Gervase Cowell.

Does this name mean anything to you? I would be most surprised if it did! He was our MI6 man is Moscow in November 1962. During that time the tension following the recent Cuban Missile crisis was palpable! There were instructions that a secret coded message should be sent to London should an immanent Russian attack be about to occur. The British V-bombers were still on standby-within 15 minutes of take off. According to professor Peter Hennessy in his book: The Secret State-Cowell was suspicious that one of our Russian spies had been comprised-so when this secret message was sent through-he decided to ignored it-suspecting that something was amiss. This national trait of sang-friod prevented potential nuclear Armageddon. So if any one ever suggests that an individual doesn't have an important role to play in an organisation-this true story should disabuse them. Espionage and the role of the spy has such cachet attached to it. We are all intrigued by what goes on behind the arras! The most successful film franchise of all time is James Bond-007. What is about the role of the spy that is so enticing? I think its in part its to do with the fact that we all have secrets. We all have to some degree a secret life. A life we do not share with anyone. There are split parts of the self that we may not be fully conscious of. So someone who makes a professional life out of secrets is fascinating. In Alan Bennett's wonderfully insightful play-A Matter of Attribution-Anthony Blunt one of the infamous five spies who was then master of the Queen's art collection was in dialogue with the Queen about whether its possible to discern the authentic from a fake picture. A splendid metaphor for him and his life.