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Just called The Stephen Nolan show and bluffed my way on to his show. When I got on and spoke about the trip, he cut me off.
This censorship has gone to far..................
Shame on Radio Ulster for not mentioning this act of humanity.

Please call the offical complaints number on 03700 100222

Radio Ulster's telephone number is 08459 555678

Bombard them with calls if you can.

John

Great to see you today Puc, and thank you so much for such a generous donation. everything is moving along fine, with a thousand things still to do!!

Radio Ulster have refused to mention this act of humanity for 2 days now on the radio as it is an appeal for aid for Gaza.
Folks, do you think is censorship going a bit too far?
How a man driving 5,000 miles can't get a mention on Hugo's show, but Pat on the M1 gets a big up?
How hundreds of people from all walks of life all all over Ireland, the UK, the USA, were doing their bit to send some aid to the homeless people of Gaza, and this isn't worthy of a mention on BBC Radio Ulster? Shame on them, shame on them, shame on them. How dare they deny their license paying listeners the chance to hear about a bit of good news?
Sure just e mail them tomorrow with requests for the "Convoy of aid going to Gaza". They shouldn't get to hear the last of this and it should be exposed.

Anyway, i'm just after getting a letter from the organisers with some details about the trip. There is an address for where we are to meet in London, if any one wants to come along and support us. It looks good......

More than 100 vehicles, a mile long and £1 million of aid


What a phenomenal achievement so far. Made possible by you. Thank you. You are an inspiration.

Here is an update and some further information.

France

we are being given an official welcome and use of the Town Hall by the mayor and cabinet of Begles – a town near Bordeaux. It means we won't get bogged down in the inner city traffic, but will still make a media impact.

Spain

Our friends in Paz Ahora – a large pro-Palestine campaign organisation – are working with others to ensure a huge welcome in the cities of San Sebastian in the Basque country and in the capital of Spain, Madrid. We are already in the news there and people are expecting us. We will again receive official receptions and will then head down to the south to get the crossing on the morning of Wednesday 18 February. 

Assembly Point – Saturday 14th February – 9am

We have now agreed an excellent assembly point: it is on North Carriage Drive, which is on the northern side of Hyde Park running parallel to Bayswater. Please see map here:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=527250&y=180750&z=110&sv=North+Carriage+Drive&st=1&tl=Map+of+North+Carriage+Drive,+W2&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

The assembly time is 9am on Saturday morning. It is imperative that people arrive with their vehicles at this time as we have a lot of last minute organising to do, drivers and team leaders packs to distribute and so on.

Among the materials we will be distributing are Palestinian flags for every vehicle, stickers with the convoy logo (and also your team number) and T-shirts donated with great generosity by the Philosophy Football T-shirt company. It's going to look great with everyone in the Viva Palestina T-shirts.

We need plenty of time to ensure everyone has all the paperwork and packs before we head off to Ramsgate. It takes time to clear customs there and the ferry will not wait for us.

Aid and Egypt

A lot of people are asking about organising to pick up aid in Egypt. Here are a number of points that should help:

1)   Money from Viva Palestina will be transferred to Egypt and turned into aid which can cross into Gaza.

2)   If you want to bring cash into Egypt, you  can. We would advise you not to bring very large quantities of cash. It can be safely transferred to Egypt by banking it through via Viva Palestina account. Arrangements are in hand for the safe handling of money. We are working with all the necessary people.

3)   A lot of people are planning to fly into Egypt to join the convoy. We are suggesting that they fly in on 6 or 7 March. We anticipate that the convoy will definitely be in Egypt before then. We are making allowances for two distinct eventualities: a) there are bound to be some problems on the road – we are crossing borders, vehicles breakdown, some people may get ill. We need flexibility to cope with that and we do not want to leave people behind if we can possibly help it b) the factors surrounding opening the Rafah crossing are very complex and involve high level diplomatic negotiation. We will be in ongoing discussion to achieve our aim. We must allow the necessary time for this while in Egypt. You will be briefed on the journey about where things stand. It is for these reasons that we believe we must be prepared for crossing into Rafah as late at 9 March. If people need to leave before that, then there are drivers who can take the vehicles in. For those planning to fly in to Egypt to join us there will be constant updates on the website of where the convoy is.



Tyrone to Gaza

John

When you come through Fivemiletown, keep on the road for Belfast. You will pass through Clogher, then Augher, and then you will come to the infamous Ballygawley Roundabout. Stay on the road for Belfast and just as the M1 motorway begins, turn off for Dungannon. This will take you past Donnelly Motors on your left, just keep on the road for town centre. (Look out for Tyrone Crystal signs, and follow them).  Past Donnellys, go through 2 set of lights, then turn right at a mini roundabout and go straight on at the next set past the chapel. Then when you come the roundabout, go right round and turn off for Coalisland. A short distance down, The Oaks Centre is on you right. We are at the front door.
When do you plan to come down? Will be great to meet you, however, I might be out and about so I will pm you my mobile.

