Nepalese hill renamed for Lumley

POKHARA, Nepal, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The Nepalese tourist spot Mattikhan Hill in Pokhara has been renamed Mattikhan Lumley View in honor of British actress Joanna Lumley and her father James.

Best known for her portrayal of self-destructive magazine editor Patsy on TV's "Absolutely Fabulous," the comedienne has been visiting veterans in the foothills of the Himalayas. Her father was a Gurkha officer and she is an activist who helped fight for newly won U.K. settlement rights for Gurkhas.

Lumley reportedly learned of Mattikhan Hill's name change during a recent visit to Pokhara.

"By this act, the spirit of the Lumley family will remain forever in the foothills of the Himalayas, the homeland of the Gurkhas," the BBC quoted an unnamed city official as saying at the ceremony announcing the tourist destination's renaming.

"It absolutely caught my throat. It was the most moving thing in the world, to think that out here in Nepal my family, particularly my father and me as his daughter, are remembered in these hills," Lumley said. "I cannot think of anything more beautiful. I am so moved and I nearly lost it on stage. I thought I must not start crying."