From a basket maker to a man who's dedicated his life to hops, Kent's finest are reflected in this year's birthday honours.

Victoria Pomery (pictured below), the mastermind behind the launch of Margate's Turner Contemporary, was among those honoured.

The director is being awarded an OBE for services to the arts.

Since the opening the gallery in April last year there have been more than 500,000 visitors.

Ms Pomery said she was delighted to be given such an honour.

She said: "I think its incredibly important particularly in a jubilee year - there is something special about having public recognition.

"Over the years so many people have been given such awards for doing all sorts for their communities. It's a recognition that both Turner Contemporary and Margate are changing and on a personal level it's a recogniton of all the work that went into establishing it in the first instance."

Tony Redsell (below, with hops), one of the country's leading hop growers who farms extensively in Faversham, Teynham, Canterbury and Thanet, has been awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Mr Redsell is chairman of the National Hop Association and also produces award winning cherries, arable crops and vegetables.

He grows more than 220 acres of traditional hops and this year will be his 63rd hop picking.

The Redsell family have been farming for well over a century and Mr Redsell has been at the helm since the early 1960s when he took over from his late father Tom.

Mr Redsell championed research and development in the hop industry and has been a great supporter of the research and development work undertaken by the National Hop Association formed in 1982.

Speaking after the announcement, he said: "I'm not sure my family will worry too much about it - they think I should have retired months ago - they'll be pleased for me."

"To me this is an award for the whole industry and I'm very proud to be a hop grower because we've contributed funds for research for many years without any legislation."

"I just love the job and it's rather nice to think that in the latter part of my career, I've been given this recognition."

Former Stour Valley Arts director Sandra Drew has been awarded an MBE.

Ms Drew, 69, retired earlier this year after 18 years of service to Stour Valley Arts (SVA). Her MBE is for services to the arts.

The mum-of-three said: "I was amazed and privileged to receive it. I had a letter come through from the cabinet office and had no idea what it might be.

"I've been working in the arts for 40 years, originally Australia where I'm from, and then in Canterbury and Ashford. When I first came here I never imagined I could contribute to this rich cultural life we have here, so this is quite amazing."

"I have had the support of so many people who have helped me along the way.

"I'm incredibly proud of Stour Valley Arts, which is now an internationally recognised specialist in art and landscape, a local resource and a unique cultural experience."

The Chief Constable of Kent Police, Ian Learmonth (pictured left), has received the Queen's Police Medal. The medal is awarded to officers by the Sovereign for distinguished service.

Mr Learmonth joined Essex Police as a Cadet in 1974 and served with the force in a variety of uniform operational roles until 2005 when he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police.

In that role he led the major police operation for the G8 summit in 2005 and the policing response to the attack on Glasgow Airport by terrorists in 2007.

He was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk Police in 2007, where he led a major programme to redesign the force to put more officers on the frontline.

In July 2010 he was promoted to Chief Constable of Kent Police. His work with the force has been praised by both the Prime Minister in August 2011 during the disorder that gripped the country, and by the Home Secretary.

Chief Constable Learmonth said: "The success of Kent Police is down to the hard work and deep sense of public service of my officers and staff.

"I haven't worked with a more dedicated team. I'm both delighted and humbled to receive this honour. I don't consider what I do to be special, but I've worked with some amazing people over the years and seen the profound impact that effective policing has on people's lives."

Mary Butcher, from Canterbury, was awarded the MBE for services to basket making.

She said: "When the envelope arrived in the post I had no idea what it could have been – I was extremely surprised and delighted. It's such an honour, not just for me personally, but for the craft too."

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The Kent awards in full:

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Robin Bosher. Formerly Headteacher, Fairlawn Primary School, Haseltine Primary School, and Kilmorie Primary School, Lewisham. For services to Education.

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

CBE

Paul Stephen Carroll. Senior Civil Servant, HM Prison Service, Ministry of Justice.
Dr Richard Henry Tudor Christophers. Founder, The Sixteen. For services to Music.
Professor Christopher John Rudge. Formerly National Clinical director for Transplantation and consultant in Renal Transplantation. For services to Transplantation and Organ Donation.

OBE

Leonard Thomas Arnold. For services to Gymnastics.
Mrs Yvonne Arnold. For services to Gymnastics.
William Brake. For services to Business and Charity in Kent.
Mrs Vivien Ann Cooper. Founder and Chair of Trustees, The Challenging Behaviour Foundation. For services to People with Severe Learning Disabilities and their Families.
Professor Mary Joy Lovegrove. Formerly head, Allied Health Sciences, London South Bank University. For services to Allied Health Care.
Ms Victoria Pomery. Director, Turner Contemporary. For services to the Arts.
Anthony Edward Redsell. Farmer. For services to the UK Hops Industry.
Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby. Professor for Social Policy, University of Kent. For services to Social Science.
Ms Jacqueline Westlake. Team Leader, Big Society Team, Department for Communities and Local Government.
Ms Kim Julie White. Police Constable, Kent Police. For services to Policing and the Gypsy Community.
Mrs Linda Wishart. Head, Knowledge and Information Management, Department of Health and Government head of Profession for Librarians and Information Specialists.

MBE

Matthew Bell. Chief Superintendent, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to Policing.
Mrs Mary Butcher. Basket Maker. For services to Basket Making.
Christopher Capon. For service to Local Government and the community in Hythe, Kent.
Mrs Sally Anne Sweeney Carroll. Founder and Mentor, Transport for Sick Children. For services to Child Care.
Paul Chynoweth. Higher Officer, Information Management Service, HM Revenue and Customs.
Mrs Sandra Drew. Founder, Stour Valley Arts. For services to the Arts.
Mrs Ruth Lapworth. Director, Laboratory Medicine, East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Healthcare.
Derek Lickorish. Chair, Fuel Poverty Advisory Group. For services to the Fuel Poor.
Kenneth Martin. Night Network Traffic Controller, London Buses. For services to London's Buses.
Mrs Bettie Morton. For services to Community Arts.
Roger William Parkes. Governor, Skinner's School, Tunbridge Wells, Kent and chairman of Finance Committee, Skinner's Kent Academy. For services to Education.
Ralph Stanley Partner, BEM. Voluntary Worker, HM Prison Standford Hill. For public service.
John Brendan Riney. For services to charity and to the community in the East End of London.
David Peter Smith. Intelligence Officer, UK Border Force. For services to Combating Smuggling and Frontier Crime.

BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL (BEM)

Mrs Heather May Kerr Clemence. Fundraiser, Sevenoaks Branch, British Heart Foundation. For charitable services.
Mrs Patricia Rosemary Leviston. For services to the community in Cliffe, Kent.
John Edward Teague. Member, St. Vincent de Paul Society. For services to the community.
Mrs Patricia May Wenbourne. For services to the community in High Halden, Kent.

QUEEN'S POLICE MEDAL (QPM)

Ian Learmonth. Chief Constable, Kent Police.