the wellington college year book 2010/2011
the wellington college year book 2010/2011
106
107
A
fter thirty years (and
still counting) in a varied
Diplomatic Service career,
I can look back and say
Wellington was pretty
good preparation. Having my daughter Laura
currently in The Apsley reminds me that
Wellington is a very different and probably
better school now. But the Wellington I
attended certainly gave me the confidence,
adaptability and resilience to take on some
pretty challenging jobs in far-away places — not
to mention the fascinating expedition which
the late Peter Willey led to the Valleys of the
Assassins in Iran in which I participated, and
which instilled in me a love for adventurous
travel and an interest in the Middle East.
Of course the fco was also a different
organisation in those days. There was not
a lot of choice over foreign postings and
you went to where you were sent. My first
posting as Third Secretary to the British High
Commission in steamy Georgetown in Guyana
was quite a surprise. I arrived to a major
diplomatic and cricketing crisis, with the West
Indies threatening to boycott the England
Test Team due to some members having
trained in South Africa during the winter
months. I also had to deal with a military
coup in neighbouring Surinam, and political
violence in Guyana. All good experience plus
the opportunity to travel widely througho W@?6?WF??W&?6?BF?R6&?&&V?????W?B?7B26???W&6??GF6?:????&?2v2V?FR6??G&7B??B?vV?B??F???GV??226??7V??B6???W&6??6V7&WF'????W?B7F?gFW"GV??2v2?W'W6?V???@??76W"&fBf????vVB???v?R???B?f66??F??rF?&VR?V'22FWWG?F?V?7F??p?6??7V?vV?W&?GW&??rF?R?6??&?6W72?v?F??g&WVV?BG&?2F?v??BF?RvW7B&????gFW"?W'W6?V??v276?v?VBF?F?RWR???''W76V?22??F?6?Gf?6W"F?F?Rf?'7BWP?7V6??V?f??F?F?R?FF?RV7B?G&fV???p?W?FV?6?fV?F?&?Vv??WBF?R&Vv?????vV?@???F?6W'fR????&2V6????2?@?6???W&6??6?V?6V???"????Wv?B2FWWG???VB?b?76?????BgFW"7V????6?&???WG6?FRF?Rf6??F?&??F????&W6V?B&??P?2F?&V7F?"?bV?G&FR?B??fW7F?V?Bf? ?6VF?&&???gV????V??Vv????R?b?f?'7Bf?6?G2&6??F?vV???wF??gFW"????V'2v2F?'&??p?F?R6VF????7FW"?bVGV6F????&??6Rf?6??&??&GV????F?f?6?B?????r??2??v??W70?v2??v????&W76VB'???2F?W"?????'&?f???&??F??v27W'&?6VBF?f??BF?@?F?R?&76F?"??B?&?72??6?"F??????2?v2??r???c>( 3?ce??B????f?'7Bf?6?BF??VFF???WB6?V??????V@?ƒ&W???VB?b??R?bF?R???G&F??p?6??v???W&FW2??F?R???vF???v?????6V?`??2??r?&B?c>( 3?cu???6??G26???v?