7th February 2014
One of my favourite activities is to spend time browsing in a bookshop. When I was growing up, that was the most likely place I would go to when I visited our local town. I usually spent my pocket money on a book. Reading is still very popular in Britain. Radio 4, the main national […]
31st January 2014
Many Belarusians ask me about cooking in Britain. I’ve resisted writing about it so far, but next week the embassy will take part in the Minsk international Book Fair for the first time. We want to convey a better understanding of contemporary Britain. One of the themes we will feature is cooking. Britain hasn’t been […]
24th January 2014
I had written another blog for this week. But it didn’t seem right to publish something interesting but not especially important, while far more serious events are taking place in a neighbouring country. It is part of diplomatic work to keep an eye on those countries next to the ones you serve in. What goes […]
17th January 2014
What has more importance: the power of circumstance or the fortitude of a person? Which is more important for national welfare and humanity in general? Svetlana via Budzma website. Dear Svetlana: Happy New Year to you and all other readers. Thank you for these challenging questions – I’ve have simplified them for readers. I’m not […]
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24th December 2013
Christmas is coming. I’m looking forward to it as I’ve been busy recently, and need a break. What is so special about Christmas in Britain? As it is the time when many of us Christians remember the birth of Jesus, Christmas is above all for our children. This is the time when we celebrate them, […]
16th December 2013
We talk a lot about brands these days. There is a lot of value in a strong brand. The worth of a brand is in how its distinguishes, or stands out, from other brands. As a British ambassador, I’m very much part of the “British brand”. My role entails a variety of activities, from supporting […]
3rd December 2013
There is limited, reliable data on it. It takes many forms, and isn’t necessarily physical. And it’s closer to us than we think. It’s also easy to talk about, but very difficult to deal with. I’m referring to gender violence, or as we tend to know it in Britain: domestic violence. This is the violence […]
26th November 2013
My business is all about risk. This may surprise readers – and I often get puzzled expressions when I say it. My job is to understand, assess and communicate the political risks of other countries and try to manage them so that they don’t damage my country’s interests. Risk is about the uncertainty of outcomes […]
18th November 2013
I’m often asked about co-operation between Britain and Belarus – what is happening, any good examples, and so on. Some of the best co-operation is in the voluntary sector. I recently opened a seminar on autism. The seminar was organised by a British charity, Voluntas, to pass to Belarusian medical experts and Belarusian parents of […]
1st November 2013
I’ve had my mind expanded recently. I heard how adult education had lifted someone out of depression. I discovered organisations in Britain that I never knew existed. And I’ve been reflecting on whether Britain is particularly focussed on adult education. It may not be the right question. “Adult education” seems a British term. There is […]