John

Well folks, update on day 3 of  "Tyrone To Gaza".............

Well, the bags of clothes and blankets just came thick and fast all day, and already the lorry is half full. Going by the amount of people coming back with stuff to us, the lorry will be stuffed to the ceiling leaving on Friday.

Today, 3 local actors stopped by to lend their support. Conor Grimes, (Datsun), and the other half of his comic duo Alan Mc Kee took time out from rehearsals of their hit play "The History Of The Troubles", and came up from Belfast. For anyone who hasn't seen this play, do yourselves a favour and go see it.
Liam Mc Mahon, star of the recent movie "Hunger", stopped by as well. It was fantastic to recieve their support, along with the many bags of clothes they donated.
Had Michael Cullen take a few photo's, and he is to send them around to a few national papers, so keep a look out!!

I intend to keep an update going on here as best I can, permitting on coverage. I am taking my laptop, digital camera, and digital camcorder along, so If I have the coverage, i'll be posting as much as possible. If anyone knows of a satellite phone that could be donated for a month, let me know.

Hopefully on Thursday morning, Cuthbert Donnelly will be bringing along the Sam Maguire and the Tom Markham. I have no idea what the people in Gaza are going use them for!!!! Also, I hope to have representives of the local clubs and beyond there too, and have a bit of media interest. So, if any of you are around Dungannon on Thursday morning about 10 ish, please call in and you can represent the board. Would be great to have a rep there since your support and motivation so far has been invaluable. Thank you all.

My friend Greg in Cardiff has been doing well fundraising. He is good friends withThe Super Furry Animals, and they have kindly donated four beautiful posters, signed by them. One is for the Royal Festival Hall gig in 2007-2008. 2 are for "The gift that keeps giving" (very apt) and the last is for their sngle "Demons". He will be selling them individually at some stage to the highest bidder, so that should bring in some good money.

Plus, A 90min documentary has been commisioned, and it follow the convoy from London through to Rafah.  The docmentary is going to be produced by Louis Grover, directed by Gavin Searle and edited by Ken Loach, the award winning director of "The Wind That Shakes The Barley". A producer and a camera man will follow the journeys of 6 to 8 vehicles, alternating between the vehicles, and follow them all the way. Now, how could they go past the "Tyrone To Gaza" lorry.........

For anyone in London, or have friends in London, tell them to come along and support the convoy leaving. For now, we are leaving the Embankment at 11am, but if that changes, I will let you know. Cuchulainns GAA club SE London has donated a set of jerseys, and will meet me on Saturday with them. Great support from the club there.

Fergus Mc Anallen has an appeal out for me for jerry cans, as he is a mod on a Rally Forum,  and he has secured a few for us in short notice. 2 different men in Cork and Kerry even offered us cans and tools, if we could get them up. It's so heart warming to see such generosity for so far and near. A few friends of mine in California and Oregon, have called up and sponsored a few blankets as well..

So, day 4 will be another chapter, and no doubt I will have another few stories for you tomorrow night. Oh, by the way, funniest story so far happened on Saturday night in Mc Graths bar in Dungannon. I was collecting with the bucket, and his woman told me she wasn't going to donate to Gaza as he was just an alcoholic! The face on her when she realised it was the wrong Gaza was absolutly priceless............... Sure what would he do with all those blankets and clothes eh?

Tyrone To Gaza

John

Well folks, have had an incredible 2 days collecting clothes and blankets at the Oaks Centre. The response so far has been amazing.

We have about 200 bags of clothes and blankets so far. There was an appeal read out at all the local churches this morning, and today, despite the snow, a lot of people stopped by to donate aid. We did a collection in the local bars last night and we raised over £400. Malachi Cush interviewed me today on his radio show, and it too has proved to be a big benefit.

If anyone wants to sponsor a blanket for Gaza, you can contact Home Furnishing Solutions at the Oaks Centre, Dungannon on +4428 8772 9119. They are a heavy duty blanket, and cost £15. £10 from every sale goes to the Gaza appeal.You can pay by credit card, and if you wish to send a message with it, they will put a card in with it.

We are going well, and we have no doubt that we will have the lorry filled before we leave. It was good to see and talk to a few board members who stopped by with clothes, jerseys, and cash. Thanks a million lads for your donations. At this stage, what has been pledged by the board stands at just under £1,000, so you can all feel really proud of yourselves. You are playing a vital role in this journey. Thank you all.

My cousin wont be travelling with me now, however a good friend of mine who lives in Wales is going with me now. He is a writer, and he wants to write about the journey and subsequent destination of Gaza. It should make for some reading.......

