UK, Ireland / Immigration and Identity: how to keep Polish identity when living in UK. [30]


I agree Seanus some people who come from another country may not feel the necessity to seek out their fellow countrymen. It is not a conscious decision It's just the way things pan out, I left Ireland in the fifties and joined the Royal Navy. I returned to Ireland when I left the navy, but I could not settle there so I flew back to London. I rented an apartment in the one above me was a Polish family, we eventually became very good friends and through them I was introduced to the wider Polish community. Most of them were Free Polish Army, some were from the Polish underground, Zocha my friend had been interned in a German concentration camp near Krakow. They were wonderful people who missed their homeland, I consider myself proud to list them among my friends. If anyone wants to research the Free Polish Army a good start is General Anders book " An Army in Exile."

Regards

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [238]

I can't see any problem with sons and daughters living at home, I have three daughters and we are always delighted to see them. All our daughters are very independent successful women within their own professions, all are financially independent from their husbands. The reason they come home is to relax and chill out, I should imagine the reason for the younger generation living at home, is to save to set themselves up in their own apartments. A reasonable one bedroom apartment in the area I live in London would cost £180,000 plus. So the young person would require a £40,000 deposit in to-days market. When I left home I was sixteen when I bought my first house, my monthly mortgage was half my monthly salary, so it was never easy.

UK, Ireland / Immigration and Identity: how to keep Polish identity when living in UK. [30]

I agree Sean it is a human condition to miss what is familiar to you, I know the post war Poles in Britain missed Poland. And some of them went back and were treated with suspicion, and were not welcome in Stalin's Poland. The British Poles knew this and set about keeping the Polish customs alive, within their communities and still do to-day. I met General Alders in the Polish Centre in South Kensington, in the early sixties and saw him lying in state in a little converted church off Goldhawk Road in 1970. Between 1963 and 1970 I had been to Australia taken part in the Vietnam war, so I had a much better idea what the Free Polish Army had gone through. General Anders wish was to be buried with his fallen troops at Monte Cassino.

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]


On the 1st of September 1939 Germany invaded Poland with 1.8 million troops on three fronts. They had 2800 tanks 2000 aircraft, and they employed "Blitzkrieg" tactics bombing defenceless towns and refugees. It must have been terrible on the civilian population no where in Europe had ever experienced anything like this before. Warsaw was surrounded by German forces by the 14th, the soviets attacked on the 17th Warsaw surrendered two weeks later. Nobody expected Poland to hold out as long as it did the Polish Defence group, surrendered on October 5th after holding the German and Soviet troops on two fronts. The Germans lost over 50000 men 700 planes and 900 tanks. In 1961 in London I met lots of Free Poles who fought in Poland and all over Europe. The family who lived above me were Polish, we became firm friends and spend many nights together, talking about the war the concentration camp that Zorhca was in. And about the things Urick and his group did in the underground, all his family were murdered. Both Zorcha parents were murdered her father was a judge, her brother was the only one of a large extended family, who lived on in Poland and lived to see her free. You have every right to feel proud of Poland Dariusz, I am an Irishman and I am certainly proud of my Polish friends, alas nearly all gone now.

Regards

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]


Scots are as different to the rest of the Uk, as Poles are to Spaniards.


Hitler believed as did all the brown shirts that the Jews were bent on world domination.He packaged it all togather Marks the Jewish bankers and militant Jewish leaders of the communist workers. And sold it to the people, the west was quite happy to let Hitler sort out the commies. If this meant a few Jews getting their heads caved in, as far as they

were concerned tough. I am at a complete loss to understand why he got into a program of exterminating the Jews in the middle of a war. I had a friend who was a German Jew he said they were happy to see the Brown Shirts sort out the reds. They started to worry when they attacked ordinary Jews and business's. That was when his Dad sent him and his sister to Holland, and later they came to London he was thirteen his sister younger, they never saw their Mum and Dad again.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]

Is there a statute of limitations in Polish Law ?

UK, Ireland / The Daily Mail - coverage of the Polish people [161]


Swans are protected by royal a charter, and Cambridge University serve it every year at
the Cambridge Ball. They have a dispensation from the Queen to do so, its one of the highlights of the dinner. I went one year and tried it, and believe me once was enough. My sympathy is with any poor people who are forced by circumstances to eat it. I would take great pleasure in force feeding it, feathers and all to a certain racist Dublin Nationalist who infects this forum. What is a Dublin Nationalist is it the equivalent of the BNP in Britain.

