Britain’s first Ambassador to The Gambia visits Marlborough

Last year the Marlborough Brandt Group (MBG) welcomed the British High Commissioner to The Gambia to discuss their work in Gunjur.  On Friday (March 21) they welcomed Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to The Gambia on his first to Marlborough.

In the intervening months, Gambia’s President unexpectedly took his country out of the Commonwealth – and only Commonwealth countries receive and send High Commissioners as their diplomatic envoys.

Ambassador Colin Crorkin – Britain’s first Ambassador to The Gambia – had come to learn about Marlborough’s thirty-plus year link with Gunjur in The Gambia and about MBG’s long record of work there.

After lunch at MBG’s office in Manton where he met staff and trustees, the Ambassador was taken by MBG’s director, Dr Nick Maurice, to St John’s Academy where he heard a report by six of the students who had visited Gunjur a year ago as part of the International Baccalaureate studies. He said the students had been “fantastic”.

Later he had tea in the Mayor’s Parlour with Mayor Guy Loosmore and a group of councillors.  He was especially glad to meet four of the past Mayors who have visited Gunjur with MBG: Joyce White (who was mayor in 1997-1998) and two who are still serving as councillors, Bryan Castle and Alexander Kirk Wilson.  Councillor Nick Fogg was unable to attend.

Colin Crorkin’s last tour of duty was as Consul General in Kabul.  He was Deputy Ambassador in Manila for five years and was in Tripoli during 2002-2004. That was the time Britain sought reconciliation with Gadhafi and Colin Crorkin was involved in two major issues: the Lockerbie bombing aftermath and disarming Libya’s weapons of mass destruction.

Then, after the second Iraq war, he was Consul General in Kirkuk, in oil-rich northern Iraq: “A most interesting time.”

He takes up his post in Gambia’s capital Banjul next month: “What I am looking forward to is building on the outstanding people to people relationship between our two countries.  And developing constructive relationship with the Gambia government – working with them.”

“We are all saddened to lose someone from the Commonwealth family – but it doesn’t affect the bilateral relationship.”