War Heroes visit Top Gear

[TurnerGTX]

A PARA who lost his legs in the Afghan badlands was given a huge boost yesterday with a VIP visit to Top Gear.

Lc Bomb Ben Parkinson, 23, watches DVDs of the car show from his hospital bed every night.

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson, patron of The Sun’s Help For Heroes appeal, heard about their mega-fan — and fixed a day with the team for him.

Ben saw his hero, test driver The Stig, pull some jaw-dropping stunts in a £350,000 Ascari A10 supercar and £160,000 Aston Martin DBS at BBC2’s Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle492159.ece

TELLY favourite Richard Hammond is throwing a £20,000 “thank you” party to the medics who saved him after his 288mph jet car crash.

Coach-loads of 100 doctors, nurses and air ambulance staff are taking the 200-mile trip to London for the bash.

Last night a source close to the Top Gear host – nicknamed Hamster by co-star Jeremy Clarkson – said: “This is very much NOT a showbiz do.

“It is a party to thank the medics who saved Richard’s life. “It is very much something he wanted to do and has organised. He has hired the venue and there will plenty of champagne, food and drink. More than 100 people are expected.”

The Hamster’s Ball is being held at the posh Hospital Club in Covent Garden tonight, 14 months after the horror smash at Elvington airfield, near York. His dragster barrel-rolled when a tyre burst, leaving him critically ill with brain injuries.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle491914.ece

[BlaRo]

Both incredible stories, and the team should be commended for pulling both events off.

[nist7]

Afghan badlands? LOL. A very....interesting choice of words to describe a country.

Damn! The guy lost his legs, and he can't talk?! And fighting spinal/brain injury with MRSA? Whew, this guy IS a hero to have lived through all that. Another painful reminder of the horrors of warfare.

Regardless of how we all feel about justifications for the war, the brave men and women should be held in the highest honor. And of course, Top Gear would never miss such an important PR opportunity.

[lukenwolf]

I don't think that PR has much to do with it. As much as Jezza loves to take the piss out of about everybody, I think that he genuinely cares for the people who risk their health and live in a war they didn't ask for.
I'm not much of a person who thinks that we or any other allied forces should wage war on anybody, but I do appreciate the bravery of soldiers and I'm very happy to see that they invited him to fulfill him a dream. That'll do more for his recovery than any medication I guess. That's beyond cocking-about and I'm sure they would have done it even if nobody noticed.

[jensked]

\o/ Cool! And now we know Clarkson has feelings.

[Walsh_e]

We all know from his TV shows that he is a great admirer of the bravery of people, his shows about the VC winners you can see how much he cares about the subject, nice of the team to arrange it for him and very nice for Hammond to throw a party for the staff, he also got people to send their donations for him to give it to the hospital when he had his accident don't forget, great guy.

[niccce]

TELLY favourite Richard Hammond is throwing a £20,000 “thank you” party to the medics who saved him after his 288mph jet car crash.

What the fuck is wrong with all them journalists ? Does it really mater how much it cost him? Wouldn't

TELLY favourite Richard Hammond is throwing a “thank you” party to the medics who saved him after his 288mph jet car crash.

sound just so much better ?

Has anyone got a pair of nail scissors ?! (a subtle hignfy reference)

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by niccce

What the fuck is wrong with all them journalists ? Does it really mater how much it cost him?

Well, it is the Sun...

[stiggie]

I do believe I see a Holden Commodore behind the Stig in that picture. Well, it'll be a "Vauxhall VXR8", but its a Commodore.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by stiggie

I do believe I see a Holden Commodore behind the Stig in that picture. Well, it'll be a "Vauxhall VXR8", but its a Commodore.

yes I noticed that too, what I also noticed is that it appears to be the twentieth anniversery colour which as far as I can tell is not actually available in GB

[stiggie]

Maybe its the HSV then?

[James May's Hair]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Well, it is the Sun...

nicknamed Hamster by co-star Jeremy Clarkson

That's not true either; Richard's friend, the brilliantly-named Zog Ziegler is responsible for that.

If Gordon Brown gets desperate, expect a complete withdrawal of British soldiers from both Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be too late for all the soldiers we've lost, though. Shameful.

[POWERRR!!]

You could *almost* see a human nose behind that visor.

[NOHC]

Say what you will about Clarkson & company being irresponsible prats, but if stuff like this doesn't warm your heart, then there's no hope for you.

[kyoru]

great stuff from the top gear family

[Speedtouch]

Clarkson does have a soft side after all. Well done.

[Mach1]

Hammond's busing 100 people 200 miles to a thank you party??? I guess they'll get a chance to use those empty bus lanes.

A four hundred mile round trip on a freakin' bus is not my idea of a thank you. I guess the press coverage for Hammond will be much bigger in London!

Please tell me why he couldn't find a closer venue.

[Peter3hg]

Originally Posted by Mach1

Hammond's busing 100 people 200 miles to a thank you party??? I guess they'll get a chance to use those empty bus lanes.

A four hundred mile round trip on a freakin' bus is not my idea of a thank you. I guess the press coverage for Hammond will be much bigger in London!

Please tell me why he couldn't find a closer venue.

It's an expression, they aren't literally going by bus.

[No Boss]

Honestly, how can someone hate these guys? Disabled veterens? Thank you partys? I don't see any L-E-Ls or Gaurdianistas doing things like this for people.

Originally Posted by Mach1

Hammond's busing 100 people 200 miles to a thank you party??? I guess they'll get a chance to use those empty bus lanes.

A four hundred mile round trip on a freakin' bus is not my idea of a thank you. I guess the press coverage for Hammond will be much bigger in London!

Please tell me why he couldn't find a closer venue.

Have you said one nice, pertinent, or worthwhile thing since you've been here...at all?

[Mach1]

Originally Posted by No Boss

Honestly, how can someone hate these guys? Disabled veterens? Thank you partys? I don't see any L-E-Ls or Gaurdianistas doing things like this for people.

Have you said one nice, pertinent, or worthwhile thing since you've been here...at all?

I didn't say anything about disabled veterans or Jeremy Clarkson.

If you choose not to see Hammond's "thank you" party as a publicity stunt, so be it. I can see no other reason to move 100 people 400 miles on "coaches". Let's see: 20,000 Pounds spent on 100 people .... Maybe he should have sent each one a nice 200 Pound gift?

I repeat. Isn't there a suitable venue for a thank you party that does not require busing 100 people 400 miles? Come on! Even Cody, Wyoming (population 8,835) has at least four suitable locations.

I'm amazed that your bullshit detector doesn't work for Richard Hammond.