​
MULTI-AWARD-WINNING American country music star Chris Golden, pictured above, is dreaming of following in his beloved late brother and fellow musician Rusty’s footsteps and stepping out on stage in Bahrain.
He is currently on a sell-out tour of the US and dreams of visiting the kingdom after ‘hearing so many good things’ about the island of smiles and the Middle East base to more than 7,000 American servicemen.
“I’d like to see where my brother Rusty stayed and played,” he told GDN Media. “Bahrain is not on the schedule … but you never know!”
Golden is currently celebrating another stellar year in the music industry. His recent accolades include Entertainer of the Year at the Inspirational Country Music Association Awards (ICMA) and other awards include Absolutely Gospel Country Artist of the Year.
His ability to captivate an audience with an inspirational message has afforded him opportunities to perform for every living US ​​President and appear on prestigious stages such as The Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry House and Dollywood.
In addition to his own endeavours and touring schedule, Golden is an award-winning music producer and is highly decorated throughout various organisations with his most recent honours being ICMA’s 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year and Producer of The Year.​
His late brother, Bahrain’s favourite visiting American country and gospel star William ‘Rusty’ Golden died suddenly at the age of 65 at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee last summer.
Their father, Country Music Hall of Fame and The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden said at the time: “Rusty was a great musician, a talented songwriter and a wonderful son. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the days ahead. I love you, son.”
In March of 2020, Rusty and Chris, along with William Lee began working on a vision for a family band called William Lee Golden and The Goldens. They recorded and released 34 songs and were joined on tour by brother Craig, nieces Elizabeth and Rebekah and nephew Elijah making the group a true three-generation family band.
During his annual trips to Bahrain, prior to the global Covid-19 pandemic, Rusty, pictured below, regularly set the stage alight at Big Texas Barbeque & Waffle House inside Best Western Plus – The Olive Hotel in Juffair, helped local acts with recording and performing guidance, as well as playing and singing at Friday gospel services at the US naval facility.
Big Texas is owned by Bahrain restaurateur Milly, a distant relative of the Golden brothers’ through marriage, and logistics business executive Radford Cox. “We all miss Rusty dearly. It would be amazing if Chris were to visit Bahrain to play here too,” Mr Cox added.
Conversations are understood to be taking place with diplomats at the US Embassy in Manama and organisers of the Spring of Culture may also be attracted by Chris Golden’s cultural prominence and crowd-pulling prowess.
 
[email protected]

The Gulf Daily News (GDNonline), Bahrain’s leading English-language media operation with more than 500,000 readers, subscribers, followers and connections across print, online and social media platforms, today launched a groundbreaking digital edition.
This innovative super flip-edition combines the traditional charm of a professionally edited daily newspaper with the dynamic multimedia elements of today’s digital world, making GDNonline a trailblazer in the GCC and beyond.
“In these ever-evolving exciting times we want to offer our family of readers the best possible reading and viewing experience each and every morning and now our stories simply leap out of the pages like never before!” said managing editor Stanley Szecowka.
“We are thrilled to introduce this innovative platform. It is not just a newspaper; it is an experience that ‘brings stories to life’. This launch is a testament to the Gulf Daily News and GDNonline’s commitment to innovation, ensuring that we remain the trusted and preferred source of news for Bahrain and the region.”
https://www.gdnonline.com/ePaperInteractive
This first-of-its-kind initiative in the region and possibly the world, the new GDN digital edition offers readers a unique blend of storytelling.
By embedding multimedia elements such as videos, animations and interactive graphics into our pages, the GDN is redefining how both news and advertising are delivered and experienced.
“Bringing the morning ritual to life, our aim is to preserve the cherished tradition of reading a daily newspaper with your breakfast, while embracing the technological advancements that engage younger, digital-native audiences,” said Ronnie Middleton, group managing director of Al Hilal Group.
