The Latest News from Wrexham Business Professionals

Hostage given book called Great Escapes

Hostage Terry Waite given a book called Great Escapes by his captors   Former hostage Terry Waite told how the Islamic jihadists holding him captive unwittingly gave him a book called Great Escapes. The revelation about the irony of reading material presented to him by his guards who were unable to speak English came during a speech to the Wrexham Business Professionals Group at the town's Ramada hotel. The group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond. The other keynote speakers at the event were Welsh National Opera's Artistic Director David Pountney and Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Welsh Government Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport. The theme of the meeting Powering Regional Prosperity ... The Art of Business and Mr Waite was there in his capacity as President of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. The ex-Church of England envoy described what life was life being held in an underground prison in Beirut for five years and how he was chained to the wall for 23 hours and 50 minutes every day, with just a 10 minute toilet break. "I'd been negotiating for the release of hostages on behalf of the Church of England for many years," he said. "Today I'm responsible for Hostage UK, which operates worldwide. "When you are attempting to deal with this particular problem you have to run the risk of being captured yourself and it was inevitable that one day I'd be held hostage." "People ask me all the time what I missed most," he said. "Family and friends of course, but I also missed books and music. "I pleaded with the guards to bring me books. They asked why – we've never read a book in our lives, they said. "Eventually a guard said he would get me a book and a day or...... more ›