In memory of Sir Leonard Appleyard (London)

I have just been sharing fun anecdotes with someone about my FCO student Sir Leonard Appleyard, British Ambassador to Beijing 1994–97.  

Went online to check the date he started his ambassadorship in Beijing, as I’d thought it was 1993, when I discovered he’s just passed away: on 7 February 2020.

I’ve written a couple of blogs about him (only a couple out of many stories):  see blog entries I’m the imperialist, and A Chinese teacher’s status.

Here’s one I never got round to writing, so this is a good moment, as a tribute to his sense of humour which made our lessons such a laugh.

I like to play the Devil’s Advocate and challenge students, asking why to everything they say, getting them to explain themselves, justify their comments, just to make them talk and use the language.  

So, one day, for conversation, I said to him, in Chinese of course: “You’ll never be able to understand the Chinese people, will you?  For a start, you’re a Westerner, so they’ll never show their true side to you.  What’s more, you're a diplomat, which makes it even more unlikely for them to establish a real relationship with you.  Now that you’re going to be the big boss, the ambassador, they’ll definitely keep you at arm’s length.”

He said, in Chinese, “You’re right.  When I was working at the British Embassy in the 60s, during the Cultural Revolution, I used to sneak out at night to read the 大字报 dà zì bào / big character posters.  我跟中国人的关系就是他们打我 My relationship with the Chinese people is them beating me up!”

R.I.P., 苹果院.  Your sense of humour will bring much laughter to the community up there.  Lucky them!  (For his sense of humour, see blog entry I’m the imperialist.)

*大字报 dà zì bào / big character posters were a form of political writing, hand-written on paper in large characters (hence 大字) and posted up on some wall in a public place for everyone to go and read.  Appleyard was beaten up because the Chinese didn’t like a Westerner reading their (usually critical) comments about their own system and ways of doing things.

*苹果院 píngguǒyuàn / “apple yard”: my code name for him when he said his ambassadorship had not been confirmed, so I was to keep it quiet (see blog entry A Chinese teacher’s status).  



(China, 1960s; London, 1993–94, 2020)