Polish Chocolate in the Newcastle

I love all chocolate, especially Polish chocolate and especially the famous Nestle Princessa bar (which is much like the Nestle Kit Kat).I usually find one of these in the bottom of my stocking at Christmas as they’re truly my favourite.  I recently heard for a friend that you can buy Polish chocolate in the Grainger Market (though have never seen it sold there myself). Meantime, if you are looking to source a good Polish chocolate bar in the North East try our local Polish shops, Małgosia’s and Groszek for example; they seem to have a good supply of Princessa: Polish Shops in the North East Link

And for those interested in learning how to appreciate a little Polish chocolate, I recommend this very enthusiast little You Tube exert: You Tube Polish Chocolate Sketch

Useful Information for parents in Newcastle, UK

Here’s a list of some useful websites for families living Newcastle upon Tyne. Some of these websites may also be useful to parents living more broadly in and around the North East of England.

Netmums (Newcastle) - parenting advice and local listings:

http://www.netmums.com/local//newcastle

The Little Pages - free magazine for parents in the North East and Yorkshire listings events and activities for families:

http://the-little-pages.co.uk/

Sure Start Centres (Newcastle):

http://www.surestartnewcastlecc.org.uk/site

Baby Dines Out (North East) - child and baby friendly restaurant reviews and advice:

http://www.babydinesout.com/location/the-north-east

Newcastle Children’s Information Service:

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/childrensinformationservice

Families Recommend - reviews of family friendly days out in the North East (including some useful reviews for families with special or additional needs):

http://www.familiesrecommend.co.uk/things-to-do-north-east

Newcastle Toy and Leisure Library - supporting children with disabilities:

http://ntll.co.uk/

Family learning courses in Newcastle - including courses on crafts, sports, literacy, numeracy, budgeting and ESOL:

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/familylearning

What’s On North East - up-to-date events and activities listings:

http://www.whatsonnortheast.com/listings

Kids Days Out (Tyne and Wear) - events and activities listings for the family:

http://www.kidsdaysout.co.uk/tyne_and_wear.htm

**More useful websites for parents in the UK, and specifically in the North East, can be found here:

http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/p/about-my-family.html

North East Places

When I first began the ethnographic photography stage of my research I planned to concentrate solely on Polish identity in the city of Newcastle. As the interview stage of my research unfolded it became clear that although there is a significant Polish population resident in Newcastle, Polish families live far and wide across the North East of England and something that especially interested me after meeting these families was how Polish migrants have adapted to living in the North East’s former mining towns, in seaside resorts and rural villages. I began to feel that a study on the North East region might be more useful that one on the city of Newcastle alone.

Moreover, in the early stages of my ethnographic fieldwork I made the mistake of looking for expressions of Polishness in isolation. As you can see by my blog about research findings, sometimes my fieldtrips would seem very fruitless (http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/2010/03/research-findings-polish-newcastle.html). I soon realised that I was missing the wider context of ‘identity’ in the North East in that it would be interesting to see how Polish identity might sit alongside or overlap other migrant identities and cultural identities in the region.

Here’s a complete list of all the places I covered during my ethnographic fieldwork and links to the research findings they yielded:

County Durham:
Durham

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625136580006

Gateshead:
Bensham

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625318497608

Blaydon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625232034925

Felling

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625143585399

Gateshead

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625158932334

Low Fell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625318494690

Whickham

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625232034925

Newcastle:
Arthur’s Hill

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625653765081

Benton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625031673573

Benwell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624287630210

Bigg Market

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625062698438

Blakelaw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624426905199

Byker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624459617658

Chinatown

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625144628282

City Centre

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624287680082

Cruddus Park

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624287602622

Denton Burn

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624961641364

Elswick

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624287626642

Fawdon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625799627726

Fenham

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625779308740

Forest Hall

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625031673573

Gosforth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624551610658

Groat Market

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624988919091

Heaton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624162997163

High Heaton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624581374968

Jesmond

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624800653046

Newbiggin Hall

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624551616922

Ouseburn Valley

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625621198933

Red House Farm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625799627726

Sandyford

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624676277727

Scotswood

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624942716172

Shieldfield

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624800646944

South Gosforth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624581374968

Walker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624163035963

Wallsend

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624163068897

Westerhope

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624551616922

Westgate Hill

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625772073594

West Denton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624961641364

West Moor

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625031673573

Northumberland:
Blyth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624515947989

