I have been working for the Foreign Office
since Nov 1982 1 having left the Metropolitan
Police Office which I joined when I left college.
Since joining the FCO I have travelled around the world visiting many
countries. I was posted to our embassy in Kuwait from May 1986 to October 1988
as a Radio Officer.
I met my Filipino wife (Carina) there while she was working at the Meridien
hotel. We left a year before the troubles but left some friends there who
suffered during the occupation but survived.
We married in January 1989 (my best man was John Scrivens
- also in my class at MNC).
In between trips around the world for the FCO we had two children (Christopher
1991) and Samantha (1994). A month after my son was born I was sent to Moscow
for a month where I witnessed the fall of the communist regime at first hand. I
have visited the city 7 times in 6 years and found it fascinating.
Having returned to UK in 1988 I transferred to a fully Technical Department as
a Telecom Technical Officer (TTO) and worked in various technical sections of
the FCO from then on. In October 1997 I was posted to our new Consulate in Hong
Kong as their Technical Management Officer which is where I am at this time. I
am due to return to duties in the UK in Jan 2002 but would certainly like to
come back especially for a reunion.
I am still in contact with John Scrivens (married
with 3 children), Damian Wood (married with 2 children) and Mike Lemon who I
believe has a daughter but is sadly separated. I have passed details on to them.
Oh and of course there is my brother James Friis who
is married with two children and now living outside Cheltenham.
In addition to myself, there are a number of other colleagues and former
students in the FCO with me,
Andrew Jones
Steve Byott
Ian Attwood
Jerry Harland
Simon White used to be with us but has moved on somewhere.
I am also still in contact with a former Deck Cadet that I grew up with - Jane
Riley (Holder Brothers). She is now married with two children and living near
Cambridge - I will pass the web site details on to her.
Andrew Friis
c/o FCO (Hong Kong)
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Email via MRGC81b