Reunion at Valsura 2013

__________________ SPSL-13 Reunion at INS Valsura Jamnagar Gujarat _______________________

This short video can be seen at youtube The link is:
http://youtu.be/jq1fNNE3-rY 

 This is what Trixie wrote on 5th Feb 2013 on conclusion of the Reunion:
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Dear Satish, Gian, Harsh and others in the organising committee for SPSL-13,

Hats of to you all for a terrific show!  You have done Valsurians proud. 

What was most touching was the feeling, the camaraderie and the nostalgia that was such a palpable part of the event.
Truly those three short years we spent at Valsura have left their mark for a lifetime.

The event went off smoothly and well -  Satish, you participated in the "chant" and remembered to thank every person involved.  Harsh, your presentation (finished in the wee hours of the morning) was superb,  and gave us all a place in it - it was interesting to see the progression of each person through life  (in 3 seconds!) and to share his thoughts on what he learnt at Valsura.  The band backed us beautifully and were great on their own as a combo when they sang to entertain.  We enjoyed Ravi and Anthony's songs of yesteryear which added to the nostalgic mood. The CO's talk and presentation was excellent and beautifully produced  - a fitting tribute to Valsura and its history and growth over the years. 

And GP—you were the true anchor! MC and organiser too.

It was great to hear Sir Prakash address us so warmly and share his memories of challenges faced - it was an eye-opener that once Pakistani planes flew so low over the trees at Valsura that houses shook and trenches had to be dug in anticipation of attack! 

Satish, Gian and Pranesha - by your visit to Valsura earlier to recky the place and establish contact and rapport with the hosting team, you have paved the way for our hearty welcome by the CO,  Commodore Sandeep Naithani and XO Capt Manish Tandon and their team.  Their support has been tremendous and we truly felt special in every way - by the personal involvement of the XO and CO in all the arrangements, and by their presence at so many activities - from bird watching to the felicitation function to bidding us goodbye. Our  officers were charming and very helpful, as were the uniformed sailors who unloaded and loaded our luggage, ceremoniously saluting us hello and goodbye; and our civilian bearers who took care of every need. We were pampered with special gifts from Valsura -the brochure, calendar, bird book, cap, mugs, photos - not forgetting a xeroxed and laminated Valsura marksheet with each veteran's name individually highlighted!  These are truly personal touches.

The food was terrific and the chefs deserve congratulations on a sumptuous spread that tempted every appetite. The impromptu dancing and mingling of the old and new Valsurians added the fillip to the evening.

The ladies were treated to a wonderful entertainment at the "NWWA Milan" and we saw a lot of talent on display with the festive songs, a colourful dance (ending with a  "gunshot" of a shower of petals on the guests) and the well-practiced and presented TV skit which had us all in splits.  The game (in which we too participated) resulted in a presentation of ads (thought up on the spur of the moment), some of them hilarious.  The Valsura ladies, dressed in joyous festive colors, and the decorations and backdrops of kites and balloons, added to the colour and excitement.

At the end of the programme, Mrs Jindal, Ranjana Bhatia, Vineeta Dhupar and Lakshmi Ravi spoke a few words of appreciation. They shared happy memories of Valsura where they had made lifelong friends, and shared  personal insights and inspiring thoughts on life.  They encouraged the NWWA ladies  to always believe in themselves and enjoy every moment of their time at Valsura,   Mrs. Lakshmi Ravi said she had enjoyed the nature walks and bird-watching at Valsura and presented to the CO's wife, Mrs. Manju Naithani, a book of poems about nature which she has written and self-published.  She shared that at Valsura, when she had to nurse a special child who was very sick with fever of 106 degrees F, the people at Valsura were there to hold her hand and support her. 

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Here are both the compositions which Trixie created for the Reunion:
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Song for Sir Prakash Singh Lamba At SPSL-13, Valsura, Jamnagar, Feb 2013 Tune: Beautiful Sunday

Today we have a date with a knight Sir Commodore Prakash Singh Lamba Hey hey hey it’s a special day To-honour o-ur former CO SPSL-13 was born Hey hey hey it’s a special day. Chorus: Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, we sa--lute you. He-was posted twice to U..K, when He-won the Der-by lott-er-y A princely sum of 50,000 pounds; He was nick-named “Saat Lakh Lamba” But didn’t wave the Navy goodbye! Awarded AVSM* by Pres’dent Red-dy. Chorus: Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, we honour you. An officer and a gentleman, Friendly, tough, disci-plinarian He’s a team leader to the core A lion-hearted man of stature Served the Navy in all kinds of ships Frigates, destroyers, mine-sweepers and more. Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, we honour you.

CO Valsura, DEE** He retired in1980 Was Director for India of Thales Nederland, Phillips’ Defence Arm, till 2004 Handled international gatherings with flair.Chorus: Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, we honour you. He formed the Indo-Dutch Society And pro-moted good trade re-lations Queen Beatrix of Holland made him ‘Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau’*** Hats off to our-famous-CO! At home in in-ter-national circles-is-he. Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, we honour you. He married Neena in ‘59 53 years happy married life Daughter Angela was born in London Tanya was born in Jamnagar Now as loving grandparents They are moulding next- gen team leaders. Val Val Val Valsura Alma Mater A great place to celebrate a great achiever He’s a man of vision, and we are so proud of him Oh ... son of Valsura, Hats off to you!

*AVSM – Ati Vasisht Seva Medal is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. Commodore Prakash Singh Lamba  was given the Ati Vasisht Seva Medal by President Sanjeeva Reddy in 1980.

**DEE - Retired as Director of Electrical Engineering in 1980 and joined Phillip’s Defence arm, Signaal, the international electronics firm. which later became Thales Nederland,  where he  served as its Director for India, until he retired in 2004.

***‘Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau’ -  The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil Dutch order of chivalry open to "everyone who has earned special merits for society". These are people who deserve appreciation and recognition from society for the special way in which they have carried out their activities.^[1] The order is comparable with the Order of the British Empire in the UK.

On behalf of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Commodore Prakash Singh Lamba was bestowed the honour of the Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Dutch Ambassador to India, His Excellency,  Mr. Eric Franciscus Charles. The occasion marked the 25th Anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation when Commodore Lamba’s services to promote Indo-Dutch trade relations were recognised.  He is now Sir Commodore Prakash Singh Lamba.

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Give Me The Best -  Sir Prakash Singh Lamba

Spoken (Narrator):You've heard of mixes and remixes. You've heard of ready-mixes and custom-mixes. Well, we've got all the ingredients of a MASALA MIX. A lion-hearted hero. A life-changing decision. A lifetime love. Award-winning achievements. So now, ladies and gentlemen, we're proud to present The Best of Sir Prakash Singh Lamba.

Group: (Chanting to the rhythmic beat of snapping fingers, 1-2-3-4):Give me the best I want the best No simple ingredients Will pass the test Just give me the best. Give me a big win - Derby styleGive me the Navy – worth the while Stir in a Director’s cap and challenges too Add in achievements - and an award or two Mix in a lot of love - and a close family And you've got a recipe That's uniquely Sir Lamba. Give me a Knighthood For outstanding work The mark of a leader That’s one-of-a-kind A dash of brilliance A taste of success International flair And warmth and care Trials and triumphs Service of God And you've got a recipe That's ever uniquely Sir Lamba. ______________________________________  Trust you enjoyed browsing the blog and the pictures. Do give us your suggestions! Ghumakkad HB (Harsh)