8th October 2013
The work of diplomats, and Embassies, can often seem very cerebral and detached. But as our colleagues in Nairobi recently experienced, it can also be very practical and traumatic. Last week, along with colleagues across Brazil, we’ve been looking at our crisis plans. These are the preparations we make for the kinds of terrible incidents […]
3rd October 2013 Brasilia, Brazil
Like most Londoners, I do not generally talk to strangers – especially on public transport. However, if I want to speak to them I can go to Speakers ‘ Corner in Hyde Park. It is an area where anyone can speak on any subject they want whilst others listen, debate or just heckle. I remember […]
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30th September 2013 Brasilia, Brazil
Welcome to the British Embassy’s new Foreign Policy Blog – Speaker’s Corner! I am delighted to be the first of many to contribute to this new initiative.
18th September 2013
Is anything as quintessentially British as a “cup of tea”? I’m delighted that our GREAT Campaign has proudly partnered with British producer Tregothnan Tea, whose excellent website includes the fine slogan: “Tea is liquid wisdom”. British tea is justifiably famous. Apparently people in the UK consume 165 million cups a day. But Tregothnan tea is more British than most. This is […]
8th March 2013
Who said, when consulted on the possibility of women entering the British Diplomatic Service: “I dare say that the intellectual type of woman, which would presumably be the type to enter the Service, would be as useful as a man in a purely intellectual occupation such as that of junior clerk in the Foreign Office… […]
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28th February 2013
Here are some things you can do to celebrate St David’s Day, the national day of Wales, on 1 March: read this blog about my Welsh great-grandfather, John Derfel. Includes a beautiful old picture and links to the Welsh- and English-language Wikipedia entries of his Welsh nationalist father, Robert Jones Derfel; check out the Welsh Flag which […]
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10th August 2012 Budapest, Hungary
Guest blog by chargé d’affaires Theresa Bubbear Day 2 of Sziget brought a surprising number of double events. For the second consecutive day Hungary won two Olympic gold medals – congratulations to Danuta Kozák and Éva Risztov. I gave my second speech in Hungarian and two media interviews. We dodged two American footballers, sat two […]
27th April 2012 Washington DC, USA
Last night I hosted an event for former Marshall Scholars at the Embassy with a brilliant talk by Jeff Rosen on Google, the internet, and privacy. This is of course a hot topic at the moment – for the public, for Governments, for NGOs and for businesses. I’ve also got a keen interest in it as […]
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16th March 2012
I blogged recently about the good example set by women ambassadors, and about the growing number of British women ambassadors. Those interested in these issue (NB – should be all of us) may wish to check out the fine blog “Girls Allowed” by my colleague Sian MacLeod, ambassador in Prague. Not only does it present […]
7th March 2012
This time last year I published a blog, Ambassadors in high heels, drawing attention to the importance of female diplomats both as high-impact top performers and as role models. This recorded the excellent tale of our then ambassador in Baku, Carolyn Browne, discussing with upwardly-mobile female diplomats in Azerbaijan the potential conflict between looking one’s […]
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