So keep the support going, as I leave this Friday. I will be leaving from Rosslare and sail to Pembrooke, which suits me for collecting Greg in Cardiff. If I have enough time, I might stop by Croke Park for a photo! Then onto London for 11am where the convoy will leave from the Embankment at The Houses Of Parliment. So if anyone is in London this weekend, swing by and show your support.

If anyone has any contacts in the press or media, please let them know about this trip to Gaza, and see if they will give it some press. Plus, if everyone asked their clubs for any jerseys, it will really add to the total. Lets see how many we can send .........

Anyway, thanks a million for the support, and check out the lorry on the link below. Maybe An Fear will load them up on the thread. Thanks Fear once again for your help in getting Dungannon Clarkes involved. They have weighed in well behind the project.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35125248@N03/

Tyrone To Gaza

John

P.S. Tomorrow, Tyrones number one fan, Datsun Donaghy will be calling in to give us a hand collecting donations............................

I have loved U2 since I saw the video of New Years Day in '83 as a 13 year old. 2 years later, my 1st ever concert was the Unforgettable Fire" concert in '85 in Croke Park, 2 weeks before Live Aid. Since then, I havn't missed a concert from every tour. Now, nearly 27 years later, I can't wait to get the new album, and see them again for their 4th tour at Croke Park. They have given me some musical memories for many years.

I had the privlidge to see them in Feb '06 in Santiago Chile, and with the new president in the audience, Bono had 60,000 people crying when he talked about how Pinochet took his victims to the National stadium, (where U2 were playing, but not at the same time), and had them killed. And then the Edge took out an Andean 12 string guitar that the President had given him that day, and together with Bono, the 2 of them did "Mothers Of The Disapeared". The sight of so many people young and old crying, made me feel so proud that an Irish band could have such an impact on the Chilean people.

So, Mothers Of The Disapeared" is my favourite.

Folks, click on the link below to a flickr page where I have posted a couple of shots. Will have better shots tomorrow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35125248@N03/

Folks, just back with lorry and have a few photo's. They are a bit dark, however you will get the picture!!!! Will have more tomorrow from the Oaks Centre.
Plus, Sainsburys have come on board and will have 6 staff collecting money all day tomorrow. So a big thank you to Sainsburys.
O' Neill's Strabane has donated 500 various jerseys and Liam Og Gormley from Sligo Co. Board has donated 150 childrens playing kits. So a big thank you to both of them.
Can someone let me know how to upload photo's, or if someone pm's me an e mail address, i'll send them to them to up load.

Thanks

Tyrone To Gaza.

Folks,  sorry for the delay, but this evenings UTV Life has been cancelled.
Instead, they are sending out a TV crew tomorrow to interview us at the Oaks Centre, Dungannon.
This will be so much better, as it will show the lorry, and people donating. Tyrones favourie fan, Datsun Donaghy will hopefully be making an appearence, and maybe Malachi Cush.
I have been busy all day sorting stuff out, and have got a few sponsor stickers to go on, including 2 GAABOARD.COM stickers, for all the support you all have been giving.
Have a great logo going on, complete with the Tyrone and Palestinean flags..........
I will be back on later with more details.

Tyrone To Gaza.....

Well folks, please tune into UTV Life this evening, as we are going into the studio to be interviewed by Pamela Ballantine and Frank Mitchell..
Tell your friends.....
Will get a good plug in for the GAA Board...
Also folks, this morning O' Neill's in Strabane have now come on board to supply us with a large amount of clothes. So a big thank you to Kieran Kennedy and all at O' Neill's.

John

How do we get in on the panning for gold in Armagh? Any answers Tony?

http://www.rte.ie/business/2009/0205/conroy.html

Conroy says Armagh gold find big

Exploration company Conroy Diamonds & Gold has made a new gold discovery in County Armagh, sending its shares up by more than 40% on the AIM market in London.

The company has already discovered gold at Clontibret, Co Monaghan, where a resource of more than one million ounces have been identified.

Conroy says the latest find at Clay Lake - 7km from the Clontibret site - has come across gold-in-soil values twice the average recorded at Clontibret.

The Armagh site is named after a nugget containing 28g of gold found in a stream bed in the 1980s.

Conroy is exploring a 50km-long area which straddles the north-south border.

