Background
Weston, John was born on April 13, 1938. Son of Philip George and Edith Alice Bray (Ansell) Weston.
Weston, John was born on April 13, 1938. Son of Philip George and Edith Alice Bray (Ansell) Weston.
Graduate with 1st class honors, Worchester College, England. Student Chinese language, Hong Kong, 1966. Student Chinese language, Peking, China, 1968.
He was the United Kingdom Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) from 1992 to 1995, and the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations (United Nations) from 1995 to 1998. He carried out his National Service as a Second Lieutenant in 42 Commando Royal Marines. Weston joined the Diplomatic Service in 1962, and was posted to Hong Kong (Chinese language student).
And subsequently to Beijing,to Brussels European Commission (with the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Community) and to Washington District of Columbia. Whilst working for the Foreign Office in London, he covered matters relating to the European Community, Eastern Europe and intelligence, and served as a Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary, both James Callaghan and Antony Crosland.
In 1977, he spent a sabbatical year as a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. From 1981 to 1985 he was the Foreign Office"s Director of International Security Policy, after heading their Defence Department during the Falklands War.
He was then posted overseas, as Deputy Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary in Paris, from 1985 to 1988. On his return to London, he worked as Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet and as Political Director at the Foreign Office.
He held this position until he was made the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations (United Nations) in 1995.
He retired from this post, and from the diplomatic service, in 1998. John Weston was a Non-executive Director on the Boards of several companies including British Telecom1998-2001,and Rolls-Royce Group plc1998-2005. He also became a trustee of the American Associates of the Royal Academy of Arts, and of the National Portrait Gallery.
In 2003, he was made an Honorary Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, where he was also President of the Worcester College Society for ten years.
He chaired the Board of Governors at Sherborne School 2001-2007, was a governor of the Ditchley Foundation, and also for 10 years Honorary President of Community Foundation Network, a United Kingdom-wide charity encouraging creation of local endowment funds to support local works. Weston began writing poetry in 2002, appearing in many magazines and journals.
He was published in the Take Five "04 anthology by Shoestring Press in 2004. The first collection of his poetry, Chasing the Hoopoe, published by Peterloo Poets in August 2005, was described by Harold Pinter as "a good read, full of salt and pepper".
Foreign 4 years he chaired the trustees of The Poetry School and was a trustee of The Poetry Society.
His second collection of poems "Echo Soundings" was published by Shoestring Press in 2012.
Chairman governing body Sherborne School, 2001-2007. Trustee National Portrait Gallery. American associate Royal Academy, 1999-2004.
Board governors Ditchley Foundation, 2000-2004. Member council International Institute Strategic Studies, 2001-2004. Honorary president Community Foundation Network, since 1999.
Served Royal Marines, 1956-1958.
Married Margaret Sally Ehlers, 1967. 3 children.