Yesterday we were invited to an extraordinary event in Manchester. A funeral service for a World War II General, Ludwik Kmicic- Skrzyński, who had actually died in 1972, been buried in Manchester, but was now exhumed and being sent back to his home town of Białystok, with full religious and military honours. A controversial move, […]Read Post ›
In British Commonwealth service, the White Scout Car was regarded more as an armored truck, reflected in the designation “Truck, 15cwt, 4×4, Armoured Personnel”, and was used in a variety of secondary roles, being issued to engineer, artillery (as an observation vehicle for field artillery observers) medical (as a protected ambulance) and signals units; within […]Read Post ›
Happy Birthday. 8 May I interviewed this beautiful woman a couple of years ago for an entry in the souvenir programme of the polish Jubilee Ball. As it is her birthday today I thought I would share the article with you. She was such a delight to talk to, as she gave me tea in […]Read Post ›
This film made by Piotr Szkopiak was due to be released five years ago both in Poland and in the English speaking world, but somehow was never properly distributed, although it is available on streaming services and very occasionally in independent cinemas. As I knew it dealt with the Crime of Katyń, or the Katyń […]Read Post ›
O Very enjoyable and fascinating story of espionage and derring-do. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been pure fiction. As it is a mostly true tale I could not stop thinking about all the gruesome death and destruction that occurred leading up to and around the operation. Of course, things could have […]Read Post ›
Robert Edward Gordon; my godfather. Of course he wasn’t born Robert Edward Gordon 104 years ago today. He was born Zbigniew Szczepański, in Poznań, I believe, 6 days after Poland regained her independence after 123 years of partition. I imagine his mother must have been thrilled to give birth to her first and I believe […]Read Post ›
No longer with us, my father loved a Christmas hat. With embellishments. I used to find it really irritating. Now I miss it. He was the most intensely social being. When I was tiny I can remember people frequently coming round to our flat in Talgarth Road to play bridge or hearts or just for […]Read Post ›
21st May 2022 A few weeks ago I received this invitation to attend a book launch and exhibition of ceramics, both by the artist Elizabeth Stanhope, as she is known in English speaking circles. I have written about her before, when I was writing a profile of her for the Polish Ball, to which she […]Read Post ›
I received this book last Friday. Every spare moment this weekend was spent reading it – I finally finished it this morning. A fascinating insight into the mind and mores of a man whose life and experiences could not be more different from my own. Time, place, customs and the law all played their part […]Read Post ›
I fortuitously found this article on my desktop today. I somehow could not move it or delete it – I was trying to declutter, and so in the end I thought I would post it here, where it should be safe, at least. In my mother’s own words, a short article she was asked to […]Read Post ›
Life Through Basia's Eyes 