performances they could be pretty sure of a sell-out.
Certainly whatever the financial outcome - the cultural balance sheet is very much on the plus side. The Bristol Old Vic (with "The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Double Dealer"), the London Philharmonic Orchestra (with a very varied repertiore), the Menhuin Orchestra (with the particular charisma of Menhuin) and the London Ballet reinforced by Dame Margot Fonteyn all contributed to a cultural feast the like of which Hong Kong has not had before and, in the process, made a significant contribution to refurbishing the recently rather battered image of Britain.
It has been an exhausting month of social activity linked to the Festival with receptions both before and after the performances (I personally have eaten more midnight suppers than for many a long year). And for once, despite the continuing frenzied activity of the Stock Exchange the business orientated Hong Kong community (ex-patriate and Chinese) had another topic of conversation other than stocks and shares. In all of this I have heard nothing but appreciation both for the performances and for the delightful company which almost all of the performers have been at these social functions.
Seen only therefore from my own narrow specialised angle of concern that the image of Britain should be bright (since this itself is a contributory factor to people's attitude on trade and other matters) I much welcome the decision to have another Festival next year and to plan for an even bigger one at long range in 1975.
I am also convinced that it was absolutely right that the British Council and the British Trade Commission should have hosted one of the major receptions. People generally regarded this as being largely a British event (despite the presence of performers from other countries) and they expected the identifiable British representatives to be visibly associated with it; for this purpose the Governor - who gave a number of receptions and dinners does not count as British in the local eyes. A supper party which we gave for 180 people including 90 artistes from the Bristol Old Vic, the LPO and the London Ballet - after the evening performances on Saturday 10 March was fitting for the occasion and was one of the social successes of the Festival simply because it enabled a wide range of people to meet intimately with a good selection of the artistes. I am grateful to the Department for having agreed to cover the cost of this from a special mission fund allocation and indeed without that, and a matching contribution from the British Council, it would not have been possible to hold a function on anything like this scale. It was certainly in my view (and I believe the British Council Representative shares this) money well spent and I hope
/that it will be
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