Damn, damn, damn!

I won't be able to get to Heathrow in time. I will give myself a few days jankers instead. :ouch:

I hope Mr Pun gets the hero's elcome he deserves. If anyone from the Foreign Office turns up I hope they get elbowed to the back of the queue!

Is there any further info on the welfare fund for Mr Pun?

Brian

Guy's
I really need to canvass interest for numbers, both here and on ARRSE. I am trying to arrange the VIP reception at Heathrow as there will be big Media coverage and we think many folks, including an indeterminate amount of Ghurkas both serving and retired I could start another thread for the meet and greet (there will be a private meeting for PPRuNe and ARRSE members after Heathrow, with a bar, with no press and MR Pun VC. I don't want to publish that for the whole world for obvious reasons. I wonder if the MODS can give me a temporary Personal message file with a capacity of say 300 mails for the next two weeks?? I don't know how else to do it. Any Ideas??

Tigs, I'll see what and what isn't possible but you can use your own PM box and get people to drop in their details to you. It has a limit and can get filled pretty quickly, but once you have the details you can cut and paste into a file in MS Word or such.

I'll send you mine as a starter. See if that will do.

PPP

Tigs - I can send you a Gmail invite. Set up a suitable address, and then forward (using Gmail settings) all mail to your normal email address if that helps.

FYI: Gurkha Pun VC

OK Here Goes! Arrival Of Ghurka Rifleman Pun Victoria Cross - Now with a few pics.
 

Our Country has many living Heroes, but one of our 13 living Victoria Cross holders, Ghurka Rifleman PUN VC aged in his late 80's, has finally after an extensive campaigne by members of PPRuNe and ARRSE been granted a visa for himself his wife and son to enter the UK and recieve the rightful hospitality and medical care he rightly deserves from our nation, a debt which should have been paid to him and his family in a heartbeat.
Mr Pun VC will arrive at Heathrow terminal 3 1755 on July 4th flight VS 301 courtesy of Mr Branson and the Daily Mirror :ok: He will be accompanied by his wife and son. We are trying to organise a reception at the VIP area, details will follow. We are expecting at least 500 people (ex and serving military personnel) to meet this extraordinary man, whom i am sure we have all spent our military careers trying to emulate, but have failed. If you wish to meet Mr Pun VC and shake his hand at a private reception afterwards then please mail me, and i will send details of the reception etc to you by private mail. I will not give out details publically (it will be close to but not at Heathrow Airport). Also this way we can get an idea of the numbers of people interested in coming.
This is a once in a life time opportunity to meet one of those guys that helped us remain an independant country, and the more people there to clap as he walks through the better. Some of you will be away on det or business, send me your names and we will have our absent friends names on a banner. Please make the journey if you can, we will have a great time for a beer afterwards (at last you can get to meet like minded ARRSER's and PPRuNeR's even if you've disagreed in the past:ok:) Journo's will be excluded from the reception, except Jacko!! If any names appear that you are concerned about in terms of security then please flag up.
Please pm me or ask on this thread for me to 'PM you 'and twill be done'
Yours in great anticipation
:ok::ok:Tigs
Eyes are welling up already in anticipation.

I went for lunch today with the 4 Senior Partners at Howes solicitors, a greater bunch of guys you could not wish to meet. The banter was flying as quick as it would have done in military circles (infact i felt a bit under the weather and was slow in comparison). They have 100 staff!! - not a small outfit and deal with everything except divorce. Any snags, please call these boys, they will be much better than that guy we made a millionaire in Lincolnshire (G Blades was it??)

Might be nice to invite Rod Liddle as well, especially after his thank you. :ok:

Fairdo ORAC:ok:
Just read it thank you. Rod please contact!!

I've never seen a single sentence with the words ' Solicitors' and ' a finer bunch one could never meet' - they must have slipped something into my tea here at the 'Bide A Wee' rest home...

He deserves red carpet treatment every minute.

E-mail sent
 

Just e-mailed my local MP Andrew Murrison.

Don't know if it will do any good, theyr're probably all down the boozer at Bliars farewell beer call.

Having worked with the Ghurkas in the Falklands and Belize I have nothing but the greatest admiration for them and hope to God that these spineless penpushers, who would sue for getting a paper cut on their finger, actually see sense.:ugh:

Thanks for the heads up on this Rod and the rest of the PPruners who have contributed.:D

Tigs - Can you PM me the details for 4th July mate, i'd appreciate it.

Per Ardua

PPRuNe Pops or any of the mods. PLEASE change my title from Nere Goes to Here Goes Thank you chaps! Tigs:ok:

Rocket
Thanks you are on the mailing list, hope to get confirmed details within 24-48 hours, but a good time to throw in a sickie eh!:ok:

Pun Vc & Lance Corporal Rai
 

Dear PPruNers

I have posted over on your forum where Rod Liddle "dropped in" (as it was my first post on PPruNe it may take time to go through the Mods).

