My relationship with Merrick commenced in 1992 when he became British Consul General in Los Angeles, and I was on the board of BAFTA LA. Since the British Consul always acts as an Honorary BAFTA board member, my first interaction with Merrick was within the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. In that capacity, through the years, he presided over the Britannia Awards presented to Peter Ustinov, Dustin Hoffman & Martin Scorsese to name but a few.
However, our relationship soon expanded into other areas. We met shortly after the riots in Los Angeles, when a great deal of attention was being given to the issues of racial discrimination and inner-city deprivation. At that time, I was leading a double life. Not only was I active in the film industry, but I was simultaneously serving as the Executive Director of a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles, called The Dome Village, founded by homeless activist Ted Hayes.
Stepping out of the customary role of Consul General (of providing services to his country’s citizens and promoting trade and economic relations between our two countries), Merrick not only visited the Dome Village on numerous occasions, but was soon referring homeless people he had encountered to our shelter.
One of the major programs that emanated out of this innovative homeless community were two cricket teams. The “LA Krickets”, a team of actual homeless residents of The Dome Village, and The “Compton Cricket Club”, a team of gang members from Compton.
In 1993, when Prince Edward, the then Earl of Wessex, was in town to present the Britannia Award to Martin Scorsese, Merrick suggested, as one of his Royal assignments while in Los Angeles, that he visit our recently opened Dome Village. Prince Edward did indeed visit us and said that, if ever we came to England, he would like to invite us to his home in Buckingham Palace.
By 1994, Merrick had firmly positioned himself as our conduit to British Royalty. When the then Prince Charles toured Los Angeles promoting his Business Leaders Forum program, (an organization that funded struggling young entrepreneurs and coaxed business leaders into community work and philanthropy), Merrick invited Ted Hayes to attend the event at the Downtown Central Library and introduced him to His Majesty. Charles immediately enquired about the geodesic Dome Village that his brother had visited the year before.
A few years later, when we were planning the Compton Cricket Club’s first of three tours of England, we contacted Prince Edward who, as promised, not only invited the team to visit him in Buckingham Palace, but hosted a cricket match between the Compton Cricket Club and the Windsor Castle staff at Windsor Castle. Merrick followed suit, and invited them to play against The Castle Ashby XI, at the home of the Marquis of Northampton in 1999 (the house has recently passed to his son: the fittingly titled Earl Compton). Over and above the call of duty, Merrick’s greatest obsession while in Los Angeles was social justice and prison reform, which he remained focused on throughout the rest of his life.
In 2016 he asked me if he could give my address to Anthony Arteaga, an inmate serving a life sentence in California State prison, Tehachapi, so we could correspond. Merrick had met him a few years before, during one of his many prison visits and had become not only his benefactor, but the father he never had. Anthony and I fast became pen pals, until at the beginning of last year when Merrick informed me that he had been transferred to another prison, where he now had phone privileges and had given him my phone number. I felt honored and humbled to realize that Merrick was entrusting in me the future of his surrogate son. In mid-March, Anthony called me concerned that he couldn’t reach Merrick. Shortly thereafter, both of us received the devastating news of his untimely passing.
Under Merrick’s loving guidance, Anthony grew from an angry, 17-year-old gang member into a sensitive, educated and literate young man. Sadly, with his passing, Merrick was unable to accomplish his dream of having him come to England and to meet his wife and family.
In a letter in 2022 to the California Governor in regard to a possible commutation of Anthony’s sentence, Merrick wrote:
“I have tried to show Anthony, without, I hope, being patronizing what the Christian ethic of loving one’s neighbour as oneself means. I wanted him to realize from the start of our relationship that there was someone out there who really cared about him, as a fellow human being, and was prepared, as it were, to walk with him on his journey towards release and beyond.
I will continue to do what I can to encourage Anthony, introduce him to American friends and to give him some financial support where possible. I would very much like him to visit my wife and me here in England and then to travel with me around this country seeing something of its culture and the history that he has read about, and we have discussed in our letters. Whether this is a practical ambition for either of us I do not know.“
I wish I could be standing here today, with Anthony by my side, liberated from the shackles of imprisonment. But at the very least I can read you the eloquent words he wrote about Merrick in his recent application for the commutation of his sentence:
“In reflection, the years I spent segregated in solitary confinement were a blessing and a curse. A curse because of how much time and energy I spent consumed by a lifestyle that warped my thinking and belief system, and blinded me to how wrong I was. A blessing because in the darkest of times, I managed to grab hold of a glimmer of hope to not give up on myself, sown into my heart by an amazing person, Merrick Baker-Bates, the British Consul General in L.A, who would become my surrogate father. Merrick, with his white hair and impeccable attire, was known for his charm and charisma in diplomatic circles. Yet beneath his polished exterior lay a heart that yearned to make a difference beyond politics. This great man mentored many young, at risk, troubled souls, and treated each of us as if we were his own children. It was no different with me.
He guided me in my long journey of change, replacing anger and resentment in my heart with compassion, and purpose. He introduced me to the world of literature, art and culture and encouraged my passion for writing. I began to find solace and hope in the beauty of the world. Above all else, he loved and accepted me without judgement. This was instrumental in my journey of self discovery and personal growth. It was through Merrick’s nurturing that I found the courage to face my demons and decide to change.
Because of this amazing man, I now know how to love another human being with an open heart. I am indebted to him for the remainder of my life and can truly say I have now experienced the heartbreak of losing a father. May God bless him with blessings upon blessings, for the many lives he has impacted and changed. Leaving the world a better place. May God rest his soul.“
In the British Weekly obituary, I wrote that few have contributed more to the British community in the US than CG Merrick Baker-Bates CMG. He was far more than a diplomat, he was a humanitarian, using his platform to reach out to the poor, the downtrodden, and the imprisoned, even opening the doors of the Consular residence on the weekends to children of the incarcerated. I will be eternally blessed to call him friend.
Katy Haber, MBE
The full text of Merrick’s letter in 2022 to the California Governor is here.
Now that you know about Anthony, you may wish to write a similar letter in support of a commutation of his sentence. Nothing could have made Merrick happier than to see Anthony free. Together we might achieve this in his memory.
Letters should refer to “Anthony Arteaga K48159”. Please send them to Katy at [email protected]
Dear Katy,
I’m so pleased that you had the opportunity to do Merrick proud at St. Pauls Cathedral, he was the very best in many ways.
I’m stumped to fully express my gratitude to you for involving Merrick in the Compton cricket team. I recall my short innings when I hit the ball for six which almost hitting Merrick who quickly ducked!
There were so many grand occasions that Merrick had invited Isolde and myself to attend. From being present at the residence when HRH Prince Philip presented Merrick on his retirement with his CMG, to meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury, when I told his grace that I had read in the news of a primates death and assumed that it was the Archbishop. It turns out that the primate was in fact a monkey!
With fond memories of a true English gentleman.
