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The spy who loved me: how Dad came in from the cold

by Mark Colvin

05 Aug 06:00am

Filed under: Diplomacy, Espionage, Families, Spies

12 comments

I was 25 when my father first told me he was a spy.

Colvin. John Horace Ragnar Colvin.

It was 1977, and I was in New York as a tourist, on my first visit to the United States, and Dad was living in Washington.

I had not seen him since 1971, when I had spent two months with him and my stepmother travelling around Mongolia, where he was then Britain’s Ambassador. We were not estranged: we had just been living or working in different parts of the globe throughout that time.

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tony says:

02:17pm | 24/06/10

kim philby is the man responsable for tipping of comunist leaders in eastern europe, about things that were going to happen. This resulted in thousands of deaths and may have changed the course of history! In my opinion he is on par with the worst scum of earth! Read more »
Leah says:

10:19am | 06/08/09

There was really nothing wrong with John Sawers’ wife putting those details on Facebook. It was common knowledge who John Sawers was and what he looked like and it would not have been difficult for anybody to find out where he lived. He wasn’t a ‘secret’ agent whose occupation was… Read more »

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ToryShepherd 28 May 12 10:46PM

RT @saline: Touche Miriam. Touche Barry. Wicked old thespians taking the pith. #qanda

ToryShepherd 28 May 12 10:42PM

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How much fun is it retweeting people who can't spell?

antsharwood 28 May 12 08:29PM

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