Bird collects doctorate with Parky

7:57am Tuesday 18th November 2008

Cricket umpire Harold "Dickie" Bird revealed he felt as nervous collecting an honorary doctorate in his home town as he did before he went out to umpire Test matches.

The 75-year-old, who has umpired in more than 100 Test matches and one-day internationals, was at the Barnsley campus of the University of Huddersfield to collect the doctorate along with lifelong friend and broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson.

The pair mingled with students before being led into the ceremony headed by Sir Patrick Stewart, Chancellor of Huddersfield University, and a brass band.

Dressed in red and turquoise gowns they received their doctorates before some 100 students at the University Centre in Barnsley.

Before receiving the honour, Bird, born and brought up in Barnsley and still living in the area, said: "It's a wonderful, wonderful, tremendous honour that I've had bestowed on me."

He has previously being awarded honorary degrees from Sheffield Hallam University and Leeds University but said today was special because he was getting it "in his home town".

But he also admitted to feeling "a little bit nervous" and compared it to how he felt before he went out to umpire Test matches.

He spoke fondly of his colleague Sir Michael, who was also receiving an honorary doctorate from the university.

Bird said: "We've been friends for many, many years since we were kids when we played for Barnsley Football Club together."

And the feelings were reciprocated by Sir Michael, 73, who said "It's nice to get an honour for a dunce like me and in the company of my dear friend HD Bird, Umpire of this Parish. The nice thing about it is a getting the award and then secondly getting it with Dickie because we've been friends all our lives."