21. Signing Ceremony

October 16, 2012, 5:30 PM: I’m standing in the elegantly appointed meeting room of the Kumudra Hotel in Myanmar’s new capital Naypyidaw (“abode of Kings”), facing an audience of fifty or so government officials resplendent in their black ceremonial jackets, along with their wives in colorful longyi. The most senior Ministers sit in the front row in ornate gold chairs. There are also a dozen camera crews and photographers from various Myanmar and International news media. The UK Deputy Ambassador to Myanmar, Matthew Hedges is present, as is the Second Secretary, Fergus Eckersley. They have all come to witness the signing ceremony. It is a solemn occasion. David and I are both standing on the dais, dressed in black suits and ties. We are about to put our signatures to a contract granting us the right to recover and repatriate any planes we find at former RAF airfields in Myanmar. This moment has been a long time coming – for me, five months of work, for David, a quarter of his lifetime.

A Myanmar official welcomed the assembled guests and spoke of his hope that the project would bring the peoples of the United Kingdom and Myanmar closer together, a sentiment echoed by her Majesty’s Deputy Ambassador, who spoke warmly about the project as a joint heritage venture. The speeches finished, David and Htoo Htoo Zaw (David’s business partner) signed four copies of the contract, which was then counter-signed by the Ministers. I signed as a witness. The audience applauded, cameras flashed and officials shook our hands. Then we all filed to the other end of the hall for dinner. It was a pleasant evening and a gratifying conclusion to months of hard work. News of the signing quickly circled the globe, including the Guardian, the Mirror, and the Telegraph.