Baroness Park of Monmouth died on Wednesday evening. She was 88. As various obituaries have recorded, she spent her career in MI6. She concluded her career there as Controller, Western Hemisphere. The Times referred to her as ‘one of MI6’s most treasured intelligence officers whose secret career spanned Russia, Africa, Vietnam and Mongolia.’
Her looks belied her background. She entered the Lords in 1990, after spending some years as Principal of Somerville College, Oxford, and looked, if anything, like a kindly elderly aunt. Her career, however, was one of pursuing clandestine missions in some of the world’s most dangerous places. She was variously threatened with death.
I don’t recall her ever referring to MI6 by name. At her 80th birthday party in Parliament, some of her former colleagues spoke, but they and she, as I recall, tended to refer to ‘the service’ . She was a notable and much respected figure in the Lords. She had a forensic mind and her questions on intelligence issues and on developments in Africa could be devastating: woe betide a minister who was not thoroughly well briefed. She was active in the House until relatively recently. She will be much missed.
I saw her in the chamber two/three weeks ago and it reminded me that she had not been in for a while. She was a highly intelligent woman and spoke a lot of sense on the secret services and Africa/Zimbabwe and many other issues.
I also noticed she had bad legs, therefore would come into the chamber supported by two walking sticks guided by an attendant. When ever a vote to place she would not walk through the division lobby but the clerk would find her in the chamber so she could register her vote.
She didn’t venture that far in to Wales though!
“I don’t recall her ever referring to MI6 by name”
Not easy or even wise to do so.
Very little leaves this mortal realm, I`m sure much of her will remain, in many ways.
My condolences to her family.
Goodbye, Baroness Park. You must have been an amazing woman.
LN: You may have seen this obituary?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7521495/Baroness-Park-of-Monmouth-the-Queen-of-Spies-dies-aged-88.html
It speaks volumes about her life.
For any old fashioned diplomats like her remaining in the house:
http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-03-23/spy-gadgets-outlawed-russia.html
What is our policy on this re local councils?
Talking about spy gadgets, I had a neighbour some years ago, who had been in the navy and used sonar listening devices.
Unfortunately the
pleasure and habit of using a listening device extended to his neighbours at home, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to prevent it, except for one thing; if I wanted a private conversation in my own home, I had to turn on the radio, which diffused all noise and made a private conversation inaudible.
So much for spy gadgets, but he eventually got had up for being a Peeping Tom, so spies will have their way.