9th September 2016 Kolkata, India
Last December, I flew in for the last time to Minsk, the city of my previous posting. As the aeroplane descended through the clouds, a pale whitish landscape emerged – there had been a light snow fall. Like many Britons, the sight of snow cheers me – I think it’s because we see it only […]
5th August 2015 Dublin, Ireland
What does Russian aggression in Ukraine have to do with EU reform? Well, for one both were topics of conversation during Minister for Europe David Lidington’s visit to Poland last week (to see the full interview in Polish click here ). But there is something deeper binding the two. Living and working in Warsaw I […]
28th July 2014 Dublin, Ireland
On 4th July we celebrated some remarkable Polish, French and British individuals and some equally remarkable trilateral collaboration between our three countries. Breaking the Enigma code undoubtedly saved thousands of lives and shortened the war. And the Polish contribution was crucial. The history of how Enigma came to be broken has been shrouded in mystery. […]
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10th June 2014 Dublin, Ireland
In May 2012, British Foreign Secretary William Hague launched the “Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative” or “PSVI” In short, PSVI is about preventing the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon in conflict. In so many conflict situations, it affects not only large numbers of women, but also men and children. However, the perpetrators of […]
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4th June 2014 Dublin, Ireland
Even in a year of important anniversaries for Poland, the 25th anniversary of Solidarity’s victory in the elections of 4 June 1989 is a special moment. I arrived in Poland for the first time exactly seven years earlier. I would like to be able to say that I predicted what was to come. But I […]
25th April 2014 Dublin, Ireland
I last commented publicly on the subject of European security at the Institute for Strategic Studies in Krakow in May 2013. A lot has happened since then. The crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea is of course the most significant development. I wrote recently about how Russia’s actions are completely indefensible and what […]
15th April 2014 Dublin, Ireland
Tomorrow my husband Pádraig and I will hold a reception in our home to mark the occasion of the State Visit last week to the United Kingdom of the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Our situation is an unusual one. I am Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy here in Warsaw, and […]
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18th March 2014 Dublin, Ireland
President Putin has now signed a decree recognising Crimea as a sovereign state. The United Kingdom, in common with Poland, the rest of the European Union and the majority of the international community, does not recognise the 16th March Crimea referendum or its outcome as legal or legitimate. Both the British and Polish governments have […]
18th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland
Rhug Estate is one of Britain’s leading organic farms, supplying premium sustainably reared meat to some of the country’s top restaurants. We caught up with owner Lord Newborough to find out more about the philosophy behind his field-to-plate operation. The farm produces and sells Aberdeen Angus beef, world famous saltmarsh and milk lamb, chickens, pork, […]
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3rd March 2014 Warsaw, Poland
Poland – A GREAT Business Opportunity – the Minister came to see for himself….and he brought 70 companies with him… And more to the point he met 200 more while he was here. I’ve been living and working in Central Europe for 20 years this year and this is the biggest ever show of British […]
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