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Roy (62) has been awarded the MBE in the Birthday Honours list for services to photographic journalism. The award-winning snapper joined the Belfast Telegraph at the age of fifteen and has been chief photographer and sports photographer. In a career spanning almost half a century, he has covered most of the key moments in Northern Ireland's history since the 1950's, from politics, business and industry to showbusiness, sport and everyday life. Delighted with the honour the Holywood man commented "The photographic end of journalism has been recognised through this award. I am very happy it has come to the Belfast Telegraph, the photographic department and me." Roy said there has been many special memories over the years. "One was the World Cup when Northern Ireland beat Spain in Valencia 1-0," he recalled. "Getting through thirty years of troubles unscathed is another. There were the big launches at Harland and Wolff - the Riena Del Mar, the Southern Cross and the famous Canberra. Then came the Sea Quest, an oil rig which the Japanese said couldn't be launched in the conventional way, but it was. And there are all the hundreds of people I have met." Roy, who is retiring at the end of July, also covered major events such as Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland. He has received many awards for his sports pictures including first place in 1968 in the sports section of the '100 Best Irish Pictues of the Year' for an unusual shot of Olympic Pole Vaulter Mike Bull.