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The Poles in Britain - a history by BBC Magazine


InWroclaw  89 | 1910  
1 Sep 2014 /  #1
bbc.com/news/magazine-28979789

By 1951 the UK census showed the number of Polish-born immigrants had quadrupled since before the war, to more than 160,000...

Britain's Polish population - in numbers

Poles now constitute largest ethnic group in UK (after Indians) - 1% of population - more than Irish-born residents
Census in 2011 counted 579,000 Poles living in England and Wales
In 2013 Polish women gave birth to 21,275 children in the UK

 Road Sign

Tracey Ullman - film and TV comedy actress. Her father was a Polish soldier evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940
Sir John Gielgud (1904-2000) - one of the most famous English stage actors, his great-grandmother was a celebrated Polish actress
Ed Miliband - the Labour leader's grandparents came from the Polish capital, Warsaw

hurrahhey  - | 4  
1 Sep 2014 /  #2
Poles now constitute largest ethnic group in UK

and 90% should have never come here in the first place!!!
Majority of those poles have never achieved much in their own country and don't seem doing any better over here. Hiding like rats among those native dropout brits from council estates.

Living here for donkey's years and barely speak any english, doing odd jobs for few quid per hour just to get by.
They don't make any contribution to the british society apart from spreading their low-prestige life style.
learningpolish  
1 Sep 2014 /  #3
Hurrah hey you really are so full of hate. You are not a representative of how English people view Poles. Although your comment doesn't deserve a respose as that's all you're looking for, I must say, from what I've seen, they are well educated, work hard and have a good sense of humor. I'm guessing you are someone who looks for the worst in everything because you're not happy in yourself
hurrahhey  - | 4  
1 Sep 2014 /  #4
You are not a representative of how English people view Poles

this is very true.
english people are very polite and forgiving.

they are well educated

= the other 10 % of those poles in britain, the rest hardly completed Szkola Zawodowa if you know what that is.

someone who looks for the worst in everything

someone who wish the world wasn't short of good politicians and gave the chance to those who could solve our problems caused by idiots,

you're not happy in yourself

im not happy because i'm forced to put up with this mess.

Just one most recent example of how some polish people are great.

My partner works for a company that employs polish people, most of them can barely speak english and some of them can't speak at all.

They make a lot of mistakes when sending parcels, picking wrong items etc, never talk to their english colleagues.
Some time ago the company organised a fully paid trip to London so the employees could get to know each other a bit better.
Everyone was happy except few polish ladies who demanded transport in a car the company had to pay for.
they didn't want to stay in the hotel with their co-workers but decided to arrive day later...
after few hours they spent with their work colleagues they demanded to be taken back home (in a car) because the weather was too hot.

How disgraceful is that?
I feel very sorry for those genuine poles who don't just get by through life or go to other countries to act like a waste of space but take every opportunity to make the best in every situation.

I am polish too and i have made success of my life here in Britain.
local_fela  17 | 172  
1 Sep 2014 /  #5
never talk to their english colleagues.

seen that a lot in London... it is a shame! they want to hide within their own circle..

Just to add..you can never expect any kind of help from these ladies (and those similar)!

Seen a lot of Polish friends leaving Poland and going to the UK and getting sh!t jobs and being treated as slave by who... by their boss who are mostly Polish..
tonyc  
1 Sep 2014 /  #6
And it sounds like your all turning my native home into one big s@#t heap!
OP InWroclaw  89 | 1910  
1 Sep 2014 /  #7
treated as slave by who... by their boss who are mostly Polish..

That I too have seen, but I do not concur that Poles in the UK are unfriendly to natives if that's what you were saying. The vibe I got was far more to do with shyness or to do with the fact they felt some native Brits were not genuine or not so friendly or not happy they're there (although Poles were perceived as hard working by most people I met in the UK).
Archyski  - | 44  
1 Sep 2014 /  #8
My partner works for a company that employs polish people, most of them can barely speak english and some of them can't speak at all.

So your view of polish people is based on those stories ?

Wow, you don't seem well-educated. You're mad because they probably stold those "odd jobs" from you, am I right ?
hurrahhey  - | 4  
1 Sep 2014 /  #9
Polish friends leaving Poland and going to the UK and getting sh!t jobs and being treated as slave by who... by their boss who are mostly Polish..

i recommend to those friends of yours who plan coming to the uk
to make sure they can speak good english, without the language they won't get anything decent and will most likely get used by others and end up as a cheap labour.

save a bit of money before you come and find volunteer job to get started,it will also help you to get to know english people and make some good connections.

