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Ex British Diplomat Inspires Year 7

The College was privileged to welcome Mr Desmond Higgins, a retired British Diplomat and grandparent of former Abbey Gate pupil, Suzy Higgins. 

 
During a scheduled PSHE lesson, Mr Higgins spoke to all the Year 7 pupils about his time in the Diplomatic Service from the 1957’s to the 1980’s.  He presented a letter, written in 1957 by the Queen, granting him diplomatic status and his first diplomatic posting was to India; he was subsequently posted to Lagos, Harare, and Banjul, with his last mission being to Ottawa, Canada.  Mr Higgins has recently written a book detailing his experiences and memories of this time in India in the Wake of the Raj.  

Mr Higgins spoke of the cultural diversity he encountered as he moved from one country to another and he regaled the pupils with a range of anecdotal stories of his adventures whilst representing Britain.  The pupils were enthralled by the accounts of his experiences and they asked many searching questions.  In summing up his talk Mr Higgins urged the pupils to visit India in addition  to taking a ‘regular summer holiday’ to the Costa’s;  India is clearly a land that he admires greatly and he described it is as a culturally very diverse and fascinating country.