The GDN has consistently led the way in innovation to retain its market leadership as Bahrain’s most widely read and followed media operation.
Andre Bigg, Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group’s creative director, and his team, are behind the latest multi-media revolution.
“This new digital edition cements our position as a pioneer, staying ahead of the curve and delivering a product that reflects the needs of modern readers,” he said.
The new digital edition adds another element for local, regional and global companies to reach our ever-growing number of readers, subscribers and followers with their products and services.
“The excitement shown by our tech-savvy clients has been overwhelming,” revealed GDN Media’s sales director Alison Lillywhite. “We are offering them something new and innovative and they love it.”
The GDN has ensured that its local content remains exclusive to subscribers in a move that strengthens its relationship with its audience. Additionally, through strategic partnerships with sponsors such as Al Haddad Motors, Solidarity and Northstar Telecom, GDNonline has welcomed more than 80,000 new subscribers who will receive the digital edition via email every morning.
The GDN digital edition launched today offers a dynamic, professionally edited in Bahrain online newspaper that is delivered directly to subscribers’ inboxes.
With this initiative, the Gulf Daily News sets a new standard for media in the GCC and positions itself as a global leader in multimedia news delivery.
Try it out for free today and the rest of this week and then:
* Explore the future of news by subscribing to the Gulf Daily News today or visit https://www.gdnonline.com
*  GDNonline is part of the Al Hilal Group portfolio. To subscribe call 17299123 or email [email protected]

To quote Miller Barber: “I don’t say my golf game is bad; but if I grew tomatoes they’d come up sliced.”
Anyone who has had the misfortune to play with me will take into consideration that I am keen but not naturally talented when it comes to the sport.
I have always been a huge fan of the Royal Golf Club’s (RGC) nine-hole Wee Monty because it’s such a joy to play and perfect for a couple of hours of fun with friends, before a hearty breakfast at Café T and a day in the office.
I always considered the 18-hole big course would be better suited for, well, the better players, and shied away for fear of embarrassing myself once again as I wandered around in search of my lost balls.
The RGC’s head of Golf Operations, Sam Hobday, however, convinced me to give it another chance and test the recent well-documented improvements for myself. He insisted that the course changes had made it more enjoyable and playable for all level of players of the great game.
It would have been rude of me to decline the offer as I’d press-ganged his parents, Barry and Sarah, to play with me in the GDN Media team at the recent AMH Island Classic as last minute replacements and we had such a fun time.
I had also followed young Sam’s career with great interest as I first wrote about his sporting prowess back in 2010 when more than 70 youngsters competed in the Royal Golf Club Junior Open that saw the then 16-year old St Christopher’s School pupil clinch the overall title with a gross score of 80.
He moved to Bahrain in 1997, went through the collegiate system in the United States, before returning to Bahrain and becoming a professional golfer in 2016.
Whilst ambassador to the RGC, in January 2017 as a touring professional he played many different golf tours all over the world before joining the Troon family at the Riffa Views facility just months before the course was set to start on a whole new journey as an international attraction once again.
As reported in the GDN, The DP World Tour is set to return to the kingdom for the first time in 13 years with the Bahrain Championship scheduled to take place at RGC from February 1 to 4.
Its greens, fairways and bunkers have undergone an extensive redesign and overhaul that took almost seven months to complete.
Its partial course facelift was sculpted by leading European designers and carried out by the best project companies in the world, and it is more than ready to provide some of the biggest names in golf, such as former Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn, a truly world-class experience, general manager Juan Manuel Fuentes, earlier told the GDN in an exclusive interview.
The proof is in the pudding, so they say, or perhaps in these circumstances, the putting would be more apt!
The front nine greens are fantastic and the whole course is currently looking particularly lush. The construction work has resulted in reduced contouring, raising and levelling of the greens to create more pin positions to make for a fairer game, less hard for the new or occasional player but still challenging for the professionals.