Well folks, have sorted more details today on the trip regarding collections and donations.
From this Saturday 7th, until Thursday 12th (6 days) we intend to have the lorry parked at the Oaks Centre, Oaks Road, Dungannon. We will be collecting clothes, blankets, and other forms of aid each day until 6 pm, and until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
We have decided to stay in the one spot, as it will give people a chance to come along at whatever time suits them rather than trying to take in various towns. We have no doubt that we will fill the truck for the "Lifeline To Gaza Aid Convoy".
Blankets can be bought at Home Furnishing Solutions in the Oaks Centre, with all proceeds going towards the trip.
For anyone wanting to make a donation that live locally, can do so either at HFS, or to ourselves as we will be with the lorry at all times.
For anyone wanting to send a cheque, please make it out to Viva Palestina and you can post it to me. I will PM those who have already pledged money the address, and for anyone else sending a cheque, just pm me for address. We would need to have the cheques in by next Thursday 12th, as we will be leaving on Friday luchtime.
Pm me with the amount you intend to send, and if you donate personally at the Oaks Centre, let me know you are a board member and that way I can post the total donated by board members on this thread. Donations from the board currently stands at £500, so fair play to you all so far.
If anyone can make up a GAA Board flag, or can provide us with stickers for the lorry, please do. I hope to have photo's on line tomorrow of the lorry.
Also, if any of you have any contacts in the national or local media, give them a call and see if they will give us some coverage.
There is a lot to be done in the next week, however, with the help and generosity of people like yourselves, I have no fear we will make it happen......
Also, check out the Viva Palestina web site where you can see the route and details of the journey.  

http://www.vivapalestina.org

Once again, many thanks

John Hurson

Folks, sorry for not been back in touch before now, as I have been trying to get the trip together.
At this stage, I am going to be joined by my cousin, who will be an incredible help with the driving as we intend to cover 5000 miles in 16 days!
We have secured a vehicle from Rocwell Water. It's a 7.5 tonne Daf curtainsider, and he is throwing in plenty of water which is badly needed in Gaza.
We have a couple of other sponsors lined up, and by tomorrow we will have their details to report.
Home Furnishing Solutions in the Oaks Centre Dungannon have sourced us blankets, and we will have the details on that tomorrow as well.
We will try and have details of collection points for clothes by tomorrow evening/Friday, where people can donate clothes or buy a blanket for the people of Gaza.
Remember, there are 60,000 people homeless and everthing we bring will be well appreciated.
Also, by tomorrow we should have details where people can make donations to.
Already there are 90 vehicles in the convoy, including a Fire Engine, 6 Ambulances, and a boat for the fishermen in Gaza!!
Thanks again for the massive support, and please continue to help us whatever way you can. Pass on the information to all your friends, and for everyone on Facebook, please join the group "Tyrone To Gaza"

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6726&uid=57553768486#/group.php?gid=47557978417&ref=ts

John

Folks, your support so far has been amazing. We are now one sixth of the way there in a couple of hours. Well done to all.
As for the donations, keep them coming, however, since this project is in its early stages, I will let you all know how to make donations whenever I get more details.
It would be nice to keep a running total of money pledged, and clothes donated.  It would be a great way to keep the appeal motivating. Any thoughts?
As this is a GAA board, how about donating some jerseys from your club or your county? It would be good to see a few Palestinians in your club colours? Remember ye man in Georgia last year beside the tank in the Tyrone jersey! As I love photography, I will be sure to take a load of photos and have them posted.
The van will proudly carry a big "GGABOARD.COM" logo, and maybe someone can russle up a flag of support from the board.
Will have more information on the trip tomorrow, as there are still visa issues to be dealt with, along with me having to get a  British Passport, as my Irish one wont do.....
Thanks again for all the support and best wishes.

John.

PS. This trip is motivated by a true story I was told while living in Portland Oregon by a guitar player from Dublin, Aidan Brennan. It was about how a native American Indian Choctaw tribe raised money, and walked for hundreds of miles to send money back to the people of Ireland who were in the throws of the Famine.   I will copy and paste the Wikipedia version of the true story. (Not that Aidans story wasn't true, it's just that I can't remember the exact facts)

In 1847, midway through the Great Irish Famine (1845–1849), a group of American Indian Choctaws collected $710 (although many articles say the original amount was $170 after a misprint in Angie Debo's The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic) and sent it to help starving Irish men, women and children. "It had been just 16 years since the Choctaw people had experienced the Trail of Tears, and they had faced starvation... It was an amazing gesture. By today's standards, it might be a million dollars." according to Judy Allen, editor of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's newspaper, Bishinik, based at the Oklahoma Choctaw tribal headquarters in Durant, Oklahoma. To mark the 150th anniversary, eight Irish people retraced the Trail of Tears,[73] and the donation was publicly commemorated by President Mary Robinson.

Folks, please please please do not turn this thread into a political rant on the rights and wrongs of the war in Gaza. There is a seperate thread running on this "Israel sends in the ground troops". So go to that thread to discuss the war.
I am planning on giving a month to this convoy, and to collect as many blankets and clothes before I go. I will personally do my very very best to make sure the people most in need recieve them.
As for monetary donations, as I have said it is expected to cost £3,000, so whatever is left over will go to local based charities to help those most in need.
I will post a many details as possible, when I get them, and keep everyone informed.
My name is John Hurson, and i'm from Dungannon.
So folks, please keep this thread free from any nonsense, and to the cause in point, "Gaza"

Thanks
John