My Kingston: Howard Drake

British High Commissioner

Sunday, February 19, 2012

What are your earliest memories of Kingston?

Flying into Norman Manley International Airport and looking down at the harbour and the beautiful mountains beyond, and thinking, "I can handle a few years living here!"

What do you miss when you are not in Kingston?

Eating outdoors. When you come from the UK, eating virtually every meal outside is a special treat!

What would you do if you were mayor of Kingston for a day?

I would ask everyone to spend 15 minutes of their day clearing up litter.

What was your most memorable meal in Kingston?

We make a pretty good ackee and saltfish at Trafalgar House. I always serve it to my houseguests from the UK.

Share your favourite spots on the island.

Portland, in particular Frenchman's Cove and San San, which are just exquisite and amazingly unspoilt.

What is your preferred beverage?

Red Stripe, if there is no proper British bitter to hand.

What's the last bit of music that stirred your soul?

Adele's 21 album.

What is your middle name?

Ronald.

What sites would you recommend to a first-time visitor to London?

There are so many. St Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the huge parks, the incredible museums (which are all free), a good riverside pub, a football match.

Who is your favourite British author?

Sebastian Faulks or Ian McEwan.

Do you find any similarities between London and Kingston?

Jamaicans!

What made you want to become a diplomat?

The opportunity to travel the world and really get to know what makes a country and its people tick. I'm very lucky to do the job I do.

We recently overheard you conversing in Spanish at the Latin American Women's Club wine and cheese party. Are you fluent in any other languages?

Not really. My French lapsed long ago through lack of use, although I can still read and understand it.

Of all the countries to which you have been posted as a high commissioner, which has been your favourite and why?

I've been very lucky to be an ambassador in Chile and a High Commissioner here in Jamaica. I really can't rank one above the other. They are very different places, but each has huge beauty and the people of both have great charm and have really made my family and me feel very welcome.

What upsets you?

People saying they'll do something and then it doesn't happen.

What's your philosophy?

Deliver what you promise and try to have fun doing it.