27th April 2020 Vienna, Austria
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been shaping the reality of life and work in Austria, the UK and around the world. As we are all trying to do our bit to fight the spread of the virus (stay at home!) and adapt where possible to a new normal, I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that in […]
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8th March 2020 Vienna, Austria
I recently had co-hosted a special premiere of Maiden, the gripping story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old Briton, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World race in 1989. The race, today known as the Volvo Ocean Race, was a brutal competition comprised of six legs […]
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5th March 2020 Vienna, Austria
I’m looking at my bookshelf at home when I notice a weird similarity to the rogues’ gallery of former British ambassadors to Austria in the embassy. My bookshelf is dominated by male authors. The rogues’ gallery for Vienna is exclusively male, up until my excellent predecessor, Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque (in Vienna 2012-16). Male domination […]
28th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
1 March is St David’s Day, named after the patron saint of Wales who died in 589. I’m part-Welsh: my great-grandfather John Derfel (photo above) came from the the town of Llanderfel in north Wales and was the son of the Welsh poet and political writer Robert Jones Derfel (for the Welsh-language Wikipedia entry, click here). According to […]
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11th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
“It is open to doubt whether this location in Vienna is really suitable for the Minister’s residence… it can in no way be considered a pleasant district in which to live.” How times change! Historic papers we recently unearthed about the restoration of the British ambassador’s residence at Metternichgasse 6 in Vienna after 1945 contain […]
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4th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
The UK has one of the world’s largest technology ecosystems with thousands of tech start-ups. As the third largest technology sector in the world, the UK is a global technology leader, with the state-of-the-art capabilities and resources to stay ahead of the curve. In the first eight months of 2019 alone, London attracted 114 FinTech […]
16th January 2020 Vienna, Austria
Where in Vienna can you find a portrait of Elizabeth the First, which features also Romeo; Juliet; and the only known self-portrait of Gustav Klimt? A wise person has brought to my attention the depiction by Gustav Klimt on the ceiling of the Burgtheater, Vienna’s sumptuous theatre, of Shakespeare’s “Globe” Theatre. A painting of a […]
14th January 2020 Vienna, Austria
Video Script: Where are we with Brexit? The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is working its way through Parliament in London. Once confirmed in the UK, it has to be agreed by the European Parliament. The UK will then leave the European Union, with a deal, on 31st January at 11pm UK time. At this point, we […]
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10th January 2020 Vienna, Austria
At a nondescript warehouse in Eastern Slovakia, fine tobacco dust fills the air, and the lungs of the workers. The remote building has been sealed carefully to keep any smells and sounds hidden from the outside world, which might give away its true nature. When Slovak officers arrive, they act quickly, arresting 47 people involved […]
19th December 2019 Vienna, Austria
It is the summer of 1914 and a political assassination has shocked Europe. Not the one you are thinking of – but one which will lead to a change of name for the street in Vienna on which the British Embassy sits – the Jaurèsgasse. French politician Jean Jaurès, sometimes described as “one of the […]
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