Former Beirut hostage Sir Terry Waite and Phil Bigley, whose brother Ken was murdered by fanatics in Iraq, have spoken about their work together helping others
Two extraordinary men whose charitable work with hostages and their families has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours have spoken together for the first time of the power of their friendship – formed from hope.
Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite, 84, who is to be knighted, and Phil Bigley – the brother of beheaded Iraq hostage Ken Bigley, 62 – who will receive an OBE, say hope cemented their bond when they first met in 2004.
It had been what saved Sir Terry’s sanity during nearly five years as a hostage in Beirut – four in solitary confinement – after being kidnapped by Hezbollah.
And it was what he offered when he became the only outsider to visit Phil and his then 86-year-old mum Lil in Liverpool when civil engineer Ken Bigley was kidnapped by Islamic extremists in Iraq in 2004.