No.127
The Trusty Servant
P I arrived in Tehran with my wife
and seven-year-old son just three
weeks before the attack on the
British Embassy. November 5th
was exciting, and a bit alarming.
I had anonymous phone calls
saying, ‘If you aren’t out of the
country by Tuesday you’ll be
going in a box.’ But I am glad to
have seen at close quarters what
a Muslim population is like when
whipped up by the mullahs. I can
understand why Iranians feel that
Britain and the US have interfered
and exploited them over many
years. I just wish I could have
done something to build on our
common interests.
November 5th was when the British
Embassy was attacked. What
memories do you have of that day?
P As reports reached the office of
serious disturbances in the city,
I phoned my boss and asked
what we were supposed to do.
Then all 11 of the British staff
members (we also had local staff,
Iranians, working with us) were
summoned to the Director’s office
and we were given a dressing down
for showing un-British signs of
alarm. Meanwhile through the
office window we could see thick
columns of black smoke rising
wherever banks, cinemas and
British or American airlines had
been set on fire. But The Council
was not attacked.
Looking back on your careers in
foreign service do you feel your work
was worthwhile, and enjoyable?
P I served in Uruguay, Nigeria (seven
years), Kenya, India, Bangladesh,
the Yemen, and Sierra Leone. I
learnt a great deal about those
countries, and made friends in all
of them. There has never been
strong popular support in the
UK for aid work in developing
countries, but I believe what we
Peter Hilken and David Miers, April 2019
did was done well, and I know it
was appreciated by the recipients
- the local citizens and institutions
we collaborated with. All our
work was in response to requests;
nothing was forced on people. Of
course the needs in a country like
Nigeria are overwhelming. Was it
enjoyable? Sometimes frustrating,
but mostly fascinating.
Have you two met since 1979?
P Both my sons were at the school,
and were happy there. Since Dan
left in 1979, I have been back only
occasionally. David and I have
met there once or twice and at
reunions in London.
D My two sons also went there,
and the occasions when Peter
and I met have mostly been in
connection with the school.
However, we recently cooperated
in organising a reunion of British
staff who served in Iran during the
revolution, including staff from
the BC as well as the Embassy
and their dependants. 92 people
wanted to come, an amazing
level of continuing interest after
10
40 years and testimony to how
interesting and memorable we
found it to be working there at
that time.
P David is the senior FCO survivor
from those events and I am the
senior British Council officer. Did
the cold baths and compulsory
games somehow make us
durable?
The reunion you had in November,
how did that go?
D There was a remarkably high
turnout, considering how much
time has passed. The reunion was
a great success, not least because
the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office was very supportive. It let
us use its finest rooms for the
event, and the current Permanent
Secretary and the FCO Minister
with responsibility today for Iran
both joined the party.