Jamie Faulkner, the director of agronomy, deserves a well-earned pat on the back and when our paths crossed he was inspecting the bunkers shining in the sunshine and glistening in comparison to the greenery of the fairways and picturesque surroundings.
For someone known to spend a fair degree of time in them, I can guarantee the crushed marble is going to look stunning on camera when the world watches the Bahrain Championship action on the small screen from afar, as well as those lucky locals securing free tickets to watch it in person.
Talking of action, Sam and I were playing Pairs Scramble in advance of the National Day competition featuring members and guests competing in teams each consisting of a Bahraini and an expat.
Apparently, the only difference between a golfer and an angler is that when a golfer lies, he does not have to bring anything home to prove it. I almost had rock solid evidence ... I emphasise the word almost. I played a blinding 15-foot putt on the third hole, seconds before our videographer arrived. He had been delayed by a traffic snarl-up near Sitra and missed my magic moment but Sam was there to witness a fine piece of play after complimenting one of my drives, no less.
Of course, Sam’s golden chip on Hole 6 was captured in all its glory and no doubt the video evidence will go viral once we post it on social media.
However, I now proudly possess a completed card showing 3-Under, yes I repeat 3-Under, at the Royal Golf Club’s championship course. I’m going to get it framed.
Forget about your last round, today is the one that counts.
[email protected]

​I’m finally a fully-fledged member of the Chaine gang after being a guest of members at a variety of dinners staged at some of the most exclusive fine dining restaurants in the world … all with a united desire to deliver the very best in eating out experiences.
With decades of reviewing good and not so good eateries, I’ve been fortune to have met and befriended some fine chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Vineet Bhatia, Brian Becher, Yann Lejard, Imad Boukly Hasan, David Miras and Tala Bashmi to name but a few, and tasted some the most sensational cuisines ever placed on a plate.
And, sometimes it’s not all about the food. I once penned an eating out review at a five star restaurant and concentrated on the service provided by the then ‘acting captain’ John Musyoka. I suggested he would one day become the admiral of the Four Seasons fleet and, sure enough, he ended up managing, not one, but two outlets.
It’s all about the passion.
For the uniniated The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950 - the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world.
The society is vintage in more ways than one but its events are cutting edge.
Members include gourmands, gourmets, gastronomes, chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, oenologists, winery owners, sommeliers, food and wine educators, and others interested in the finest of dining and life experiences and enjoying the camaraderie of friends at dinners and events.
The tradition of the royal guild of goose roasters of 1248 was revived in Paris in 1950, and we now carry on those traditions.

FORMULA One is on the fast track to further success with sell-out circuits, record-breaking numbers of small screen big race worshippers and major automobile marques queuing up to join in the action under the guidance of its president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali.
The F1 bonanza is also boasting a growing galaxy of Netflix-generated younger fans, leading a charge towards sustainable racing, as well as tackling the thorny issues of gender balance in the sport alongside human rights.
It’s no wonder Mr Domenicali was too busy to see the GDN’s managing editor face-to-face despite his team making the first approach of suggesting an interview with F1’s main man, who apparently only gives one journalist per country, per race, the pleasure of his company … well almost.
After suggested dates came and went and even the offer of a coffee at Fuddruckers in Sakhir or chat over breakfast at a hotel was snubbed, a 30-minute Microsoft Teams video conferencing session was scheduled instead.
It seemed a little strange, post-Covid to get the office computer all set up again with microphone and camera for an interview with someone a maximum of a 30-minute drive away? But Mr Domenicali, who took over the Liberty Media F1 hotspot in 2021, is a very busy man.
He also radiates infectious enthusiasm, portraying a profound love of the sport, drive, ambition and the pressure he puts on himself and his team became apparent in the 20-odd minutes (I’ll come to the right royal reason later) we talked online. Perhaps, if we’d been in the same room, it may have been necessary to don a precautionary passion-protecting face mask.