Morpeth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624963380767

Wylam

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624818049161

North Tyneside:
North Shields

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625232028833

Tynemouth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624961938504

Whitley Bay

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624822359821

South Tyneside:
Hebburn

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625799099804

Jarrow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625673461415

Pelaw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625799099804

South Shields

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157625799090736

Sunderland:
Roker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624837037365

Sunderland

http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/sets/72157624961940814

To view the entire ‘North East Places’ collection please go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle/collections/72157624287694582

Polish Shops in the North East of England

Here are names, addresses and opening hours of Polish shops in the North East of England:

Groszek: Polskie Delikatesy
85 Clayton Street,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 5PY

Opening Hours: 7 days a week, Mon - Sat 9.30am - 6.30pm, and Sun 11am- 4pm

Małgosia’s Shop: Polish, Czech and Lithuanian Food
Unit 23,
Newgate Shopping Centre,
Newcastle,
NE15RE

Opening Hours: Open 5 days a week, Mon - Wed 10am - 4pm, and Fri - Sat 10am - 5.30pm

Polskie Smakołyki: Polish Delicious
199 High Street,
Town Centre
Sunderland,
SR1 1UB

Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week, Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm, and Sun 12noon - 8pm

European Foods: Polski Mini Supermarket
7 Borough Road,
Middlesborough,
TS1 4AA

Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week, Mon - Fri 10am - 6.30pm, Sat 9am - 5pm, and Sun 11am - 4pm
(No picture available as yet)

**** Newly added material with thanks to Irena, Tadek and Olga! ****

European Foods
67 Middle Street,
Consett,
County Durham

Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week, Mon, Tues, Thurs 10am - 7pm, Wed 10am - 6pm, Fri 9am -7pm, Sat 9am - 6pm, Sun 12noon - 4pm
(No picture available as yet)

And, not forgetting our neighbouring Poles in the North East of England, here's details of a shop I came across in Cumbria:

Krakow Polish Shop
4A,
Corney Square,
Penrith,
CA11 7PX

Opening Hours: Open 6 days a week, Mon - Thurs 12noon - 7pm, Fri 12noon - 8pm, and Sat 11am - 6pm

For a more comprehensive list of Polish Shops in the UK follow this link:

http://www.uksimple.info/UKInfo/Links/PolishShopsintheUK/tabid/414/language/cs-CZ/Default.aspx?udt_1311_param_page=9&udt_1311_param_search

To find out more about Cumbria's thriving Polish community visit: http://www.cumbria.pl

Free activities for toddlers in and around Newcastle

From my own experience as a mum with a toddler, I would recommend the following:

The Toy Library
Sure Start North Moor Children's Centre in Kenton, has a free, relaxed and informal play session for under 5’s each Friday. All the toys can then be borrowed and taken home. The session is open 9:30am - 11am on Halewood Avenue, Kenton, (NE3 3RX).

Museums and Galleries

The Laing Art Gallery has an excellent under 5’s area where little ones can use the dress up box, play with blocks, work out simply puzzles, read books, press buttons. We’ve been using it regularly since my little one was 9 months old. It’s a lovely space, next to the café in the Laing, and free to everyone at anytime. http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing

I would also recommend the play space in the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. After watching the glass blowing display in wonderment, we then took our toddler around the free permanent exhibition in the National Glass Centre. He especially enjoyed the magic mirrors and again, a good under 5’s area with blocks, toy cars and chalkboards. http://www.nationalglasscentre.com/home.html

Monkwearmouth Museum has the best under 5’s area in my opinion. There’s a huge dress up box with transport related uniforms, a brightly coloured children’s train, trains sets and viewing deck where little ones can watch the metro passing by: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/monkwearmouth.

All of these activities are free!

Made in Poland Festival May-June 2010

Ladies and Gentleman, the annual North East Made in Poland Festival is now upon us!

Made in Poland Festival

29th May 2010 – 27th June 2010
music / film / art exhibitions / theatre
With the aim of promoting Polish or Polish-inspired art, film and music, as well as educational and sport events, this annual festival, now in its third year, has a very diverse and exciting programme of events. You don't need to be Polish to enjoy a taste of Poland here in the North East! Everyone welcome! Please go to: http://www.madeinpolandfestival.co.uk to find out more.

