worse still was Dougal's fawning obeisance to the demands of the celebrities who were allowed to attach themselves to the Awards. So-called comedienne Elaine C. Smith in particular used them as a platform for her own political agendas. For three successive years, she presented the Hendersons' coveted crystal trophies to smirking activists whose only 'achievements' had been to picket, pester and harass people trying to go about their business. After the third of these travesties, I returned my own Henderson crystal in disgust.

In her book about my career Nina Kelly argues that my nomination in 1984 was only accepted after Gordon Henderson, beset by family problems, capitulated to my aunt's incessant campaigning and, she implies, blackmail. This is offensive to Hendersons and Coes alike. While various other parties might have suggested my nomination, my aunt and I were too busy pursuing cases to expend our energies soliciting awards. For his part, Gordon Henderson would never have accepted a nomination he considered unworthy.

While it's nice to have one's contribution recognised, congratulation is all too often the herald of complacency. The true enthusiast in any field, be it detection or tiddly winks, has no interest in baubles or pats on the back. His passion has its own rewards.

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