&?B?BgV???b7W'&?6W2??vV???wF??6W'F???FVv?B?RF?R???'F?6P??b&V?F???6??'V??F??r?B&W7V7B?2vV???2W'6WfW&??rv?F?F6???6W'F???6?V?@???B?fR7W'f?fVBF?Rf6??"F?R?FF?RV7@?v?F??WBF??2??B????f?'v&BF?F?RF??vV???wF???V?26?W2??6VF?&&???6?&?2???W2?????0?2?c~( 3?s??F?&V7F?"?bT?G&FRb??fW7F?V?B??'&?F?6?V?&77??6VF?&&??????v2B6???VvR??F?R?FP??s2?B?fR???V??&?W2?b7'F?&???2????p?'V?2?BW?6V??V?BFV6???r??gFW"6?'&?FvR?F?Bv?@?WfW'???R???vV?W&F???v2F???r?@??VFVBf?"F?R6?G??v?W&R?7V?B6???V'0?2???7B?BgV?B??vW"v?F???&v??w&V?fV??&Vf?&RF?BVwW7B'WBG&?V&?VB??7F?GWF???v27v???vVB'?FWWG66?R&?????V????VBF?R6?G??'WB&V6?R6??f??6VBV?FP?V?6??F?BF?W&Rv2??&RF??fRF??G'???p?F?'W???r?B6V????v??6?v?V??gFW"F???p?F?RW??6V6??BF??R??v2?ffW&VB?6P???F?Rf6???V?VBBF?R??'GV??G???F?R7V'6WVV?BGvV?G????R?V'2??fP?F??RF??V?F?ffW&V?B??'2?V6???RV?FP?F?ffW&V?B??????F????fRv?&?VB???V6?V"vV??2?V?V6V?VW??r?&?2W??'G2??F???&?B2?VB?bF?R6?V?FW ?FW'&?&?6???7?FW'F?V?B??fW'6V2????fR6W'fVB???????v6???wF???B0??&76F?"F?F?R&WV&?2?b?6VF?????v?W&R?v?&?VBv?F?7G&??r'&?F?6?FV??@???FW&?F????6???VwVW2F???fRg&v??R&???7FFR6??6W"F?F?RWW&?V????7G&V?????r?26??7V?vV?W&???6??6v????VB?FV?&W&W6V?F??r?B&???F??r'&?F???@?'&?F?6?6???W&6???BV6????2??FW&W7G0?7&?7227FFW2?bF?RW2?GvW7B( B??&Vv?F?s?????V??R??V6?????6??&&?R??6??RF?vW&???( ?2?B6??R?`?F?RW>( ?2???V6????26V?G&W2?6??6v??0?F?R???R?b&W6?FV?B?&? ( ?2#"V?V7F????6??v???B6WfW&??b??2?FV?F???&WV&?6????V?G2&Rg&??F?R?GvW7@?6?F?R??F?72&R??FW&W7F??rF????F?W&^( ?2??fW&vRF????F?R6?RvVV????v?Bf??B?6V?bF???rF?F?R6V??b????"6?'?&F???&?WB??fW7F??r??F?RV????VWF??r?FV?F??&W6?FV?F??6?F?FFR??7V???rF??VF?V?6RBV??fW'6?G?'W6??W70??66?????"f?6?F??rF?RgW'F?W"f?V?r'G2?`??F6?( B??'F?F??F?"?V?GV6??( BF??FWfV??'W6??W72??'GV??F?W2v?F?G&FP??76?????&Wf??W2??'2vW&RWV??f&?VB??v?V?B?f????rF?R6?R6&VW"v????W2??v?F??WB?W6?FF????F?Rf6??ffW'2V??VP?6??&??F????bV?F?W72??FW&W7F??r??@?6??WF??W27G&?vR?W?W&?V?6W2?FV?7?&?@??BF?R6V?6R?b6W'f??r?F????W'?6R??&RF?W&RF?v?6?FW2??W2??B?N( ?22vV???F?&Rv&R?bF?V????f??r&?V?BF?P?v?&?B?6??WF??W2B6??'B??F?6R??6?( ?BV7??f?"f??W2?B?v?fR???W&?6??&?&??'F?7B??2?BF?&Rf?W??&?R?B7&VF?fRv?F???W"?v?6&VW"???^( ????WfW"&R??&RF?????FW7F?&?7W&?W26??&VBF?6??R?`???W"VW'2?'WB?b??R??R6???V?vR?6??vP??B7F??V?F????Bv?BF?&???FR'&?F?6????FW&W7G2??f7B6??v??r?BV?7F&?Rv?&?B??F?W&^( ?2??v?W&R??RF?Rf6??b????RB6???VvRv?V?B??RF????p???&R?( ?B&R??F??7vW"VW7F???2@?6F?6?6??$??F????6???&?&W'@?2?BBR"F???B?2?2??r?s^( 3?? ????6??7V?vV?W&???'&?F?6?6??7V?FR?vV?W&??6??6v????