UK in Bulgaria

Celebrating 100 Years of the UK in Bulgaria

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24th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Between Two Cultures

by David Mossop David Mossop first came to Bulgaria in the distant 1987 to work as a teacher at British Council Bulgaria. He had previously studied Russian and wanted to learn one more Slavic language. Little did he know then that his entire life was to become ineluctably connected with Bulgaria, its language and culture. […]

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18th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

My Parents Lived in Bulgaria in the 60s

by Denise Holt After David Holt’s story for #100UKBG from earlier this week, today – a few days before Easter – we look at his wife Denise’s most vivid memory of Bulgaria – an Easter service at Alexander Nevski Cathedral.  Dame Denise Holt is a Non Executive Director on the boards of HSBC Bank. A former career diplomat, Denise was […]

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16th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria in the 80s: Sad and Suppressed

by David Holt This week’s #100UKBG stories are of spouses Denise and David Holt, who had separate encounters with Bulgaria – Denise in “the dark days of the 60s” and David – in “the sad 80s”. First we will present David’s story; Denise’s one will follow later in the week. David Holt was a diplomat with the FCO, serving in […]

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12th April 2014

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by Jonathan Allen

Former Ambassador to Bulgaria

Fewer Laws Would Make Parliament More Effective…and Valuable

How do you judge how effective a parliament is? In many professions the answer might be obvious: how many goals does a footballer score? How many shoes does a cobbler make? In December 2013, Parliament Chair Michael Mikov noted that 75 laws and 170 bills had been passed in the 42nd Parliament. And this in a quite disturbed parliament […]

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10th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

To Food with Love

by Jane Burner Jane Burner lived in Bulgaria between 1970-1972 and 1984-1987 – during the two postings of her husband Alan Burner to Bulgaria as 3rd Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission respectively.   “The old stories about joining a queue to see what was at the end of it are all true!” – Jane Burner   […]

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6th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Dobre Doshli!*

by Dr Annie Kay Dr Annie Kay has been a regular visitor to Bulgaria since 1974. Annie has deeper knowledge of Bulgarian history, nature and cultural traditions than many Bulgarians. She is Chairman of The British-Bulgarian Society, an organisation aiming to promote friendship, understanding and cultural relations between the people of Britain and Bulgaria. In […]

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2nd April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria by Choice

by Tim Buisseret Tim Buisseret has had a few encounters with Bulgaria – as a child, student and an adult. In 2000, together with his Bulgarian wife Mira, he permanently moved to Sofia. Today, 14 years later, if asked what Bulgaria is for him, he simply answers: “home”. Tim is now Head of the Commercial Section at the […]

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29th March 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Reminiscences of Bulgaria's Commercial Scene in the 60s

by Bruce Beharell Bruce Beharell was a British businessman who spent a few years living and working in Bulgaria in the early 60s. He was the first commercial representative of a British company in Bulgaria after the WWII. “It was certainly a time in those early years of communism when you had to compartmentalise your brain […]

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26th March 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

Charlene’s Dance School

by Charlene Bradford Charlene Bradford moved to Bulgaria eight years ago and settled down in a village close to Karlovo, together with her Bulgarian partner. She fell in love with the country and its people from the very beginning. A few years later when her efforts to find a dancing group for her daughter Gabbi ended without success, […]

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About UK in Bulgaria

100 years ago in 1914, the British Ambassador’s Residence was completed. This iconic Sofia building, given protected status by the Bulgarian and British authorities, has witnessed the ups and downs…

100 years ago in 1914, the British Ambassador’s Residence was completed. This iconic Sofia building, given protected status by the Bulgarian and British authorities, has witnessed the ups and downs of the relationship between the two countries, through two world wars, the communist period, and the promises and challenges of the modern era, where Bulgaria became an EU partner and NATO ally.

100 Years UK in BG serves to celebrate this milestone jubilee. Run by the British Embassy Sofia, the blog includes stories that British nationals who had experienced Bulgaria first hand have written. These are people part of the 100-year history – some settled in the country, others just lived there for a certain period of time. The common bond between all of them is that they were part of the Bulgarian community and saw and felt about it quite differently.

We would like to build a kaleidoscopic view of the British-Bulgarian relations and believe that the British nationals who have touched to Bulgaria have a lot to share.

If you are interested in participating in the 100 Years UK in BG blog please contact us at: 100yearsinbg@gmail.com. Please help us popularise the project by using the official hashtag #100UKBG.

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