“You can be sure of one thing, we don’t sleep a lot in the night,” said Mr Domenicali. “We always have something. I am pushing my team to be aggressive with ideas and not to be shy and then it’s up to us to decide if it’s the right thing to do.
“We are an organisation that wants to keep growing and we want to keep pushing and we want to keep changing.”
Embracing change is clearly the mantra. 
Criticism over the sport being too male-dominated has been addressed in recent days. And, plans are afoot to attract more people of colour into the sector.
Formula 1 has announced Susie Wolff MBE as the managing director of the F1 Academy category, which aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.
Announced in November, F1 Academy is an all-female driver series featuring five teams with Ms Wolff, a British former professional racing driver, brought in to enhance the managerial structure and offer her unique insight.
She will report directly to Mr Domenicali, spearheading the development of female motorsport talent and focusing on creating a successful pathway to higher categories in the F1 pyramid.
“On the track we have launched the F1 Academy, an all-female series which will kick off this year with 15 drivers, seven events and 21 races, as well as significant testing time,” he said, elaborating on the initiative.
“Just this week we appointed Susie Wolff – the former William test driver and Formula E Team Principal – to run the project and we are subsidising each team entry with $300,000 per driver, significantly reducing the financial burden on drivers.
“Across our organisation, we have several initiatives to increase diversity, including scholarship programmes, engineering apprenticeships and our F1 in Schools programme, designed to inspire school children into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These changes do not happen overnight, but we are committed to them and have structures in place to succeed.”
The green crusade is high on the agenda too.
When Formula 1 cars take to the track in 2026, they will do so powered by carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, part of the sport’s ‘net zero by 2030’ plan and clearly advertised off-track at Bahrain International Circuit with several ‘on message’ displays.
“We are strong in our position, from a technological point of view,” he said, “by choice we have taken to embrace being net zero by 2030 and having sustainable fuel by 2026.
“By the way, this is already happening in Formula 2 and Formula 3 this year.”
He’s correct, there is a well-documented history of technology transfer between F1 racing efforts and road cars. A paddle shifted transmission first appeared on Ferrari’s F1 car back in 1988 and subsequently went on to win its debut race, motorsport.com reported. Within a few years this design became the norm for F1, and by 1997, Ferrari was offering electro-hydraulically-controlled paddle shifters on the road-going 355. 
Not long after, the automaker also pioneered the use of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings to reduce friction (and in turn, parasitic power loss) in its F1 engines, an innovation that was later introduced in the 458 Italia production car. Both technologies are now commonplace in production vehicles.
The message that F1 might know what it is doing appears to have been realised by politicians too with the European Union perhaps backtracking on its pledge to fast forward electrification. Other global leaders have voiced concern that they might not be able to plug in as fast as they first thought with a planet-saving battery-powered motoring option. 
“The world of mobility cannot go with one solution alone, it’s not possible,” he added. “We are serious in pushing through Formula 1 a solution that will be much more effective in a world where there will be more than two billion vehicles with an internal combustion engine … on top of that commercial trucks, ships and planes.
“I think we are going to push for a solution that will be complementary to electrification and very effective in the future. 
“As has always been the case, we have been the technical facilitator for new things – what’s happening in Formula 1 will later be applied to the normal car industry.  
“In this situation, that is why a lot of manufacturers are interested in becoming involved, the technology that is coming into Formula 1 will give them other opportunities to develop their businesses in the field.”
One of the rumours circulating around the Formula 1 world was confirmed in recent days, as Ford announced a return to the sport for the 2026 season, in a partnership with Red Bull Racing.
“Ford has a great history with Formula 1, it’s just incredible news,” he said. “Over the last few decades we have seen manufactures coming and going and now we have a situation where all the major ones want to be in Formula 1 and want to invest in it.
“That means the technological choices we are making are taking us in the right direction.” 
