Anthony Grey
Anthony Grey
Monday 22 March 2010
I remember having lunch with Ian Macdowall at Rules – where else did the great man eat? – when Tony Grey joined us for coffee. He was delightful about Asia although I was careful not to mention Beijing! He wanted to pick my brains about Saigon because, as I subsequently discovered, he managed to write his novel of the same name without actually going there, although he did later. It seemed perfectly normal that Frederick Forsyth stopped by as well!
Chris Peterson
Chris Peterson
Anthony Grey
Saturday 20 March 2010
My father Jacques Edinger, then head of the French Desk in London, was a member of a committee of Reuters journalists created to keep Tony Grey’s plight [● Making the best of it – Anthony Grey’s China ordeal in the ‘raw’] in the public eye and do what they could to help him.
He told me this:
When Tony Grey was about to be released, Reuters was extremely worried about what Grey might say against the company and its responsibilities in what had happened to him.
Doon Campbell was sent by management to meet Grey on his release and to “coordinate with him” what he would tell the press which was, not surprisingly, very interested in the case.
According to my recollections of what my father told me, Grey had sent several messages to Head Office in the days before his incarceration pleading to be allowed to leave China because he could see big trouble coming ahead for him personally.
Management hummed and hawed because, of course, they didn’t want to miss the developing story in Beijing which unfortunately turned out to be Grey’s incarceration in his own home.
Bernard Edinger
He told me this:
When Tony Grey was about to be released, Reuters was extremely worried about what Grey might say against the company and its responsibilities in what had happened to him.
Doon Campbell was sent by management to meet Grey on his release and to “coordinate with him” what he would tell the press which was, not surprisingly, very interested in the case.
According to my recollections of what my father told me, Grey had sent several messages to Head Office in the days before his incarceration pleading to be allowed to leave China because he could see big trouble coming ahead for him personally.
Management hummed and hawed because, of course, they didn’t want to miss the developing story in Beijing which unfortunately turned out to be Grey’s incarceration in his own home.
Bernard Edinger
Anthony Grey
Friday 19 March 2010
Reading the review of the new Grey diaries [● Making the best of it – Anthony Grey’s China ordeal in the ‘raw’], reminded me of the great and failed Reuter deception in which I had to take part. I suspect it was arranged for two reasons – one good and the other perhaps just Reuters trying to keep the scoop for itself.
Anthony's release was obviously of great interest to the media, especially Fleet Street, and London was keen, of course, to get him home. But there was concern about his state of health and mind after the long confinement. Though I understand he himself had indicated he was fine, the Peking embassy expressed some concern about his state; so everyone became protective. I was in Kuala Lumpur at the time and was advised by head office that among the options of smuggling him out (plane connections being limited at the time) without exposing him to newshounds, apparently was via Cambodia and KL. Another was obviously Hong Kong and several routes from there. I was put on alert to receive him with strict instructions not to let anyone know, especially not the voracious hacks from the Street, who were working out the possibilities for themselves. I was bombarded by the man from the Express and others and had to pretend that I had no idea what was going on. Others gathered in Hong Kong. Finally, the plan was to take him through Pakistan. And the best laid plans ... the hacks had worked it out and managed to book on the same plane and got their interviews.
One other footnote – at several postings thereafter, the office used to be visited by the resident or visiting Hsinhua rep who always made the point of apologising for what happened to Anthony.
Colin Bickler
Anthony's release was obviously of great interest to the media, especially Fleet Street, and London was keen, of course, to get him home. But there was concern about his state of health and mind after the long confinement. Though I understand he himself had indicated he was fine, the Peking embassy expressed some concern about his state; so everyone became protective. I was in Kuala Lumpur at the time and was advised by head office that among the options of smuggling him out (plane connections being limited at the time) without exposing him to newshounds, apparently was via Cambodia and KL. Another was obviously Hong Kong and several routes from there. I was put on alert to receive him with strict instructions not to let anyone know, especially not the voracious hacks from the Street, who were working out the possibilities for themselves. I was bombarded by the man from the Express and others and had to pretend that I had no idea what was going on. Others gathered in Hong Kong. Finally, the plan was to take him through Pakistan. And the best laid plans ... the hacks had worked it out and managed to book on the same plane and got their interviews.
One other footnote – at several postings thereafter, the office used to be visited by the resident or visiting Hsinhua rep who always made the point of apologising for what happened to Anthony.
Colin Bickler
