210th anniversary of Purdey's

Motion Text

That this House notes the 210th anniversary of Purdey's gun making; highlights that James Purdey & Sons first opened its doors at 4, Princes Street, near Leicester Square, London in 1814 and moved to its current home at Audley House, Mayfair in 1882, playing a role in the D-Day landings, when Eisenhower's deputy chief of staff, General Bedell-Smith, used the renowned Long Room for battle sharing in 1942; underlines the long and fruitful association with the British Royal Family and in 1838, the year of her coronation, Queen Victoria commissioned a pair of double-barrelled pistols from Purdey for presentation to the Imam of Muscat, representing the superiority of hand-made British products; celebrates the success of Purdey's and how it is difficult to imagine a more British company; and wishes them many more years of gun-making.