The festival kicks off with the

International Children's Day Celebration

on Saturday 29th May, 12.30pm, at the Polish Club (2 Maple Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7SF -next to Newcastle College). Admission is free. Once again, all welcome!

http://www.madeinpolandfestival.co.uk/mip10-29may.html

The Made in Poland Festival features in this month's Netmums 'What's On?' listings:

http://www.netmums.com/listings/WHATSON//105/May//

Łódź ya know?

Drodzy przyjaciele

Dzięki Wam za czekacie cierpliwie na mój post.
Życie było zajęte kiedy moje dziecko było źle z ‘norovirus’.
Teraz wiem, jak to jest być niepokój rodziców. Martwiałam się o niego- po raz pierwszy został właściwie złego.
Teraz dziecko wraca do normy i więc wspina się na mojej nogawki lub na kanapie!


Dear readers,

Thank you for waiting patiently for me to update my blog.
Life has been very hectic recently as my baby has been unwell with a norovirus. Now I know how it feels to be an anxious parent. I was so worried about him as it’s the first time he’s been properly ill. He’s back to normal now though, finally, and trying to swing off my trouser leg or climb the sofa!

Then last week I worked hard helping to translate 2B into English, not just the English summary this month, but the whole edition of 2B will be in English. People in North East are very interested in what their Polish community has to say, so by translating 2B we hope to offer some insight. If you would like to read my English summaries of 2B, please go to: http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/p/english-summaries-for-2b.html

And watch this space for our next edition: http://www.2b.nepco.org.uk/

My research is going well. I’m really enjoying it. I’m starting my interviews this month, so if you would like to take part, please do contact me:
http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/p/take-part-in-this-study.html

I put an advertisement on PolNews yesterday about my photostream and Polish group, and today I have had lots of welcome emails and comments about my work, so thank you for these and please keep them coming!

I’ve been concentrating on the city centre of Newcastle recently. I’ve found some brilliant references to the Polish community, including Gospoda’s kitsch advertising in Princess Square, which really brightens up and enriches that side of Newcastle, and in Heaton it was great to find a Polish car novelty; it made my Easter seeing the Polska shirt hanging from a windscreen!

Speaking of Easter, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. I know that many of you return to Poland to see family over Easter. I am very jealous; two years ago I spent my Easter in Gdansk- I love this part of Poland. Currently I am in the process of booking my summer holiday to Poland. This year I think I will go to Łódź, as I hear it has exciting modernist architecture.

Yeah! Go Łódź for the 2016 European Capital of Culture! You can read more about the Łódź campaign here: http://www.lodz2016.com/. I really hope Łódź gets the title.

If you would like to read about my travels to Poland, please go to this page:

http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/p/angielka-w-polsce.html


As always, sorry about my mistakes in Polish.

I will update soon with more news.

Rachel


Link to Polnews announcement here:
http://www.polnews.co.uk/forum/zdjec-o-polskiej-spolecznosci-vt15605.htm
View my Gumtree advertisement here:
http://newcastle.gumtree.com/newcastle/90/56474190.html
Join the Polish Newcastle Flickr group here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/polishnewcastle

Research Findings - Polish Newcastle

Research Findings -

Polish Newcastle

Saturday 6th February 2010 (2.30pm-5pm)
Benwell

International phone cards on sale/ money exchange Western Union signs/ Immigration Legal Representation and English Language teaching advertised; nothing specifically 'Polish'.

Friday 12th February 2010 (2.30pm-4.30pm)
Walker, St Anthony's, St Peter's Basin and Walkergate
No specific references to Polish culture or presence.

Friday 19th February 2010 (2.30-4.30pm)
Wallsend
Passed woman on phone speaking in Polish.
Wallsend library has a sign 'mamy ksiazki po polsku' (We have books in Polish).

Saturday 27th February 2010 (2.30-5pm)
Byker
Polish betting slips advertised in the Betfred window.
A large shelf of Polish food in Morrisons supermarket.
A stack of 2B (Polish) magazine available in Byker library.
A shelf of Polish books in Byker library.

Friday 5th March 2010 (10am-1pm)
Newcastle City Centre
Polish books on the shelves of Newcastle City library

(including a good selection of children's books).
Gospoda Polish restaurant advertisement adjacent to library exit.
Princess Square Polish restaurant advertising and Gospoda Restaurant.
Groszek Polish shop on Clayton Street.
Newgate Centre Polish advertising and closed down Polish café and bakery.
Malgosia Polish shop in the Newgate Centre.
Polish food shelves in Tesco, Eldon Square (as shown in photo).

