Inside Eden Hall

Stepping into the grand British High Commissioner's residence I was expecting a formal, British stiff upper-lip experience.

- GEORGINA HOCKLEY

But, on meeting warm and down-to-earth KARA OWEN this preconceived idea was immediately dispelled. Instead, I found a working house designed to welcome British expats and locals alike, dedicated to strengthening diplomatic ties between nations. As Kara prepares to end her posting in Singapore this July, we were keen to chat with her and take a peek inside.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming the British High Commissioner to Singapore.

When I was growing up in West Cumbria, I never imagined that in June 2019 I'd be presenting a letter of credentials from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to President Halimah Yacob of Singapore, marking the moment when I officially became British High Commissioner.

It was my history teacher who first suggested to me at age 16 to become a diplomat. I wasn't 100 percent sure what the job was, so I looked it up and from that time and through university, the idea was worming away in the back of my mind. It became the only thing I wanted to do. So, I was delighted when I managed to secure a spot in the diplomatic service at 22, and since then I have worked in the consular directorate, on economic reform in Russia, on the European Union and the Americas and I have had postings in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Paris before becoming High Commissioner to Singapore. I was incredibly lucky that I also learned Cantonese, Vietnamese and French along the way.

What does the role of British High Commissioner to Singapore involve?

Broadly, I am here to progress the interests of the British government, British businesses and organisations and British people in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Every day, my team and I are working to increase UK prosperity and security as well as deliver mutual benefits from our partnership with Singapore.