Once you are settled write a nice CV and post it on one of those job websites. Don't say you are polish on your CV as this attracts those stingy sharks full of greed!!!

Avoid those street agencies as they have only **** jobs and will never get you any where.

I did that 10 years ago and today i've got well paid job i love, nice house and best ever friends who are english and above it of all my beautiful partner.
learningpolish  
1 Sep 2014 /  #10
I did that 10 years ago and today i've got well paid job i love, nice house and best ever friends who are english and above it of all my beautiful partner.

You feel superior to other Polish people? Not everyone has a good job or a nice house or speak perfectly like you, they're still human for God's sake. There's no need to look down on them. Live your perfect life and let them live theirs. And any Polish people I've worked with had perfect English and were really friendly.
hurrahhey  - | 4  
1 Sep 2014 /  #11
You feel superior to other Polish people?

it does make me a bit sick when i see people with a little or no respect for any cultural, intellectual or spiritual values, people who are like cheap prostitutes, **** heads, so called chavs, mentality of making babies and claiming benefits.

and it does not make any difference to me if you english or polish!!!
Its about building community and environment to live in not wrecking it all down!!!
Wroclaw Boy  
1 Sep 2014 /  #12
Majority of those poles have never achieved much in their own country and don't seem doing any better over here. Hiding like rats among those native dropout brits from council estates.

I see you're trotting out the usual stuck up, cocky Polish twat rhetoric. I reckon i could predict with surprising accuracy what you'll say on a wide range of topics form this very piece right here. I don't even want to begin the ridicule....... as tempted as i am. I only hope that one day you will possess the ability to see the errors of your mind set and be able to say "you know what, i was very wrong about that".

I did that 10 years ago and today i've got well paid job i love

2004, humm what significant Polish event occurred that year...

people who are like cheap prostitutes

Ohh i see
learningpolish  
2 Sep 2014 /  #13
it does make me a bit sick when i see people with a little or no respect for any cultural, intellectual or spiritual values, people who are like cheap prostitutes, **** heads, so called chavs, mentality of making babies and claiming benefits.

You seem to have little or no respect for human life, it's not right at all the way you talk about people. You should take a look at your own values before complaining about other people's. It's very easy to look down on people. You don't know their circumstances. And so what if someone is on benefits? It doesn't mean you are better than them. What about a kind heart, a good sense of humor, a beautiful soul? Do these things mean nothing?
smudge  
2 Sep 2014 /  #14
Forum members please remember don't feed the trolls
Wroclaw Boy  
2 Sep 2014 /  #15
Hes not a troll, he actually believes in what hes saying. Waaaay more dangerous.
10iwonka10  - | 359  
5 Sep 2014 /  #16
Effect of reading Daily Mail and daily express.......

There is certain group of people like that- usually working class roots , not very good at their job, with big attitude,( big fan of union trades and strikes) and in general bitter.....

I met few of them.....Even had pleasure to work with one of them. In the end we got on well as surprise, surprise, I could do my job much better than he expected and when was need for it I could stand for myself too.
Ant63  13 | 410  
5 Sep 2014 /  #17
Hes not a troll, he actually believes in what hes saying. Waaaay more dangerous.

Ever thought for a moment he may be speaking the truth. I've heard the same from several successful Poles I've met here in the UK. Coming to the UK with no English and sold on fantasy stories of wealth beyond your dreams on the day you arrive in the UK; you are a dead duck. Why? You're fellow Poles are waiting for you. They'll chew you up and spit you out. There no easier target than a fellow countryman when you can't speak English. 16 to a three bedroomed house. £300 pounds a month to sleep on the floor. Nice! Not so bad if your young though. Some amazingly bring their kids to this situation.

Effect of reading Daily Mail and daily express.......

I think you will find every newspaper except for the Guardian carries the same stories these days. The broads may be less sensationalist but the comments below are equally strong if not more articulate. Things are going to change. Not dramatically, but coming without a word of English will become more difficult.