History / The great mistakes of Poland's history? [216]


Sokrates that is a question that always puzzle me, Holland and one of the Scandinavian countries were building u boats 250 in number for Germany and what ever the German built themselves. According to the treaty Germany and the other members of the treaty had a limit on capital ships of 19000 tons. Germany built four pocket battleships 45000 tons plus, I can only imagine that international capitalism saw Hitler as some sort of a hammer against communism, Hitler had little interest in the German Navy because they got mauled by the Royal Navy in the 1WW. The German Naval plan of action was to sink merchant shipping and deprive GB of materials, on the 3rd of September the Graf Spree sunk three ships in the South Atlantic. So the Royal Navy was at war from day one, the Kriegsmarine was an unbalanced navy in 1939. she needed another four years to build to full strength then nothing could have stopped her. I have no idea what double dealing was taking place behind closed doors, but Germany showed signs of slipping back into recession in 1938, which was Hitlers main reason for going to war in 1939. If Germany finished her full term of development, he may have had the A bomb and a method of delivery, and an incredible modern army.

Life / Are Polish ppl capable of revolting? [41]

A civil war would set Poland back not advance her, we always want everything to happen today but things don't happen like that. A civil war happened in my country in 1920, which divided the country and set brother against brother and friend against friend. Afterwards Ireland's greatest export was her people. I meet young Poles over here in London, and I like and admire them, I stood in their shoes over fifty years ago You have everything going for you to make Poland a great and wealthy country again.

Regards

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

I have enjoyed this thread very much I enjoy people saying positive things about their countries, rather then the negative which seems to be more fashionable. Today we had the bad news about the plane crash in the Katyń forest, which made me think about my friend her father was a judge in Warsaw. When the Germans and USSR attacked in 1939, her parents and other members of the family were most likely victims of that massacre. I know she believed as I did that it was only military personnel, but I have learned lately that it was anyone that held any kind of higher administrative position. Zosya was a lady of great fortitude and spirit, and she would have gone through hell for kids. She was my friend and like my older sister for 45 years, she died in 2001 the last of all the Poles I knew who had fought for Poland and died in exile. Everyone of them would have given ten years of their lives to have returned to Poland, some of them did and were never heard of again. I will never see Poland because I am to old and not to well, but I will read your threads and keep in touch that way. Maybe someone will post some pictures of the mountains and woodlands of Poland.

Regards

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]


Thank you Sean for your kind comments, and the wonderful links showing the beauty of Poland. I can see why you guys love it and have decided to live there, everything seems easy to access. Krakow looks beautiful Zosya spoke about it a lot, I am now not sure if she lived there, and went to university in Warsaw. Or lived in Warsaw and went and went to university in Krakow, I don't suppose I shall ever know now. I remember her telling me about a picture or statue,of Our Lady Of some place which was very important to Polish people. This image was reproduced in the camp she was in, by a polish artist on the wall of their hut, they did it by cutting up tin cans. She said it gave them hope, she also told me about musicians who played classical music to the prisoners. I don't know if she ever wrote it down, her daughters moved to America and we lost touch. Thanks for your help Sean it was very much appreciated.


Thank you Mr Grunwald for your kind reply and suggestion,

Regards

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]


RN, thank you for your reply I am also a Dublin man who left many years ago, I was sixteen and a bit just left school, and joined the Royal Navy with my pal to see the world. We had visions of being on the same ships and exploring wonderful countries together. Of course it never worked out like that, the next time we saw each other again was 45 years later. As you can imagine we had plenty to talk about.


Eurolo, thank you for the stunning pictures, I enjoyed looking at them very much with your permission I will download them, and keep them in an album.


Darius you are called after a Persian King, are you from Persia a wonderful civilisation that gave so much to the world. You were right Darius it was "The Black Madonna of Czestochowa," I could hear my friend in my mind saying it, but i could not remember the name Czestochowa. When my brother married in Spain in a town called Chipiona in El Andalus, they also had a Black Madonna. Thank you Darius for your help I shall look out for your posts.

Kindest regards to all.

PS I'm not really sad just regretful about all the question I should have asked, and now that I'm older I seem to have more questions then answers.

News / Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia [682]

The strangest thing I find about this incident is why there was so many top officials on one plane, it's like they they were setting themselves up for a disaster. None of us know what happened in that cockpit, Anything could have happened the pilot may even have had a heart attack. All the sabotage theories reminds of when Kennedy was shot, the finger was pointed at all sorts even LBJ. I personally was not sorry to see him removed, he put Britain right in the firing line over the Bay of Pigs we would have been the first to go in Europe. I have no respect for any politician or for the world bank. Or for the saber rattlers on this thread who talk so glibly of war, try it don't fantasize about it they are looking for recruits for Afghanistan. If you get back tell me if you want to go back again.

News / Komorowski, acting president, is a shower! [51]


All I can say to you Varsovian is what I say to none Brits over here who knock Britain if you don't like it leave.

News / THE ARMY OF POLAND - THE REALITY [388]


That was not my experience I fought beside conscripts and they gave a good account of themselves. It's amazing how you will fight when someones trying to kill you. I'm still trying to work out if Crow was a soldier in the Serbian War, like him I feel Serbia had a raw deal............. I am also surprised nobody has mentioned China as a potential aggressor.

News / THE ARMY OF POLAND - THE REALITY [388]


Bratwurst Boy, I have no idea how the quote was attributed to you, the statement was made by delphiandomine.