Mr Domenicali also recently received compliments from a correspondent writing for the British Guardian newspaper, whose readers were once described by a former editor of mine as cardigan-wearing leftie teachers who queue for rapidly-wilting organic broccoli, and a publication renowned for publishing ill-informed and pathetic anti-Gulf States whinging from people with a grudge.
Writer Giles Richards said it was ‘hard to doubt the sincerity of the Italian’s belief that racing really is about more than money, that F1 can make a difference and that it will do, as he puts it, the right thing’.
“People who know me, know I am not able to say things I don’t believe in,” outlined Mr Domenicali. “I totally believe in the soft power of the sport to communicate the right values around the world.
“When we go into different communities, with different cultures, it is a sign of respect to share our vision and understand that certain cultural changes take time. 
“What we want to be is ‘effective’. I think the power of sport will bring the right attention to certain values which society of today is keen to discuss.”
The proof is in the pudding. The season once again kicks off in Bahrain and will conclude in Abu Dhabi, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar getting a bowl full of action too.
“It was a clear choice to not have all the races in the Middle East in one go, commercially that would be wrong and tactically too,” said Mr Domenicali. 
“It shows once again that the Middle East has a very important position in the World Championship – we are starting and finishing here. It’s a statement on how Formula 1 and the region both have an important role to play in the world of sport.”
And, the future looks bright with the race game growing the next generation of fans.
Fifty-seven per cent of US adults, for example, who identified as fans of Formula 1 said they became fans within the past five years, including 26pc who said they became fans in the past year. Among fans between the ages of 18 and 34, 42pc said they came on board in the past year and many Internet search engines suggest this is down to ‘The Netflix’ effect.
The fifth season of the documentary-style popular series Formula 1: Drive to Survive show has just been released on the streaming platform, produced in a collaboration between Netflix and Formula 1, to give a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers and races of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Technology is also playing a part with ‘driver’s view’ cameras on the Bell in Bahrain manufactured helmets making fabulous viewing during the live TV screening. And, on the track sprints to win positions on the grid add to the live action, although that’s still to come to Bahrain.
“The communication is magic and this is a new way of talking about Formula 1,” added Mr Domenicali. “And, everything is connected to what’s happening on the track, such as introducing sprint weekend races – something that has been positively received by promoters and TV broadcasters.
“It’s all about coming up with new ideas and we want to keep the pressure on, and keep new ideas at the centre of our agenda. We are talking about sport and we are talking about exciting racing on the track.”
At that point Mr Domenicali had to suddenly break off from the interview following the arrival of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at Bahrain International Circuit. He made his excuses and left. 
It would have been nice to throw a few personal questions his way to find out what makes the man tick off the track and out of the office, such as how does a very busy father-of-two jetsetter solve the home life / work balance?
But he had to run, as you can’t keep an even busier royal champion of the sport waiting.
Kudos to the gentleman, he knows how to keep a promise and responded to my last questions later by email. 
STEFANO DOMENICALI FACT FILE
HE began his latest F1 role in January 2021 taking over from Chase Carey, now non-executive chairman.
After studying business administration at the University of Bologna he began his professional career in 1991 with Ferrari. 
Legend has it that his love of fast cars started in his childhood when he frequently visited a nearby race track, where he later assisted in the paddock and media centre.
Like most small boys he had a collection of toy cars and confirmed his favourite was, of course, coloured ‘Ferrari red’. 
Mr Domenicali held various positions at the acclaimed Italian racing giant, including heading up the Direzione Sportiva F1 from 2004, before becoming Team Principal for the Formula 1 team in 2008.
From 2009 to 2014, Domenicali represented Ferrari in the FIA World Motor Sport Council. 
He was also vice president of New Business Initiatives at AUDI AG from November 2014 before moving to Lamborghini in March 2016 as chairman and CEO. 
Married to Silvia, the daughter of famous F1 photographer Ercole Colombo. They have two children, Martino and Viola.
