Mohsin's OBE

I was in Venice in the summer of 1980 for a European summit when we saw coming over the wire the Queen's Birthday Honours list. On it, to mark his imminent retirement, was an OBE for Mohsin. It was the last day of the summit, held on an island across the lagoon from St Mark's and we, as Reuters, were likely to be the last to finish as we piled on nightlead after nightlead on the final communique and on Maggie Thatcher's antics. 

I ran around gathering Mohsin's friends for a drink to mark his OBE at the end of the day and persuaded a good number to hang around in the press centre until we were finished. 

When we finally convened, around some huge jugs of white wine, Roger Beetham, spokesman for Roy Jenkins, then the European Commission president, feigned ignorance of the reason for the celebration.

"We know you're retiring, Mo, so it's not that. We know you're getting married, so it's not that. What might it be?" He paused for a few seconds. "I bet it's a gong in the honours list... " 

Mohsin looked very uncomfortable. "But," he protested, "it's not official, it's under embargo!" ■