UK ambassador welcomes new ABCC authorities

The new authorities of the Argentine-British Community Council (ABCC) were given a flying start by a new ambassador at the British Embassy residence hosting a reception last October 24. Previous envoys have tended to place their focus on outreach to mainstream Argentina (quite rightly, as this is their job), sometimes leaving the British community somewhat by the wayside in the process, but not David Cairns.

Presenting the new authorities, he reminded his audience that we are still in the bicentenary of diplomatic relations between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom, also bringing up an anniversary closer to home – 80 years since the Embassy residence along with its huge gardens was bought by the British government from the Madero family for a bargain 125,000 pounds. And talking of those gardens, Cairns brought glad tidings of great joy to the community audience – come December they will again be made available to the ABCC’s traditional Christmas fair after a hiatus of a few years.

Introduced by a previous ABCC chairman John Hunter, the new chairman Gavin Bruce pledged to renew the momentum given to the Council by Hunter before lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic was followed by slowdown. Bruce’s vice-chairman will be Ralph Kirby with his treasurer María Cristina Gatica Mulhall and his secretary Ronald MacGaul. Also sitting on the Council will be Veronica Hortis, Penny Ortner, Helen Judd, Virginia Tuckey, Denise Enright, Juan Wood and Federico Bollero with Pamela Dickin, Roberto Fraser and Malcolm Piñero standing in as their substitutes. ​