“I live in London, where Formula 1 is based, but with a 23-race calendar I, of course, travel a lot. When I go ‘home’ I live in Monza close to the track,” he told the GDN.
“The work is very intense with early starts and long days. I like to run when home and use the gym when I am away and I also always try to find the time to walk the track with my team at every race. When I get away from work it is always time with family and friends.
“I want my children to find their own passions for things and not be forced by what I do. They come to some of the races and really like the sport and the drivers.”

​There’s a five-star hotel restaurant making waves in the kingdom for all the right reasons and there’s no catch, the chefs conjure up seafood delights to order and the choice of cooking style is open for discussion.
Waves restaurant at the Crowne Plaza, Bahrain is now back in the business of delighting diners after the hospitality perils of the pandemic and has returned to the popular ‘market place’ concept of displaying the offerings on packs of ice surrounded by displays of fresh market vegetables.
It’s a tried and trusted formula and guaranteed to make the taste buds start to tingle as the eyes capture the colours and the quality of the catch of fish.
The conductors of the seafood show are recently-arrived Chef Azreen Mumin, the hotel’s Chef De Cuisine, and Waves’ Executive Sous Chef Angad Amar Sawant, supported by their kitchen teams.
They delivered a dynamic special menu for last week’s launch party, a little taster of even greater things to come.
The starter Seafood Salad featured a marvellous mesclun mix - mesclun is a Provençal word that describes a mix of tender salad greens and herbs. Alongside the mixture of young tender leaves were prawn, scallops, pomegranate, avocado, pumpkin seeds, sweet basil and Evoo – an extra virgin olive oil that must be free from any alterations in colour, taste, nutrients or vitamins.
You could feel the goodness in every mouthful.
The star turn, in my humble opinion - controversially as it seems - was the soup that followed. A Prawns Pistou Soup with crispy vegetables, rouille and croutons was simply stunning.
As I mentioned earlier in this review, the sight senses were teased by the seafood market display. Well, this time, it was texture and flavour in a taste sensory overload. 
The prawns floating in the fish soupy waters were suddenly given a crunchy explosion when the perfectly prepared small vegetable pieces were bitten into. A masterpiece of culinary perfection as far as I am concerned, however, according to my new-found best friend chefs, the reaction on the night was mixed. The guests appeared 50-50 in a love-hate relationship with the soup.
I’m a lover and I shall return to Waves on the basis of being able to sample this superb offering once again.
The Main Course was a Waves Fisherman’s Platter, well presented on the plate and cooked to perfection. 
This is no easy task. I have visited countless seafood restaurants during my years as a restaurant reviewer here in Bahrain and back in the UK, and it is very, very easy to get it wrong. I went to one outlet and found my chosen fish swimming in a sickly buttery sewer of sadness. When I complained and suggested they leave it to the customer to choose how much sauce to put on the plate, the waiter shrugged his shoulders and said: ‘That’s the way we do it’.
Well, matey boy, the proper way to do it is the Waves way.
The accompanying sambal, tartare and lemon butter sauces came in separate pots and the customer, rightly, was allowed to make the decision on how much to add, or not, as the case may be.
And, that is what makes Waves better than most. The whole concept is geared around the diner.
The market prices are clearly displayed, alongside the choice of sauces and even the cooking method can be chosen from deep fried, grilled or baked.
Back to the food, the prawns were perfect once again, Needle fish, Red Mullet and my favourite crusted hammour fillet sat happily amid the mix salad. Light, fresh and surprisingly, absolutely, filling.
There was little room for desserts, but I forced myself to bite into the Ginger Crème Brulee, knowing full well that the good lady wife, Kathryn, back home in the UK looking after her aging father, would have savoured the flavour. I sent her a photograph and a ‘wish you were here’ WhatsApp message. The vanilla icecream and sprinkled crumble hit the spot too.
