Sabiedrība

This evening I look forward to welcoming in my residence in Alunana many British expatriates and their spouses/partners/friends who are resident in Latvia. We are getting together to celebrate St George's Day. St George is the patron saint of England (as well as of Georgia). He is of Turkish background, incidentally.

I should add, of course, it also both William Shakespeare's birthday (1564) and the date he died (in 1616). So it really is a special day.

I am very proud to be British/English. That doesn't mean that I wear Union Jack pyjamas or take a huge interest in every saga involving the Royal Family. But I never forget that I am 'Her Majesty's' ambassador. Above all , I take pride from our reputation. That comes from having spent so much of my career overseas and seeing my compatriots doing a good job around the world in business, development aid and technical assistance, and cultural relations. They are rightly respected for their intelligence and hard work. Not to mention our fabled sense of decency and fair play. We didn't invent those qualities, and they are certainly not unique to us. But they are unmistakeably there.

So St George's day is a great occasion for bringing together my compatriots in Latvia to enjoy each others' company and raise a glass to our national saint. I also have a specific reason because I have formal consular responsibilities for those Brits resident here and I want to encourage them to stay in touch with the consular section of the embassy and benefit from its useful advice. Getting the British community together every now and then is not a sign of insularity. It's a way to see what we are all doing, compare notes and learn even more about Latvia, make friends and maybe do a bit a business. I have little sympathy for those Brits whom I see from time to time in other countries who huddle together never venturing out, but instead spend their days playing Scrabble around the rickety card table, swapping out-of-date copies of the Daily Telegraph and listening to the BBC whilst dreaming of home. The Brits who have made their home here get out and about and make a significant contribution to Latvia's life, economy and diversity. I am sure we all love being in Latvia.

I am very pleased that we will also have the rector of St Saviour's Anglican church with us this evening to talk briefly about his resource needs and how we all might be able to help. It's a marvellous church in the Old City with a history reaching back to the strong trading ties between the UK and Latvia in the nineteenth century.

For all Englishmen and women out there - as well as all our Latvian hosts and friends - I wish you a good day on 23 April.