9th August 2016
I’m sure everyone in the Turks and Caicos Islands, or with a connection to them, will be willing Delano Williams on in the Olympic Games in Rio this month. Delano, born in tiny Grand Turk with a population of 5,000 people, will be running in the 4 x 200 metres relay in front of some 100,000 bellowing spectators, and […]
2nd August 2016 London, UK
“I’m off to work at the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio” I have probably said that phrase (and thought it) a million times since I became one of the chosen Games volunteers in 2015, and every time it is immediately followed by me thinking – “Wow!” I feel lucky and privileged, not to mention incredibly excited. Heck, […]
1st August 2016 London, UK
Four years ago tonight I watched in awe as Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony in Stratford launched the start of what would become the most amazing Olympic Games the world had ever seen. London 2012 proved a defining moment for our country. The inevitable pre Games gloom – problems with the M4 corridor from Heathrow into […]
29th July 2016 London, UK
Yes, one week to the Opening Ceremony. Readers who were in London during 2012 will remember what this means: a strange mix of public anxiety – worries about public transport, traffic, readiness of the city been questioned, problems, problems and problems; and also private excitement as the event gets closer. Rio is no different – […]
22nd July 2016 London, UK
It’s beginning to feel very real. There are only two weeks to go until the start of Rio 2016. Brazil has been in the unusual (unprecedented?) position of hosting the top three sporting events in the world in the space of just two years. That also meant that just as the lights were going out in the […]
16th June 2016 London, UK
2016 is already shaping up to be a great year for sport. From football and tennis, to cricket and rugby, it’s not hard to get excited about the number of sporting events taking place this summer, and that’s before TeamGB and ParalympicsGB arrive in Rio! With less than eight weeks before the Olympic Games, it’s an […]
27th April 2016 London, UK
Today we mark 100 days to the start of the 2016 Olympics games in Rio. It’s also the first of a series of blogs which I and colleagues will write as we prepare for the Games. To celebrate the milestone, we have created a video with some Olympic and Paralympic stars, providing British nationals travelling […]
29th October 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
One of my favourite things about being a diplomat is having the opportunity to represent the UK at fun and unusual events. This past weekend was a good example: I attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Youth Para Games; helped to launch UNICEF’s ‘Disable to Enable’ campaign in Malaysia; and got to hold the […]
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30th July 2013
This morning it was pouring with rain when I first looked out of the window. So I was pleased that it had cleared a couple of hours later when my Brazilian colleague Isabel and I stood on a hillside overlooking Addis Ababa in our wellington boots. Actually, it was perfect conditions for tree-planting, and we […]
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25th February 2013
Two vast bridges spans a picturesque strait. Nearby, engineers are completing a rail tunnel which, like the bridges, will link Europe and Asia. A third bridge is under construction. A road tunnel is planned, together with a brand-new airport which, with a capacity of 150 million passengers, will be the world’s largest. Welcome to Istanbul. […]
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