The hotel’s general manager Charbel Hanna said that Waves had always been ‘famous for being Bahrain’s finest and freshest seafood restaurant’ and he added that the restaurant’s team ‘could not wait to get back to serving guests again’. 
I waved goodbye to the staff after a wonderful night of enjoying creative cuisine alongside traditional favourites and it will not be long before the tide brings this faithful scribe back for more.

​I called home shortly after hearing the breaking news that Her Majesty the Queen had passed away. The good lady wife, Kathryn, who is caring for her aging father in a village just a short drive from the northern English city of Hull was too choked up to speak to me.
The following day, I touched base with Al Hilal’s managing director Ronnie Middleton who was visiting family back in the UK and he said that his wife, Joyce, was in tears too.
We were all rocked, at home and those of us Brits living and working abroad.
We loved the Queen and we will remember her.
Fortunately, I had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty on two occasions.
One of the joys of being a journalist is that I have been blessed with the opportunity of mixing in circles I would never have dreamt of as a child growing up on a council estate in the East End of London.
During my time as community and campaigns editor of the Hull Daily Mail I was involved in the organising committee for the royal visit to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the city becoming a ‘kings-town’ … its actual title is Kingston upon Hull.
It was 1999 and as the world prepared to celebrate the upcoming new century, Hull decided to have its party a year early.
My job was to accompany the Duke of Edinburgh around the offices of the historic publication, it has been circulated in various guises since 1885.
It was a simple task and to make it easy for me, carpet panels had been lifted and replaced with bright red ones on the route we had to take.
The rehearsal went well but on the day my profoundly bad sense of direction got the better of me.
The late Duke had a tough persona, did not suffer fools gladly and had a reputation of not being a great fan of the media, so I was understandably nervous. The rumours were nonsense, we got on like a house on fire as soon as he spotted one of our rugby action images on the wall.
Hull FC had played arch-rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley. Legend has it that one of the bridges leading out of the city sported a message requesting the last person out the city to switch off the lights.
As we chatted about sport we wandered off towards the office canteen and the Duke stopped me suddenly and said: “Stanley, do you think we should be following the red carpet?”
Later, at a special reception at the city council offices, I was introduced to Her Majesty the Queen. She asked me who I was and what I did for a living and I explained that today my job was to look after her husband and that I’d almost messed up doing that.
I explained that I had been worried about the Duke’s reputation but had found him absolutely charming and kind.
She laughed, sympathised with my red carpet mix-up and told me, with a smile, that the Duke ‘was not all bad’.
She knew, she loved him and now joins him in heaven.
A few years later, Kathryn and I were invited by Her Majesty to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
The cucumber sandwiches were sensational. The Royal Family members were warm and welcoming and the memory of the occasion will live in our hearts forever.
At that time, I was deputy editor of the Bristol Evening Post, later launched my own weekly publication The Clifton Chronicle and my business dealings and community endeavours in the city resulted in several meetings with His Highness The Prince of Wales.
He was charming and invited me to a reception at The Orchard Room, Highgrove House.
It is the family residence of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom.
We talked about families, communities, the environment and business matters. He was visionary, well informed and truly inspiring.
God Save the King.
Stanley Szecowka,
Managing Editor,
GDN Media

​It’s only a little island, there are only a few highways, it won’t take long to find your way around, or so you would think.
That depends, of course, if you have a good sense of direction and you’re quick-witted enough to take that turn in 200 metres as instructed by the lady on your Google Map app … no, not that right, the one after … as you end up on a busy back street in Um Al’ Hassam, or worse still, on the edge of Manama souq.
I was lucky when I first arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2007 because there was a towering florescent light proudly sitting on top of the Gulf Hotel. If I could make my way from Hoora in the direction of Adliya and the shiny sign I could find my way home, otherwise I got lost.
It appeared that every sign – north, south, east and west – pointed either to the Bahrain International Circuit or Saudi Arabia and for many months I took the long way home to Saar, terrified of the driving habits of locals, crazed fellow expats and the weekend visitors.
