10th January 2012 Dublin, Ireland
The successful Polish Presidency is over. But 2012 is set to be another year in Britain and Poland. Even if England were drawn in Ukraine, EURO 2012 will be a highlight here and a chance to showcase the best of Poland. For the UK, 9 January marks 200 days until the start of the Olympic […]
8th January 2012
Well it wasn’t quite a barbie on the beach: we still felt it wouldn’t be Christmas without roast turkey and all the trim, but it was nice to spend Christmas afternoon relaxing in the sunshine. In some ways Australian Christmas is quite similar to British ones, with parties and carol services. But it’s also the […]
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23rd December 2011 New York, USA
As 2011 draws to a close, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve just days away, many of us are busy with preparations for holiday cheer with family and friends. Here at the British Consulate-General in New York, we’re also quite busy with preparations for what will be the most exciting year in any Brit’s life: […]
25th October 2011
Do you know how many times London has hosted the Olympic Games? How many people around the world are going to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games? Or the name of the Ukrainian athlete who has won the largest number of Olympic medals? (Hint on last question: see my blog “London 2012… and […]
6th October 2011
The following is a guest blog from Mary and Detlef Golletz, friends of mine who visited in the summer. “Kyiv?” friends asked quizzically as we discussed plans for a short break. A reasonable question, given that it proved impossible to buy local currency in the UK and our 2008 Lonely Planet Guide said that the […]
4th October 2011
When I was posted in Vienna from 1984-7 I enjoyed watching the signs that the seasons were changing. As an autumn chill crept into the air, the Viennese hailed the arrival of the “Russian crows” – big, capable-looking birds which would strut their stuff around the parks and squares of the city for a couple […]
27th September 2011
Some weeks ago I wrote about several of my colleagues’ swimming accomplishments at Lake Valence. Now, inspired by the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, they have been entering foot and cycling races too. On 4 September, 3 colleagues competed in the Budapest half-marathon. One male colleague ran alone, and two other female colleagues ran in […]
16th September 2011
One of the most striking buildings in Kyiv is the Mystetskyi Arsenal, or “Art Arsenal”, whose opening I attended back in August 2009. Built between 1783 and 1801, it has been restored to provide over twenty thousand square metres of dramatic exhibition space arranged in massive, high-arched rooms and is always worth a visit whatever […]
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12th September 2011
One of the best things about being an ambassador is the opportunity to meet a wide range of people. So I was delighted on 10 September to attend the Day of Physical Culture and Sport in Kyiv to talk about London 2012. Ukraine has a terrific sporting tradition and it was a privilege both to […]
8th September 2011
This morning I looked up at our Paralympic countdown clock, which is attached to the front of our Embassy, and realised that it is less than a year to the start of the biggest parasport event in the world. Today the UK hosts International Paralympic Day for the first time in Trafalgar Square in London; […]