22nd January 2021 Belgrade, Serbia
This is the first blogcast I have recorded for several weeks. This is mainly because I had to travel to the UK for family reasons – a journey that was a story in itself. But there is another reason too. I have been spending my evenings doing an online training course. Diplomacy is a career […]
6th February 2019 Beirut, Lebanon
The Embassy has been celebrating in recent weeks. There was a Wedding – on Saturday night a colleague married, the couple looked radiant, and the party was full of Lebanese life. We’ve had an award from Her Majesty The Queen, who at New Year recognised Lea Baroudi of MARCH for her inspiration in creating peace, […]
19th October 2018 Beirut, Lebanon
As Fayruz says….. bhebak ya lebnan. “Ahla wa sahla saadet el safir” said my welcoming team at the airport – “shoukran, please call me Chris, and do speak to me in Arabic” I said back. That was only 5 weeks ago – it seems much further back. Lebanon has a reputation for outstanding hospitality, stunning […]
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2nd December 2017 Beirut, Lebanon
This week I was invited to speak at a conference entitled: ‘From the State of Greater Lebanon to Lebanon the Message’ organised by Adyan Foundation. I was asked to share my thoughts about Lebanon; its place in the region; the past and the lessons we can take from it; and together how we can deal […]
2nd December 2015
Last week the embassy organised a seminar as part of the ‘Soft Skills in Hard Times. Remembering the Service of Great Romanian and British Women’ project. Entitled ‘Nothing Quiet on the Eastern and Western Fronts’, the event aimed to focus on the work of Romanian and British women in promoting peace, security and humanitarian support. Guest […]
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27th November 2015
In the first of this video blog series, my Deputy Head of Mission, Adam Sambrook, shares his views on using soft skills in the context of climate change negotiations. The series is part of the project ‘Soft Skills in Hard Times. Remembering the Service of Great Romanian and British Women,’ which aims to both commemorate […]
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12th December 2014
‘December 21st – 10.30 am on Palace Square, Bucharest “Please move back “, said the tall Securitate official. Three diplomats moved back a few steps onto the now empty square. “I asked you to move – please move back “, he ordered again – in surprisingly refined and clear English. He was wearing a long […]
Read more on Romanian Revolution through British Eyes/ Bernard Marshall: ‘Two days of the Romanian Christmas Revolution in December 1989’ (Chapter I) | Reply
11th December 2014
The calm before December 1989 is as memorable to me as experiencing the revolution itself. Roll back a year to November 1988 and my arrival in a city blanketed by ice, snow and grey slush. More horse and carts on the airport road than cars and an introduction to faded and frozen communist grandeur through […]
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28th November 2014
Guest blog by Greg Quinn, Deputy Head of Mission St Andrew’s Day always has a special place in my heart. Not only do I have many friends from Scotland but there are various other connections. These include the fact that my mother is of Scottish ancestry (and I’m therefore the proud wearer of a kilt), […]
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27th May 2014 Washington DC, USA
A nice aspect of my job is that I rarely find myself at the Embassy on a weekend, but earlier this month I happened to spend the better part of a Saturday volunteering my time. It was a special occasion: on 10 May, EU embassies throughout Washington opened their doors for the EU’s Annual Open […]