You seem to have little or no respect for human life

Life isn't a bed of roses. He is just telling you how it is. Simply, the nasty people feed off the vulnerable and ill informed. It's a shame that their own kind are at the forefront. If you are learning Polish, you should learn an important part of their culture too. I'll help. Most are more than happy to accept favours but there is no such thing as reciprocation. You will have to pay. They are not embarrassed to ask either. That a cultural difference.
Wroclaw Boy  
6 Sep 2014 /  #18
Ever thought for a moment he may be speaking the truth. I've heard the same from several successful Poles I've met here in the UK.

What that some people are more successful than others? Not everybody can win a game of Monopoly mate, its designed to produce winners and losers, the same as capitalism.

His opinions are one of a brain dead drone, the kind of person that the current UK government absolutely loves.

I think you will find every newspaper except for the Guardian carries the same stories these days.

Some more than others. The Guardians just about the only paper worth reading these days IMO, theyre the only one that seems to have a clue about sustainability.

He is just telling you how it is.

Hes cocky, patronising, self righteous and highly biased. Bigoted and racist are in there too.
OP InWroclaw  89 | 1910  
6 Sep 2014 /  #19
Hes cocky, patronising, self righteous and highly biased. Bigoted and racist are in there too.

Pot meet kettle.

The Jews only care about themselves, they have no honor, they are ruthless, they are cunning.

The Jews have lots of flaws associated with them being Jewish, like it, believe it or not, its a fact. People don't make this stuff up, its there for a reason.

polishforums.com/off-topic-47/european-anti-semitism-growing-71719/23/#msg1451548
Wroclaw Boy  
6 Sep 2014 /  #20
Pot meet kettle.

Ahh the old hypocrisy angle, always amuses me that one. I suppose we can be thankful that it wasn't an inwroclaw opinion.

You still don't understand 'environment induced behavior' do you, what about the nature/nurture debate? In laymans terms - why people behave the way they do.
bfdgyhff  
6 Sep 2014 /  #21
What a rasict !!
Ant63  13 | 410  
6 Sep 2014 /  #22
What that some people are more successful than others?

Mostly because some put more effort in. The old adage, "You reap what you sow" is particularly relevant to all immigrants to any country. The bar is set pretty low. You can meander along on the bottom rung of the ladder with zero ambition or start the day with an "I can" attitude and when you find you can't, fix the problem that blocks the way. For most that means learning the native language of their destination.

His opinions are one of a brain dead drone, the kind of person that the current UK government absolutely loves.

I don't even see them as opinions, just basic facts that any person arriving should be prepared with. Come without and your chances of achieving are little more than winning the lottery. Do you not realise the tide has turned in the UK. Things have changed. The socialist experiment has failed.

What a rasict !!

Who? What? Where?

Grow up.
Wroclaw Boy  
6 Sep 2014 /  #23
Mostly because some put more effort in.

Humm try telling that crap to your average Ethiopian. Its mainly all about environment induced behavior actually, as to whether a person has been raised in an environment which enable them top put in effort.

You can meander along on the bottom rung of the ladder with zero ambition or start the day with an "I can" attitude and when you find you can't, fix the problem that blocks the way.

So if everybody upped their game 10% equally what would change, do you know, it is obvious, but i'll spell if out for you. NOTHING will change, poverty will still be here, some people will still be rich but most will be poor. I'm for global sustainability and equality, ushering in a new phase for humanity and indeed the planet, your stuck in the past trying to hang onto to the old hard work conquers all crap that your parents drummed into you as a child.

Youre thinking is completely flawed, what you saying about the richest 85 people having accumulated the same amount of money as the poorest 3,500,000,000 (billion)?. We live on a finite planet you know, capitalism is based on infinite growth. Obviously this is all completely new to you and your bias will kick in and block it straight away. Cognitive dissonance anybody?

You're an old fart Ant, one thats part of the problem, quit being part of the problem and research sustainability. We cant afford to have the old ways perpetuated by the ignorant for much longer.

Youre lucky im quite busy today and don't have the time to dissect and take your post apart piece by piece. Maybe i'll pop back later.
learningpolish  
6 Sep 2014 /  #24
I dunno, I love Polish people I just don't see it, what you're talking about.
Wroclaw Boy  
6 Sep 2014 /  #25
Simply, the nasty people feed off the vulnerable and ill informed

Ahh ha "the nasty people" he says, hes got to be talking about politicians surely, not the poor working class. I'll have to remember that one, the "nasty people".

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