To see more photos about identity here in Newcastle, please visit my photostream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/identityinnewcastle

Or join the Polish Newcastle group at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/polishnewcastle

Looking for Poles in Newcastle

Znalezienia Polacy w Newcastle

Jestem Geografiaką- dla mnie, jest całym o miejscu.

For me, being a geographer is all about the place. I hope to thread together the interviews I conduct with Polish migrant parents to a broader visual account of life in Newcastle. I’m using a research technique called ethnographic photography to try to build up an account of Polishness in Newcastle. It means I walk up and down the streets of this city taking photos to capture some expression of identity in the city, be it a graffiti tag, a Newcastle United window sticker, or a national flag- anything that reflects the theme of identity in Newcastle. In particular for this research, expressions of Polishness, or, as I’ve taken to thinking recently, anything that demonstrates that Polish migrants are still here!

Ponieważ ostatnio jak miałam obmyślać, gdzie ma całe Polacy odchodzili?

When I began this research in 2006, finding evidence of Polish migrant residency was relatively easy. At that time I lived in Glasgow (Scotland) and I would regularly walk through the city centre and I hear Polish being spoken, see Polish signs in shop windows or tied to lampposts (the photo above was taken on Byers Road Glasgow in January 2008), and watch the regular delivery of carp put on the‘Polish food’ shelves in Morrisons. Now I’m left searching for evidence that Poles are still here.

Szukają dla oznak co Polacy mieszka tutaj.

Now in a different city, three years on, and I can’t help thinking that something changed…

W zeszłym roku tam były reklamy w języku polskim w sklepach, ale teraz, nie ma. Coś zmieniony…

Mówią mnie, are you leaving Newcastle?
Czy Polacy pozostawiający Newcastle?
Nie wiem…ale… some thoughts for today...

• The Polish supermarket and delicatessen on Newgate Street have both closed down (please let me know if they’ve moved).
  Teraz, nie ma sklepu polskiego w Newgate Street: http://www.journallive.co.uk/lifestyle-news/food-and-drink-news/2007/11/09/eastern-european-promise-61634-20082940
  
• The Polish blog at The Chronicle hasn't been updated since April 2009.
  Nie ma blogu przez polskiej dziennikarki: http://blogs.chroniclelive.co.uk/chroniclepeople/alexandra_jarocka
  
• And I think that The Globe, the Polish pub on Railway Street, has closed down too.
  Teraz, nie ma Pubu polskiego w railway ulice…jest ten poprawny? http://www.polskipubtheglobe.co.uk/

So instead, I’ve taken to the streets of Newcastle to try to find you, my dear friends, the Poles of Newcastle.

Więc zamiast spaceruję okolo w ulice Newcastle, żeby szukać Was, Polacy w Newcastle!

Please watch this space to read about my findings in Benwell, Walker and Wallsend...and more.

Introduction

Cześć Polish Families in Newcastle!
...and thank you for visiting my blog.

I'm a young mum and student at Newcastle University studying for a PhD in geography.

My thesis is about Polish migrant families in the city of Newcastle (UK!).
Yes, indeed, I'm interested in YOU!

I'm writing this blog for many reasons:

• To tell you about my research and my research findings




• In the hope that you will take part of my study




• To provide links and information for parents (Polish or otherwise)




• In the hope that I can facilitate some discussion about what Polish parents in Newcastle want and need




• To share my ideas with you and invite you to comment




• And most importantly, because I love to write, and I really want to know about you!
  
  

My ambition for this blog is to translate some of the information I post into Polish...

Co za optymista!? Tak, jestem angielską i uczę się języka polskiego! ale, I'm not very good at writing in Polish. I can read and understand Polish fairly well, and speaking- niestety, bardzo słabo mówię po polsku.

So, if you would like to make a comment on my blog please feel free to write in Polish or in English.

Wlaśnie, you may have heard my name before as I currently write the English Summary for 2B Magazine (the magazine for Poles in the North East), and formerly wrote a column called 'Angielska Kobieta w Polsce' in the same publication.

Find out more about 2B magazine here: http://www.2b.nepco.org.uk

Here's a few things about me:

I have a baby boy, he's seven months old and he means EVERYTHING to me. Kocham jego jedynego!...and I live with my partner (husband) in Newcastle. He shares my interest in Poland.

Powiedz, what about you?