Regards

Love / Polish blonde and a British pensioner. No fool like an old fool, or is it love. [57]

Arien,

I liked your post very much and agree with what you are saying, money alone is not a basis for building a relationship. I met my wife in London in 1970 and got married in 1971, we are still married and have a contented happy life. We have three lovely intelligent daughters highly educated, and the eldest two are financially independent of their husbands. My youngest is still at university doing her masters. This post is not to brag how well I have done, but to contrast it with Brogan's disaster of a life. Three marriages God knows how many kids, and a honky tonk bar in Donegal. If that silly girl is a gold digger I think she is on a loser, it looks like the gold mine is well played out. I am seventy one and would never embarrass my children like that, the mans got no dignity. you got the right idea Arien hang out for the right woman

Life / Bilet, controler and the Poland Police. [78]

Do people over sixty receive free travel on public transport, as we do in Britain and Ireland in Britain it is called a "Freedom Pass." Which allows travel on buses trains, and tube trains within a given radius out of rush hour.

History / Poland's 20th century and modern national heroes? [8]

Ryszard Kaczorowski R.I.P.

History / Polish-Moroccan mutual relations [67]

In the fullness of time it will be all blamed on the Ashkenazi's.

History / The great mistakes of Poland's history? [216]


Sok Poland was rearming before the war as I'm sure you know, and Britain and France asked them to stop because it could antagonized the Germans. I always believed Poland was betrayed, the main reason for giving Stalin his way with Poland, was America wanted Stalin's help to defeat the Jap's. Not needed in the end because they used the Abomb, you may know other reasons I would be interested to hear them.

USA, Canada / Do Poles feel America is going down the drain? [149]


Look Polonius3 there has always been crooked politicians in every country, but politicians are only puppets with something much more sinister working their strings. You as a journalist will know this better then I, being an Irishman living in London I am more aware what's going on in the UK then I do about Ireland . I don't think the Poles, like the rest of Europe have America in the forefront of their minds. They are to busy sorting out their own problems, my opinion of America does not come out of Tinseltown. But from friends who I served with in Vietnam,and who I talk to on a regular basis, and from my nephew who is a lawyer in Washington. As they all say there has been worst times, and according to my nephew things are starting to look a bit better. As regards Afghanistan I am glad the troops are out there, at least they are delaying the nutters getting their hands on Pakistan, and a load of nukes.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

I used to drink in a Polish club with a few of my mates in London, many years ago the beer was all bottled no draught. But they also had a Polish vodka which would blow your head off, The guys came from different parts of Poland from before the war. So I don't know were it came from, they called it Polish white spirit, they should have called it Polish white lightening. I have looked for it many time since, so I guess you are keeping over for yourselves.

Life / Polish stereotypes of other nationalities!? [472]


Kuro,

I love your sense of humour you are a bright light to this thread, and thank you for giving me a laugh before I go to bed.

Good night.

USA, Canada / Do Poles feel America is going down the drain? [149]


Convex I am sorry to hear about your Mom and Dads troubles, I know how upsetting that can be. Back in the mid-eighties my wife left the house to go shopping with our girls, and forgot to put the alarm on. I came home caught the guy and nearly killed him, and spent the next few months fighting an assault case which I won. I believe people have every right to protect their home and property.

News / Crash of Tu-154 at Smolensk-North--could it have been a bomb in the Polish plane? [233]

Of course the KGB would never stoop to a dirty trick like that, nor would the CIA, MI6, Mossad, or any other dirty tricks brigade.

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400410.html

USA, Canada / Do Poles feel America is going down the drain? [149]


I lived in a gated community in "Porto Santa Maria Spain" in 1979, the guards were all armed and in their thirties. They also had guard dogs, and checkpoints were they punched a card when they patrolled. The areas were all landscaped and kept beautiful by full time gardeners, All the houses were serviced by a team of cleaners. The houses were also alarmed and connected to the guard house. The best part about it, it cost me nothing the tab was picked by Marathon Oil.

News / Michał Kamiński - referred to not by name on the UK Leaders Debate but ... [47]


I was wondering why you would not do this service yourself, until I looked at your profile. To discover you are living in Australia, what has British politics got to do with you. You sound just like a friend of mine who, phones me a couple of times a week to complain about Gordon Brown. My friend is a Tory doing business in England, and living in Monaco to avoid paying British tax. I am sure we can recall a few other Tory patriots like Rothschild, Ashcroft, and so many more. And I know there are as many creeps in the Labour Party, and among the Liberals the others I won't even discuss. Please do your raving somewhere else, and don't treat us as fools we can vote for who we feel best suits us.

News / Michał Kamiński - referred to not by name on the UK Leaders Debate but ... [47]


If you read my post you will see I included the three parties, please answer my question what is your interest when you are living in Australia.

UK, Ireland / Polish workers going back to Britain [14]

Looking at your posts lads the average wage must be about £100 per week, is this reflected in the cost of living and the price of property. What would the price of an average three bedroom house in Warsaw cost.