Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Friday, January 12, 2018
Trump cancels Britain trip
Trump cancels Britain trip, blames Obama for 'peanuts' London embassy deal
LONDON
(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a trip to London
scheduled for next month to open a new embassy, saying he did not want
to endorse what he understood was an Obama-era decision to move out of
the old one.
The
cancellation is a further blow to relations between the allies. More
than a year into his presidency, Trump has yet to visit London, with
many Britons vowing to protest against a man they see as crude, volatile
and opposed to their values on a range of issues. "(The) reason
I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama
Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy
in London for 'peanuts,' only to build a new one in an off location for
1.2 billion dollars," Trump said in a tweet late on Thursday. bit.ly/2D48GB2 “Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!” Trump said. The
decision to acquire a new London embassy site on the south bank of the
Thames was announced in 2008 under George W. Bush along with the plans
to put the Grosvenor Square site in upscale Mayfair up for sale. A
pillar of Britain’s foreign policy since World War Two, the so-called
“special relationship” with Washington has taken on added importance as
Britain prepares to leave the European Union in 2019 and seeks new major
trade deals. Prime Minister Theresa May was the first foreign
leader to visit Trump after his inauguration in January last year, and
they were filmed emerging from the White House holding hands. She later
said Trump took her hand in a gentlemanly gesture as they walked down a
ramp.
But
senior British officials have been dismayed by some of Trump’s
pronouncements, particularly a proposed ban on Muslims entering the
United States and most recently when Trump rebuked May on Twitter after
she criticized him for retweeting British far-right anti-Islam videos. A Downing Street spokesman declined immediate comment. During
May’s U.S. trip a year ago, she extended an invitation to Trump to make
a formal state visit - which includes pomp, pageantry and a banquet
with Queen Elizabeth - by the end of 2017.
“HE‘S GOT THE MESSAGE”
Many
British politicians have voiced their opposition to Trump having a
state visit which officials insist has not been canceled. “Many
Londoners have made it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here while
he is pursuing such a divisive agenda,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who
has been involved in a number of social media spats with Trump, tweeted.
“It seems he’s finally got the message.”
In Oct. 2008, the
embassy was put up for sale and, the following year, was sold to Gulf
investor Qatari Diar. The purchase price was not disclosed. In 2009, it
was also given “listed” status which limits changes that can be made to
the building’s exterior because of its historical significance. Woody
Johnson, Trump’s appointed U.S. ambassador to Britain, told reporters
last month that moving to the new site at Nine Elms reflected “the
global outlook of the U.S. going forward in the 21st century: rather
looking out, than looking in”. “This isn’t just a new office,
though, it signifies a new era of friendship between out two countries.
President Trump wants us to work more closely than ever with the UK,”
said Johnson, adding he hoped the president would attend the opening
ceremony. There had long been security concerns about
the Grosvenor Square site, dating back to the late 1990s after attacks
on U.S. embassies in Africa. Some local residents had opposed
measures that they felt would detract from one of London’s plushest
neighborhoods while others feared not enough was being done to ensure
they would not be caught up in any attack. The new embassy on
the south bank of the River Thames is a veritable fortress set back at
least 100 feet (30 meters) from surrounding buildings - mostly
newly-erected high-rise residential blocks - and incorporating living
quarters for U.S. Marines permanently stationed inside. The $1 billion construction was funded by the sale of other properties in London. Additional reporting by Alisitair Smout and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Robin Pomeroy
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
