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Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

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26th June 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

On yer bike

Two weeks ago I found myself cycling in a part of Minsk I hadn’t visited before.  I was in Loshitsa Park cycling along the cycle lanes and listening to a guide describe the park’s varied history. I was one of many taking part in an event about climate change organised by my colleagues in the […]

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12th June 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Diplomacy and business

Can others learn from diplomacy?  I think they can, but so can diplomats learn from others. I gave a presentation to a business group in Minsk, on “10 lessons of diplomacy” that might be useful for business.  I picked on 10 as it seemed a good number.  My brief was to entertain and provide some […]

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5th June 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Like a bird

A rewarding part of being a diplomat is celebrating bilateral co-operation.  It’s a joy to see a common interest bringing together people from two countries.  Some of the best examples are from non-state organisations. Last week, I visited one of Belarus’ jewels, the Belavezhskaya Pushcha, some of the most ancient woodland left in Europe.  The […]

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29th May 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Needed – civil society

Last week I (briefly) took part in the “Eastern Partnership Civil Society Conference” in Riga.  This is part of the European Union’s efforts to reach out to the peoples of the surrounding nations. I wrote about civil society nearly two years ago, when I mused about what the term meant.  I concluded that civil society […]

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15th May 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Landscape – A Touch of Britain

When I first arrived, I didn’t look very closely at them.  After we had settled in, I inspected each one and wondered whether I could change them.  Then I forget about them, until quite recently when one of my team had the idea that we should exhibit them. I’m talking about the paintings that usually […]

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8th May 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Counting the votes: Houghton & Sunderland South (formerly Sunderland South)

By the time you are reading this, we will know the results of the general election in Britain.  I expect that I will have stayed up all night to learn about the results because I love elections.  I find them fascinating – especially how different areas vote. I shall probably have waited impatiently for news […]

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30th April 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Local History – Краеведение

Local history – Soviet heritage… I recently visited some places in Belarus for the first time.  The most striking was the tower of Kamianets, one of several strongholds built by the rulers of the Volhynia principality in the 13th century to protect their northern border.  It is one of the few medieval remains in Belarus.  […]

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27th March 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

True Grit

Sir Terry Pratchett, the witty creator of Discworld I don’t read fantasy books – they’re just not my taste.  So I’ve not read any novels by Sir Terry Pratchett, the author who died two weeks ago. He wrote 40 novels about an imaginary place called “Discworld” which was, apparently, a “flat disc balanced on the […]

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26th February 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Service with a smile

Belarus is a net exporter of services just like Britain, so I discovered recently.  I was surprised, and have been wondering which services Belarus is exporting.  After my blog about tourism to Belarus, I wanted to write about a key element of tourism:  service culture. Services and service culture aren’t the same, but understanding one […]

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10th February 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

The possibilities from books

(on occasion of UK participation in the 2015 Minsk international book fair) I was attracted to my job by Russian culture, which I first came across in my late adolescent and early adult years.  It started with music and literature – mostly 19th century.  But then I read a lot about 20th century Russian and […]

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About Bruce Bucknell

Bruce was the British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata from 2016 to 2019. Previously he was Ambassador in Minsk from July 2012 to January 2016. Bruce grew up on a…

Bruce was the British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata from 2016 to 2019. Previously he was Ambassador in Minsk from July 2012 to January 2016.

Bruce grew up on a farm in southern England and enjoys walking in the countryside and visiting wild places.

He studied modern history at Durham University, and takes a keen interest in the history of the places he visits.

Bruce used to play cricket when he could see the ball. Now he enjoys watching cricket and many other sports in his spare time.

He has had a varied career in the Foreign Office. Between his postings to Amman (1988-91), Milan (1995-9) and Madrid (2003-7), he has spent much of his career in London mostly dealing with Europe and Africa.

He is married with two grown up sons.