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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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31st May 2017 Vienna, Austria
Innsbruck; 42; Towel Day; and the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Where did Douglas Adams get the idea for his improbably brilliant book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? The answer is… Innsbruck. Eagle-eyed colleagues in the Vienna Embassy have brought to my attention a “Guardian” article of 3 February 2011: Douglas Adams and the cult of 42. The article records a letter of thirty years […]
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30th May 2017
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Britain and the Lower Danube
As part of our #BritainInRomania activities, exploring the history of the rich British links with Romania, the Embassy held a series of events in Galati and Tulcea counties earlier this month. I joined the Director of the Galati History Museum for a seminar highlighting the work of the former British Consulate in that city, and […]
26th May 2017 Holy See
An Audience with Pope Francis
We were privileged, on 18 May 2017, to attend a Papal Audience at which Pope Francis gave his love and support for patients and families with Huntington’s disease (HD). Also present were their carers and advocates as well as researchers striving to find treatments and cures for this devastating disease. HD is a genetic disorder […]
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 […]
15th May 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Who Will Lead The World On Health?
In less than two weeks the world will come together to choose a new leader for the international agency responsible for global health issues, from eradicating polio to fighting Ebola. The World Health Assembly, which represents all the nations of the world, will meet at the end of May to elect a new Director General […]
15th May 2017 Vienna, Austria
An encounter with a Viennese wild boar
Climbing through the woods after a cloudburst, I follow the path around a corner to find myself confronting a group of wild boar – four or five hulking adults and countless piglets – known, charmingly, as Frischlinge in German. I am closer to them than either they, or I, would wish. I turn and walk slowly away, avoiding sudden movements. Moments later I hear a noise […]
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15th May 2017
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Loch Ewe
Commemorating the heroic sacrifice of the veterans of the Arctic Convoys of World War Two has been an important part of my role in St Petersburg over the past four years. I was delighted and honoured to be invited to participate in special events at Loch Ewe in remote North Western Scotland on 6-7 May […]
15th May 2017 Canberra, Australia
Keeping my head above water: the first six months of being a new working mum
It all started in a cafe in Montmarte, Paris. My husband and I were enjoying a drink when I noticed a father sitting with his daughters. He’d ordered two glasses of wine and set the girls up with iPads. Then, clearly straight from the office, arrived a woman to greet her family. I didn’t know […]
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11th May 2017 Mogadishu, Somalia
Somali Women: The Roadmap to real participation/ new approach
The 2016 Somali Parliamentary election marked a new milestone for Somali women. Although the conversation about ‘Elevating Women in Political Participation and Leadership roles’ has been going on for some time, this had never been embodied in the manner it is in the current Parliament. Many Somalis championed, participated in and spent a lot of […]
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10th May 2017 Vienna, Austria
Contact lenses, smart phones, violins, Tribology and you
I’m presenting a world-famous Austrian scientist with a gold medal for scientific achievement. His family are present, bursting with pride, along with other world-class Austrian and German scientists. Yet until I was asked to present the medal, I had never heard of the scientific discipline of Tribology. One of the joys and challenges of being […]
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