A Celebration Of Chester And Poland Friendship
Saturday afternoon just gone (14th May) saw a rather special event take place at the Town Hall. Being from Polish origins myself, it was extra special in fact. The event could well be best described as a celebration of Chester and Poland friendship. Here’s some more brief details about the event.
The Lord Mayor of Chester welcomed the Polish Airmen Association UK to celebrate the anniversary of the unveiling, and recent refurbishment, of a plaque which was presented to Chester by our Polish friends some 78 years ago.
In partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Polish Airmen’s Association UK organised the rededication ceremony. This was followed by a Polish Afternoon from 2.30pm to 6pm. I popped along at 2.30pm for a look and, as my late father was in the Polish Air Force, I wanted to see what other information there was available. I found there was plenty of information and in addition to that, there was a fine display of Polish dance, delicious cakes, a Polish Air Force exhibition, information stalls and more.
A Celebration Of Chester And Poland Friendship
Before I continue with mentioning the event, it is well worth giving a shout out to the organisers and to the venue itself. What a fabulous building the Town Hall is. Steeped in history, tradition and culture. A truly magnificent landmark in our city centre. And what a great effort by those who helped to organise the event. The first person I spoke with when I arrived was the Mayor himself. A quick couple of questions to our Mayor was returned with very helpful, positive responses. Sorry to have interrupted your well earned coffee break Mr Mayor and many thanks for the helpful feedback.
Soon after I was talking to one of the volunteers who helped with setting up the room for the event. I happened to say that Chester and the event holders had done Chester proud with such a great effort in organising such a great occasion. The response was just as classy as the effort put in to stage the event. He said, “it’s the very least we can do after all the Poles did for us.” A very touching and poignant comment John. An excellent message to send out and believe in.
Anyway, a bit more about the occasion.
It’s A Small World
While wandering around the hall checking out the various boards displaying such fascinating historic information, I found myself standing next to a gentleman who happened to be reading the same information board as me. We eventually started chatting. In particular, the snippet of the article that we were both fascinated with was in relation to this below.
As it happens, when I was a young lad, my late father appeared in an article in either the Liverpool Echo or Daily Post. It was probably around about 1963…..ish. The article is a bit frayed and tired after so many years have passed by, but I think you can still just about read it.
Like so many of his generation he didn’t say too much of his journey and his ordeals. He did tell us enough though for us to realise that it was a truly horrendous experience. He arrived in Liverpool in 1943. The gentleman I was talking to told of a similar story about his father. We concluded that both of our fathers were probably on the same ship that docked all those years ago. As I say, it’s a small world.
During my visit I also got talking to a military uniformed representative from the Polish Embassy in London. We had a good chat and he was so very appreciative of the support and encouragement he had received from Chester and the UK generally in the two years he has been in our country.
A Celebration Of Chester And Poland Friendship – Is This To Be A Regular Event?
All in all it was well worth visiting the event. Lots of nostalgia and fond memories flooding back of my parents (my late Mum was also Polish, who also had a different nightmare story to tell by the way. Brief details below). So many thanks to the organisers and the military officials who attended. Is it to be a regular event? I don’t know. I certainly hope so.
My Mum’s journey to the UK was equally scary. As a very young teenager she had to work on the farms and the munitions factories just outside of Auschwitz. When eventually liberated she literally had to make a snap decision on the spot. Where should she go? Canada or the UK? So, what better way to make such an important decision than toss a coin. Whatever the call was, “heads or tails” the UK won. She used to say that one of her main overriding fond memories of her new freedom was the sight of the Liver Buildings when the ship she was sailing on was coming in to dock.
A few years ago, I happened to be staying at the hotel 30, James Street in Liverpool. While talking to the receptionist I asked what was the grand looking room behind the reception desk looking out over the Pier Head. She said it was a sort of a lounge area for guests to relax on plush, soft leather sofas.
What she said next though sent a chill down my spine. She went on to explain that the area to the right was a desk area many years earlier where refugees entering the country queued to show their paperwork and complete their registration procedures. I was in the actual room where my parents first landed. My Mum and Dad didn’t know each other in Poland. They met over here, both with different but equally fascinating stories to tell. Two daughters and a son later and the rest, as they say, is history.
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