As some of you may know, for example Tigs2, I am the solicitor who is acting for Tul Bahadur Pun VC and Gurkha Lance Corporal Rai (the Gurkha wounded in the Falklands - see www.VChero.co.uk )

I have been posting on ARRSE, but people have been kindly copying my comments over to PPruNe so that the message can be "gotten out". It has been difficult to post on other forums just because of the way this campaign has moved forward, thanks to you lot.

Therefore, I just wanted to make a quick post and say thank you to all you PPruNers for the work you have done to help my Gurkha clients in their battle for justice against allegations that they don't have "strong ties to the UK". It is unbelievable these people are not welcome in Britain after years of loyal service to the Crown.

Please don't give up hassling the Government and passing on the message to help Lance Corporal Rai (you are currently his only voice in the UK, as the media do not seem too interested in a wounded Falklands Veteran as opposed to a VC-winning Gurkha). On www.VCHero.co.uk I have put a direct link to the email address of Laim Byrne (Immigration Minister) and his Private Office, as he is the 1 man who can step in and exercise discretion in favour of Lance Corporal Rai.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all on behalf of Mr Pun VC and Lance Corporal Rai.

I am off to Nepal to work on a few more Gurkha appeal cases, starting this Tuesday. I will return in the UK with Mr Pun VC on 4th July 2007. PPruNers and ARRSERS have been at the forefront of helpping make that run smoothly. I hope to see you all at Heathrow Airport. I will liaise with Tigs2 on here and with the team on ARRSE to make sure you all get the inside info on the arrival plans and any other "shockers" from our Embassy at Kathmandu (yes I'm afraid there are more from Richard Beeson (HM Consul) and his team)!

I have no doubt that Tul Bahadur Pun VC will be overwhelmed at the support that will be shown to him at Heathrow. You never forgot him, so thanks for that!

By the way today is exactly 63 years to the day that my client won his VC, during the attack of the bridge at Mogaung, Burma, 23rd June 1944!


Kind regards


Kieran O'Rourke
Howe & Co Solicitors
Ealing, London

[email protected]

Boing Boing!

Ok Guys and Gals. First sorry I have not been on line but have been working away all week with little opportunity to get on line. Martin Howe and Kieran are as Shadia has said in Nepal. I have been working with David Howe trying to sort things out for 4th.
We found out at the beginning of the week that Ealing Council could no longer offer their civic reception room for us all to meet Mr Pun. In essence this makes things easier as we have managed to secure the Renaissance hotel just a stones throw from the Heathrow terminals for the event. The best I can do is to secure a room for 450 people. It sounds a lot, but wait out!

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...eathrow-hotel/

It has been finalised as PTP has intimated that Mr Pun will receive a guard of honour courtesy of the Royal Ghurkas. He will infact receive, upon arrival at Heathrow, all of the privileges of a ‘Minister of the Crown’ (this had to be formally approved by the Home Office!! and was the result, to the best of my knowledge, of diligent work by MOD Protocol and CO the Royal Ghurkas -well done!!), and be driven by car from the aircraft to the VIP reception area. Because of this Mr Pun WILL NOT be leaving terminal 3 by the normal exit point. Therefore DO NOT go to terminal 3 if you wish to see him. He will go to the above named hotel. This will save potential chaos at Term 3 and minimize public safety issues.. I have the room booked from 6.30 officially, although filter in when you like. There will be a bar in the Function room (please have a drink as if we don’t take 500 pounds behind the bar in the room, I am even more in the s**t (I think we might manage it somehow:ok::ok:).

We can stay pretty late if we want although I doubt Mr Pun will last more than an hour.

Things to note.

We have arranged for security to be high, so bring your ID or passport just in case

We have a rough idea of numbers attending from ARRSE , PPRuNe and RUM from the PM’s received.

The Ghurka Association, estimate that up to 500 Ghurkas could pitch up to greet Mr Pun (Who Needs Security:D:D), more if the idea snowballs, so that puts me in the dwang!

Therefore, try and arrive early. I will be at the hotel (short, grey haired bloke with glasses and head on fire)

We are hoping to old a 10 minute Max, press conference. I cannot get another room, so this may be held in the corner of the big room. No press or media will be permitted entry without clearance.

If you wish, stick your Beret in your pocket. Dress is as you see fit, nuff said! We just want to see you.

Anyone that pitches up early and are on their own, find me, as David and I could easily end up maxed out, and may be grateful of a bit of post arrival assistance.

Can’t wait to meet you.. A truly unique occasion for all of those capable of being there.
All of you who have passed on apologies, thank you, your names will be present.

Any questions please pm me or mail Howes and Co.

