I would like to express my thanks to the Council of the
Royal Aeronautical Society for inviting me to
deliver this lecture. I am very happy that this
honour has been extended to me: I am happy for
myself, and also for my country, Barbados, one of
the newest sovereign states, but one which has
evolved with the British Commonwealth. Our
relationship has existed since 1625 and apart from
what I believe to be the first case of UDI in the
British Colonial Empire in the Cromwell era, we have
been stalwart members of the club.
In November 1966 Barbados became a sovereign state, the
colonial days were over. From here on we have been a
full member of the British Commonwealth of
Nations.