This blog post was published under the 2015 to 2024 Conservative government

Avatar photo

Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Austria

19th May 2017 Vienna, Austria

Boar stories – the aftermath

I blogged recently about my bruising encounter with a Viennese wild boar.

Following the blog, I was overwhelmed with ‘get well soon’ messages from well-wishers.  Because the story was widely reported, I also received queries on the lines of ‘what’s this blogging all about then?’ and ‘What does an ambassador do when not being chased by a wild boar?’

The video above expresses, in a mixture of English and German, my heartfelt thanks to all of you who wished me a speedy recovery; and sets out a bit of background on why we do social media, and what ambassadors, and embassies, get up to.

If you want to stay in touch, or get to know my #keenonWien series, do follow me on twitter at @leighturnerFCO, or sign up for our UKinAustria Facebook page.  No more wild boar attacks (I hope) but lots of other interesting and important stuff.

1 comment on “Boar stories – the aftermath”

Comments are closed.

About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.

Follow Leigh

Tags

austria vienna Wild Boar

Links