Cheers

Tigs2

Ok Guys and Gals. First sorry I have not been on line but have been working away all week with little opportunity to get on line. Martin Howe and Kieran are as Shadia has said in Nepal. I have been working with David Howe trying to sort things out for 4th.
We found out at the beginning of the week that Ealing Council could no longer offer their civic reception room for us all to meet Mr Pun. In essence this makes things easier as we have managed to secure the Renaissance hotel just a stones throw from the Heathrow terminals for the event. The best I can do is to secure a room for 450 people. It sounds a lot, but wait out!

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...eathrow-hotel/

It has been finalised as PTP has intimated that Mr Pun will receive a guard of honour courtesy of the Royal Ghurkas. He will infact receive, upon arrival at Heathrow, all of the privileges of a ‘Minister of the Crown’ (this had to be formally approved by the Home Office!! and was the result, to the best of my knowledge, of diligent work by MOD Protocol and CO the Royal Ghurkas -well done!!), and be driven by car from the aircraft to the VIP reception area. Because of this Mr Pun WILL NOT be leaving terminal 3 by the normal exit point. Therefore DO NOT go to terminal 3 if you wish to see him. He will go to the above named hotel. This will save potential chaos at Term 3 and minimize public safety issues.. I have the room booked from 6.30 officially, although filter in when you like. There will be a bar in the Function room (please have a drink as if we don’t take 500 pounds behind the bar in the room, I am even more in the s**t (I think we might manage it somehow:ok::ok:).

We can stay pretty late if we want although I doubt Mr Pun will last more than an hour.

Things to note.

We have arranged for security to be high, so bring your ID or passport just in case

We have a rough idea of numbers attending from ARRSE , PPRuNe and RUM from the PM’s received.

The Ghurka Association, estimate that up to 500 Ghurkas could pitch up to greet Mr Pun (Who Needs Security:D:D), more if the idea snowballs, so that puts me in the dwang!

Therefore, try and arrive early. I will be at the hotel (short, grey haired bloke with glasses and head on fire)

We are hoping to old a 10 minute Max, press conference. I cannot get another room, so this may be held in the corner of the big room. No press or media will be permitted entry without clearance.

If you wish, stick your Beret in your pocket. Dress is as you see fit, nuff said! We just want to see you.

Anyone that pitches up early and are on their own, find me, as David and I could easily end up maxed out, and may be grateful of a bit of post arrival assistance.

Can’t wait to meet you.. A truly unique occasion for all of those capable of being there.
All of you who have passed on apologies, thank you, your names will be present.

Any questions please pm me or mail Howes and Co.

Cheers

Tigs2

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=281212
 

Just received the following from Kieran, Howe & Co Solicitors:

He’s having major coms problems both with the internet and phone in Nepal but outlined Mr Pun VC’s itinerary over the next few days…

I was asked to copy this to this thread from Jes Blast

PPP

Wonderful!!!

This is surely no more than a holder of the Victoria Cross deserves, in comparison to the shabby way that HMG has treated him until recently - and would have gone on treating him but for the intervention, tenacity and support of all those involved.

Hats off to you all.

Sadly, I am unable to be there in person, but my thoughts will be with you and with Ghurka Pun VC.

Even though journo presence will (rightly) be severely restricted, I hope this case and that of ALL troubled British ex-servicemen, from whatever nation (if they fought for Great Britain, then they are BRITISH (ex)servicemen, no question), will push their plight to the forefront of British consciousness.

Great job people.

TPD

Tigs2. Something that has been nagging at me for some time is the deafening silence coming the Gurkha Museum. I have sent three emails and all have been ignored but it would be fitting and proper that Mr Pun VC is able to wear his own medal. Especially as there are controversial circumstances surrounding it being in the museum in the first place. Mr Pun was reported to be anxious to wear his medal - but it was also reported that the museum turned him down flat!

However, brilliant effort this, and a great credit to those involved.

See you at the hotel.

Prune Pop - I haven't received a reply either.

I sent an e-mail via. http://www.thegurkhamuseum.co.uk/contact_us.cfm several weeks ago, but have yet to receive a reply.

Mind you, the thought of 500 Ghurkas turning up at the Ghurka Museum, Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road, Winchester, Hants SO23 8TS to enquire politely about the plans to reunite WO Pun with his medal would be.........interesting.

[email protected] appears to be the direct e-mail address.

PPRuNe Pop, BEagle

It is a very good point. I doubt you will get an answer from them. My understanding from Howes and Co is that they are on the case, something which will be much easier once Mr Pun is residing in this country. The argument and circumstances surrounding the 'ownership' by the museum are tenuous to say the least. Some how i do not think it will be in their keep for much longer once the legal team/press get on to it:ok:

In the meantime Mr Pun had only a miniture to wear, however the team have purchased a very high quality full size replica, which i understand Mr Pun was over the moon with when he saw it a few days ago. I think he will be as proud as punch when he arrives wearing it.

Tigs