Closure of British Consulate-General in Hamburg

As you may or may not be aware, the British Ambassador in Berlin has put in a recommendation to the British Government to close down the Consulate General in Hamburg.

Hamburg without a British Consulate would be unthinkable and the continued success of British Day without even having a British Consulate in Hamburg ... well, just ridiculous!

For many reasons which we do not need to list here, we would like to appeal to all of you to support the "Save our Consulate" campaign currently run by the Hamburger Abendblatt by either signing the letter to Mr. Jack Straw printed in today's issue and posting it to the Hamburger Abendblatt for furthering to Jack Straw or by signing the internet version of the letter on

http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2005/07/22/461654.html

Every signature will help. Let's go down fighting!
Thanks for your prompt support.

I was employed there until recently, so your support would mean a lot! Please support us ALL from everywhere... this way you will be protesting against current government policy in general and you may just save the other Consulates in Germany as well!

THANKS TO EVERYBODY!

The Mayor of Hamburg has joined us in the fight to save the Consulate: http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2005/07/22/461783.html

[img]http://www.englishpages.de/hamburg/images/official/britconsulate-002.jpg[/img]

The brits have been here for over 50 years, next to the picturesque Alster Lake.

Added my name for you!

@HamburgChris... Don't know whether I'm allowed to, since I'm South African, but added my name anyway. Only because my consulate has not been of any particular help, and that I hope they can learn from other consultes.

I often refer to the British consulate's website when I need more info. The SA one is defn up to no good

I´ve done my bit as well and added my name

I agree completely


Sorry but thats not a valid reason for keeping a consulate open, flame me if you wish.
But as I said above I think it would be a diservice to Brits in the North if that consulate is shut down.
I hope they keep it open:)

The Consulate press department supports British Day in a massive way, with press conferences, press packages and photo CD's and they inform all press agencies. They motivate people with hard work and the name motivates people even further. They have contacts and a series of databanks that nobody else has and these will be lost when they go. Without them British Day would have been much less than it is today. British Day donated EUR 30000 to local children's charities last year. They often supply the companies who take part during the event. Companies pay well for a stand.

I hate to think how much charity money would be lost if British Day were to pay for services from a well known press agency.

Hope that helps to explain why.

Thanks for your names!!

I don't disagree with the usefulness of British day.
I just disagree with it being a reason for keeping a consulate open.
I do agree that for the service it provides to the average Joe on the street and the broader job it does in terms of British/German business relations it is needed.
Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes

No problem... I did understand. I just considered British Day to be part of a collection of reasons why it should be kept open. British Day alone, would not be viable in any form.

I added my name too. I dont want to travel to Berlin to get my new passport!

Sorry shala00 you'll have to go to Düsseldorf!

"Passports are only issued by the British Consulate-General in Düsseldorf"
Passport Info

Neil

The whole process can be done without travelling anywhere, by downloading the forms and posting documents to Düsseldorf.
Although I do understand when some people prefer not to post important documents like passports.

But the closure of the Consulate in Hamburg also leaves anyone around Hannover with a fairly long journey to a different region if we need to sort anything out in person.

Are the smaller offices also targetted for closure? See this list of locations

Indeed, as I did last month, which of course leads to some amusment in the local post office if you are not at home when they try to deliver your new pasport, as the envelope you want to pick up contains your new and old passport, but the post agent will want to see your passport before giving you the envelope!

I've gathered a load of links and stories. I'm afraid it would be too much to add here, so if you want my Newsletter, which is due to go out on Wed, 27th July, please contact me by PM. I'll be very busy after that reporting on the events leading up to, and during, the so-called Queen Mary Day on Monday 1st August. You would not believe the hype surrounding the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 at 5:30am on Monday!

I would, your causing all of it

Duncan.

How right you are... in some ways.

If you could see the local papers here, then you would see what I mean. There are numerous booklets, leaflets and much more, with things like DDD GmbH officially welcomes the QM2 and Drink Co Ltd, official supplier of drinks to Queen Mary Day. It has turned into an over-the-top commercial event with all local companies cashing in, in some form, or manner.

We've got local so-called big wigs in the Brit community posing for the local paper, so they get further up the ladder and so on. It would have been nice if the ship was to simply sail down the Elbe and the people gathered to watch it, rather than being bombarded with advertising.

My intention was just to let others know that the ship is coming and to take photos from the best position possible.

All done in the best possible taste

The Consulate is now closed.
I still do not miss it and I have heard no one jumping off a bridge.
The ex consul still has a few fingers in many pies and is staying to lick his fingers clean.
robert

Just wait until you need to renew your passport.

The good old labour government again.
Makes you sick dont it.

You had to go to Düsseldorf before, so no change there. It's the other departments, especially the commercial import-export aspects which will be missed on a local basis...

What's done is done. Let's see who profits from it's demise...

Hello Mr. Ambassador