17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
6th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
#REASONSTOLIKEISTANBUL: My Top 5 Tips
A conservatively-dressed couple sit quietly in a park, kissing. A valet pilots Range Rovers outside a posh business restaurant. A transvestite burlesque dancer belts out a song to a packed house of, mostly, women. A pale new moon rises over a mosque between two skyscrapers. A band of pigeon-fanciers clusters round a wooden cage of […]
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5th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Farewell to Brisbane
Our final trip to Brisbane, that dynamic city of glittering skyscrapers in the hot and sometimes humid tropical state of Queensland, which always sees itself as just a bit different from the rest of Australia. It was one of the first places I visited when I arrived in January 2011, as Kevin Rudd brought William […]
5th February 2015 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 26 January-1 February 2015
Trouble reading this story or moving through pages? Check it out on Storify here: https://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-26-january-1-february-2015 [View the story “Canadian science news: 26 January-1 February 2015” on Storify]
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4th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Farewell to Sydney
I can hardly believe I’m saying farewell to Sydney at the end of our posting here. It has been our second home during our time in Australia. I’ve probably been in Sydney nearly once a week for the last four years, and often come up for the weekend. I feel I’ve got to know very […]
4th February 2015 London, UK
Testing consular appointment booking in Madrid
What we learnt about our appointments service during a visit to Madrid As the consular appointments alpha phase drew to a close, a visit to the Embassy in Madrid was a good opportunity for some face-to-face user testing, as well as a timely reminder of local conditions. First of all, the Google map pin for […]
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4th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Helping to build Istanbul’s Grand Airport and keep it safe
I work for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). UKTI is the part of the British Government which helps British companies to trade internationally, and which helps overseas companies to set up shop and invest in the UK. International trade is one of the best ways to help countries become more stable and prosperous. Check out […]
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3rd February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Australia UK Ministerial meeting (AUKMIN) in Sydney
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon have just been in Sydney for the 7th annual AUKMIN talks with their opposite numbers Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews on 2 February. This is a big event, with participants also including the Chiefs of Defence and senior officials from each country. PM Tony Abbott hosted […]
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3rd February 2015 Athens, Greece
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
It’s my pleasure to welcome as guests to this blog, Robert W. Peck, Ambassador of Canada (the last country chairing IHRA), and Eszter Sandorfi, Ambassador of Hungary (the next chair). They both share their thoughts on what the International Holocaust Remembrance Day means for them personally. I’m grateful to them for contributing in this way. […]
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3rd February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Civil Nuclear Showcase
The Central European Network is a grouping of nine British Embassies stretching from Poland to Bulgaria, representing an area we describe as ‘High Growth Europe’. Each Ambassador in the network is charged with promoting one of our priority sectors for developing British trade, as part of UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) Export 2020 initiative. I […]
3rd February 2015 Dublin, Ireland
A small ceremony to present Professor Limon with the badge of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Last September, Her Majesty The Queen appointed Professor Jerzy Limon to be an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his valuable services to British-Polish cultural relations. On 29 January, I had the pleasure and honour to present Professor Limon with the badge of the Order at a […]
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