Here is my former FCO colleague George Fergusson, characteristically standing tall after a wretched mugging attack in which he lost an eye:

The old Etonian and Oxford graduate, whose family has a proud history in the British Army and diplomatic service, underwent surgery on Saturday at Western Eye Hospital in London, but doctors failed to save the sight in his left eye.

He also sustained several fractured bones in his face.

“I have been lucky,” he told The Daily Telegraph after he was discharged to his terraced house in Stockwell, south London on Sunday.

“There are still lots of things you can do with one eye – normal day-to-day things.

“It will not stop us going to Bermuda. We are still thoroughly looking forward to it.”

… Mr Fergusson’s career has included work in the Soviet Department, which became the Eastern Department of the Foreign Office after the collapse of Communist Russia.

That was when I first met George – he was head of the Russian Section of the old Soviet Department where I was Deputy Head under another Old Etonian, Rod Lyne. Here is how it changed its name to Eastern Department – Northern Department with its echoes of Burgess and Maclean was deemed a bit too, ahem, awkward.

Back then George led his team with unwavering courtesy and good sense. And that’s how he’ll deal with this ghastly setback now.