Tributes paid to a true gent

Peter Blundell MBE

TRIBUTES have been paid to a community stalwart who has died following a battle with cancer.

Peter Harold Blundell MBE, from Diggle, lost his fight for life, aged 58, at the Royal Oldham Hospital, after being diagnosed with the illness 12 months ago.

The father-of-five — a huge Northampton Saints rugby union fan — was a former Lieutenant-Colonel with the Royal Engineers and was the last commanding officer of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers in Hong Kong.

He successfully backed a campaign, led by actress Joanna Lumley, to allow Gurkha soldiers to live in the UK.

Awarded an MBE for an operational role prior to the Berlin Wall coming down in 1989, he helped plan and control the biggest post-war joint exercise in West Germany involving over 20,000 troops.

He also undertook emergency operations in Nepal and was heavily involved in rebuilding the infrastructure in the Falkland Islands.

Mr Blundell was known locally as a former chairman of Diggle Community Association (DCA) and a popular member of Saddleworth Rotary.

His wife, Diane, described him as her “best friend”.

She said: “He was a true gentleman. There are so many wonderful things I could say about him. He was very much a family man.

“He enjoyed keeping fit and ran two London marathons — one for Macmillan. He was also an avid golfer.”

In Saddleworth he ran his own business with Diane, B and W Consultants, before going into business with Andy Bahado at B2B Business Solutions LLP.

Mr Bahado said: “We’d been in business for six years and he was the most optimistic person I’ve ever met — the complete opposite of me, which is probably why we got on so well.

“His glass was always more than half full, it was overflowing. He was a true gent and truly one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, a top man.”

Nigel Shaw, chairman of DCA, said: “Peter and I were founder members of the DCA and I worked closely with him.

“He was a passionate and committed man and was instrumental in making the group the stable organisation that it is today. My commiserations go out to his wife and children at this very sad time.”

Peter’s funeral was being held tomorrow at St Chad’s Saddleworth church at 2pm.

The family ask that any donations are made to Manchester’s Christie Hospital, where he was treated.