7th March 2012 Washington DC, USA
My mother’s mother was born early in the 20th century in a small Welsh mining village. She was the third of 11 children and she left school – illegally – at 12 to work in a factory. This was not uncommon – indeed only her very youngest sister finished school. Married at 17, to avoid […]
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29th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
After just six weeks in this fascinating job, I can hardly believe how much I am learning. South Carolina and Florida in my first 10 days to get a flavour of the Republican presidential candidates race, some time in Washington finding my feet and rediscovering old friends, then three days in New York followed by, […]
29th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
General George S. Patton once told his troops, “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” At the Marine Corps Trials at Camp Pendleton last weekend, some extraordinary Royal Marines—who have already faced their full share of challenges—competed and felt the exhilaration of victory. The Trials are an eight-sport competition for all wounded, […]
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27th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
The following is a guest post by Andrew Millar, British Consul-General in Houston, Texas. It has been an exciting few days for us here in Texas. We had the honour of hosting Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Sir Peter Westmacott, the UK Ambassador in Washington. As the Consul General in Houston, and thus […]
17th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
I have become very fond of the US, despite having been here less than 3 months. But I have to acknowledge that life keeps foiling my penchant for romantic gestures. It’s not that, I should hasten to say, that the US itself lacks romance. I found the soaring skyline and raised L trains in Chicago […]
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14th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
Ah Valentine’s Day. A day of aspiration, fluttering hearts, yearning and, inevitably, crushing disappointment for some. The lovesick teen waiting for the mailman on 14 February: It’s a bit like policymakers waiting for the latest economic data release on GDP or employment. Hoping for the best; preparing for the worst; often ending up somewhere in […]
13th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
If the first two months are any indication, 2012 is shaping up to be a truly GREAT year for the UK. At the Golden Globes back in January, British shows and performers brought home three awards, including Best Miniseries for the smash hit Downton Abbey. Last night’s GRAMMYs kept the momentum rolling. The one and […]
13th February 2012 Washington DC, USA
It’s a steep hill from our apartment in Georgetown to the Embassy in DC. In the mornings, I’ve tried to reconcile myself to this by reminding myself how healthy it is to start the day with a walk up a hill. I’ve had some success. But the journey home was less enjoyable for the first few […]
13th February 2012 USA
The following is a guest post by Kate Von Holle, Senior Policy Advisor for Science and Innovation at the British Embassy in Washington. Space weather sounds like something you would hear about in a Michael Bay movie. At least that was my first impression, or maybe something along the lines of a space hurricane. Instead […]
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9th February 2012 USA
Some weeks, Tuesday is just Tuesday. But this week I had a “James Bond” Tuesday. It was with great pleasure that I was able to participate at the unveiling of a revolutionary and truly game changing technology on Tuesday, with the Pentagon as the backdrop. On show was the “Phibian,” the newest high-speed amphibious vehicle […]