TNAG-0170-FCO40-206-British-Trade-Commissioner-1969 — Page 48

FOUR

YEARS IN

HONG KONG

by

Sle

M.P.V. Hannam

Principal British Trade Commissioner

Many years ago the Shell Company had a very successful

series of advertisements which took the form of cartoons

showing various people craning their necks first one way

and then the other as they watched cars speeding by,

I feel rather with the legend "That's Shell-That was !

like that legend as I realise the speed with which my

four years in Hong Kong have flashed by.

Within a day or two of my arrival the newspapers

were filled with stories of a textile quota dispute

between Britain and Hong Kong over the "carry-over"

for 1965, and I found I rapidly acquired a great number

of acquaintances in government and textile circles in the Colony as people sought out the new Trade Commissioner in

order to leave him in no doubt of their feelings on the

matter! It all seems a long time ago now, but it was

a first lesson to me not to take the Hong Kong market for

granted, and an inducement to me to try and persuade British

exporters not to take it for granted either.

What a

I was lucky that on my arrival preparations were already

in hand for the 1966 British Week in Hong Kong.

business that was ! We had a special office working for

over a year before the event contacting the myriad shops

here to make sure they knew what was going on. Again I

found I made a host of new friends in double quick time as

- I toured the shops myself, and tried to remember the names

of all those whom I should have to present to Princess

Margaret.

Each succeeding year

And so it has gone on.

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