British ambassador Simon Martin and his wife Sophie have hit the ground running since touching down in the kingdom … literally.
The sports-loving couple have settled well into their ‘honeymoon’ posting to the Middle East since arriving last September after taking over the Manama hot seat from charismatic Iain Lindsay and his wife, Bridget, an outspoken and formidable former GulfWeekly columnist.
They are making their mark on the sporting front and continuing to build ties on the diplomatic front as the Brits and Bahrainis celebrate a significant milestone of working together for 200 years.
The ambassador’s face is a familiar image featured frequently in the pages of local newspapers and magazines, often with his good lady by his side at both formal and social occasions.
Sophie, 51, said: “We went running in only our second week on the island. I think from memory it was 37 degrees when we set off and it will live with me forever!
“It was a social run with the Bahrain Road Runners and they were very welcoming and encouraging. We found it incredibly hot and we were assured we would get used to it. We weren’t used to the heat and it was a bit of a shock to the system.
“We took part in the Colour Run too at the National Stadium which was part of an all-day sports event led by the Minister for Sport. This was great fun and everyone, young and old, joined in.
“We try to run regularly to keep fit and we enjoy the social side of the sport and have met some lovely people through it.”
Sophie considers the kingdom a special destination for her and Simon, 52, as they only married in the summer of last year. She said: “We met at Nottingham University so we have known each other a very long time! We have been friends for 30 years and got married in the summer last year so Bahrain is really our honeymoon!”
The Martins are particularly thrilled that their start in the kingdom coincides with the 200th anniversary of relations between Bahrain and the UK, as well as the opening of the British naval base called HMS Juffair which is due to open in the autumn.
Sophie said: “Working with the government, the embassy is involved in a number of events throughout the year to mark the 200th anniversary. This has included the recent Bahrain International Air Show and will take in the coming F1 and Queen’s Birthday Party. It’s a very exciting year to be in Bahrain and Simon and I are privileged to be here during this time.”
Simon’s diplomatic career is rich and varied and makes impressive reading. He was the deputy private secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before taking the top post in Bahrain.
He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1984 and served in London, Rangoon, Budapest and Prague in major policy and commercial roles. He has dealt with sub-Saharan Africa, international drugs and crime, the Lockerbie bombing and Gibraltar issues.
Simon was an FCO, desk officer for Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi and Sao Tome and Principe, Central African Department. In 1990-1991 he was the FCO, Gulf war emergency unit. He also was FCO, head of Multilateral Section, Drugs and International Crime department and FCO, head of Middle East Terrorism and Lockerbie Section, Security Co-ordination department. During his stint in Prague he was the deputy head of mission. From 2003 to 2005 he worked on secondment from the FCO to Unilever.
He was also the FCO director of protocol in London, one of the biggest bilateral capitals in the world with a diplomatic community numbering some 22,500 people. During his time there, he said it almost felt like being ‘the mayor of a small town’.
While some may assume that the UK’s first lady Sophie is living it up in the desert island sipping tea on her terrace in Manama, it’s quite the contrary. She is kept busy in her new role as the ambassador’s wife as she is constantly on-the-go, although you wouldn’t know it from her elegant appearance, calm demeanour and sweet smile.
She said: “The relationship between the UK and Bahrain is so historic and important that, inevitably, the British ambassador has a high profile in Bahrain. We have been very busy from the moment we arrived in September. Everyone has been very welcoming, warm and friendly.
“We have had a lot of engagements and every day is different. One of my embassy roles is supporting the running of embassy events, so I rarely have a spare moment!
“My time is being taken up learning the ropes of ambassadorial life in Bahrain but I would like to return to project management and perhaps set up my own consultancy business, when the time is right.
“I’ve had a number of different roles in the past including PA work, administration and marketing and I worked for many years for a small IT company as operations director. I enjoyed being involved in all aspects of the business. Recently I have been working as a freelance consultant and project manager, helping companies with various IT projects such as data migration, setting up new HR systems and reviewing business processes.
“However now, I see my role as Simon’s wife to support him in his public duties and to join him in getting to know Bahrain and Bahrainis, as well as the British community here, in order that we can jointly help to promote the bilateral relationship and Britain’s interests in Bahrain.
“I think it’s important to remember, however, in doing any of this the most important thing is to be yourself!”
Sophie is well travelled. For example, she ‘loved’ living in France during her time at university. She also spent a year backpacking in her early 20s before working in the Australian capital of Sydney, which she said, was a ‘great experience’.
Now she finds herself a long way from her home county of Cheshire (she spent her childhood in the English village of Mobberley and went to school in Manchester) and having only vacationed in the Middle East in the past, living in Bahrain is proving to be a totally new experience.
She said: “I want to enjoy it – meeting new people and new cultures are always interesting and fun. I would love to learn Arabic. I have always loved languages and I think the Arabic script is really beautiful. I would like to be able to understand it and I would like to learn more about the history of Bahrain and the Gulf.”
Keeping busy helps Sophie take her mind off of missing their children. Simon’s son Alex, 19, is studying at university and his daughter Ellie, 17, is completing her last year in school in the UK. Sophie’s son Harry, 20, is also at university studying business management in the UK and her daughter Lydia, 19, is on a gap year following her dream to become a qualified ski instructor and currently enjoying life in the Alps.
She said: “We miss all our children and love having them here. I am very close to my daughter and I’m lucky that we speak every day, usually two or three times. This makes me feel less far away from her. Sons are generally less communicative!”
Sophie and Simon were joined by Lydia, pictured top left, at one of their first formal engagements in the kingdom, an opening dinner at the Al Areen Palace Hotel & Spa which was attended by 400 student delegates from 16 local schools when The British School of Bahrain (BSB) hosted its third BritMUN event.
The ‘Model United Nations’ is a popular worldwide event for students aged 15 and above and the British ambassador was well qualified to offer tips on diplomacy.
Simon, according to his wife, loves skiing, golf, hockey, British comedy and Africa. As for Sophie, aside from running, she also enjoys cycling and swimming, which means she should fit right into the growing triathlon trend in Bahrain.
Only last week the pair opened and participated in a Sport Relief charity event with BSB pupils.
Sophie said: “I try to keep fit and I love cycling. I would love to see more cycle tracks in Bahrain. I also would like to learn to sail – living on a small island sounds the perfect opportunity to do this.”
Culture also plays a large part in her life. Sophie enjoyed recently watching the world-renowned Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre team put on a moving rendition of Hamlet at the Cultural Hall. She has always had a good ear for music, explaining: “I love listening to all kinds of music and I play the piano … not very well … but I find it very relaxing. I also like reading when I get time, particularly social history. I also love going to any major sporting or music event.”
The embassy home was a well-known haunt for her predecessor’s pet cats, regularly mentioned in Bridget’s weekly newspaper column, and new furry inhabitants may be moving in soon.
Sophie said: “We are thinking about getting both a dog and a cat. I love guinea pigs but I don’t think they would survive long in the embassy garden with all the visiting neighbourhood cats!”