The roundabouts were a fun experience too … Burgerland, in particular, was a case of a quick prayer and hoping you’d get in the right lane without a prang.
I used to marvel at the policemen who swung their arms magnificently conducting the traffic and introducing calm to the chaos … but now I’m getting nostalgic as the police are no longer needed, most of the roundabouts are now junctions with helpful blinking green lights indicating in advance when it’s time to stop.
By the time the sign from the Gulf Hotel came down after a major refurbishment I was fortunately more knowledgeable and starting to complain – even taking the direct route – about how far it was to Amwaj Islands or Sakhir in the other direction!
Shocking really, this was a man who used to be regularly stuck in a queue for two hours or more to travel15 miles from north to south of an English city and not think anything of it.
That’s progress and that’s one thing Bahrain can be proud of … this tiny country continues to invest in its infrastructure and, for someone who has only witnessed around a decade and a half of change, the roads network has improved immensely and still the investment continues apace.
It’s been a privilege to witness the changes and to play a part in reporting on and recording the country’s progress in print, online and on social media.
Thankfully, I’ve been able to draw on 40 years of journalistic experience to help me navigate a new environment and a country I now call home. 
It’s been a place which my youngest children still consider as their favourite place of residence having ridden horses, played football, gone to school and lived a privileged life in a safe and secure environment.
I happily boast to my friends back in the UK that I could confidently walk with my family through any neighbourhood – city, town or village – at any time of day or night in the Kingdom of Bahrain in the full knowledge that not even the thought of danger would enter my head.
You couldn’t say the same about London, Bristol or Hull – cities I know extremely well - and having spoken to many American expatriate acquaintances, you’d need to book an appointment with a psychiatrist for even considering stepping into some districts in their home country.
No doubt I’ve ruffled a few feathers over the years, but then any journalist worth his salt is bound to do that at times, however, I like to think that the GDN has been able to be not only ‘the voice of Bahrain’ but its champion.
If it’s good for Bahrain, it’s good for the GDN and if it’s good for the GDN, it’s good for my team of journalists.
My working philosophy hasn’t changed from the first time I professionally picked up a pen on my first working day at the office of a small town newspaper as a raw, keen and eager trainee reporter in 1976.
It’s simple; always be willing to come face-to-face with the person you’ve written about the next day.
It made sense. If you upset someone not only would the complainant lambast your editor … he’d also call your mum! 
That’s not what many scribes on national newspapers in the UK or other Western countries need to think about. They can publish and be damned and roll on to the next community to disrupt, cause havoc and leave a trail of tears.
Bahrain, although a thriving, dynamic country, also has a unique family-focussed small town feel it must, forever, embrace. It’s what makes it the number one destination for expatriate workers and keeps its young nationals fully focussed and determined to achieve great things in the future.
You may not know everyone you pass in a mall, coffee shop, hotel restaurant or office elevator but you’re sure to know someone, who knows someone, who does.
This came home to me recently when covering an incident on the runway of a Gulf Air flight to Kuwait. It made an emergency stop and its passengers had to evacuate the aircraft down the emergency slides.
There were only 62 passengers onboard but, of course, a friend of a friend, knew one of them. I called him at his hotel room and the 49-year-old banker was happy to talk about his experience to the GDN, because it was a newspaper he could trust and a newspaper that had been a part of his life since his childhood.
We’re going to meet face-to-face for a coffee shortly. That’s what you do in Bahrain.
Bahrainis have been warm and welcoming to the Szecowka family both personally and professionally.
The joys of working and living in this country are world-renowned. It’s a melting pot of cultures and people of all colours and creeds work together to make this country shine.
Fifty years of independence, 50 years of stunning developments and achievements as this book so clearly outlines.
What a keepsake and what a country. 
Congratulations and thank you, Bahrain.