Childcare Options

Here’s some useful websites to help you know your child care options when resident in the UK:

http://www.childcare.co.uk/
http://www.netmums.com/childcare
http://www.daynurseries.co.uk/
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Childcare/index.htm

If you are looking for quality Polish specific childcare in this region please contact Agnieszka Czekajło who runs ‘Aga's Little Stars’ in Newcastle:

More about the options that Aga’s Little Stars offers can be found here:
http://www.polnews.co.uk/index.php/polskie-uslugi/1310-agas-little-stars-opiekunka-newcastle.html

Made In Poland Festival 2011

It's time for the North East's fifth annual 'Made In Poland Festival'. A great line up of Polish cultural events will land on your doorstep from 14th May - 25th June, so here's a sneak preview of what to expect.

Saturday 14th May, 7pm
The Polish Comedy Show by Limo: The Space, Newcastle College, Rye Hill Campus, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE4 7SA

The festival kicks off with The Polish Comedy Show featuring “Limo”. Join us for a night of laughter with this hugely popular comedy group. Limo have been the mainstay of festival line-ups for the past 12 years, they've appeared on TV shows and have three PAKA Comedy Festival awards. No taboos! A night of laughter gauranteed.

(please note: This performance is in Polish).

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Saturday 28th May, 12-3.30pm
International Children's Day Celebration: Newcastle Exhibition Park, Claremont Road, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

A popular annual event for all the family.The Polish Saturday School ( part of NEPCO CIC) and Wonderland Children’s Place in co-operation with Challenger Multicultural Organisation, invite you all to a family picnic and barbecue in Exhibition Park. There will be games and competitions for all age ranges. All refreshments will be supplied by the North East's leading Polish food retailers, Malgosia’s, European Foods and Groszek.

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Wednesday 8th June, 6pm
Polish Shorts and Docs: Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6QG

A night of short films and documentary from young filmmaking talent in Poland.

This is your opportunity to see screenings of ‘Twist and Blood’ and ‘Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Room’ by short film director Kuba Czekaj, and ‘Warsaw Available’ by documentary makers Karolina Bielawska and Julia Ruszkiewicz.
The screenings are followed by a qusetion & answer session with director Kuba Czekaj.

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Sunday 19th June, 6-9pm
Polish Art Exhibition and Poetry Recital: The Cloister Café, St. Mary's Cathedral, Clayton Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5HH

Enjoy an evening of Polish art by some of the North East's leading Polish artists including Malgorzata Chalupka, Jadwiga Jasinek, Marcin Reweda, Artur Burchardt and Tymoteusz Sulek. This event is accompanied by a poetry reading and a concert from PoEzja Londyn (Poetry London).

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Saturday 25th June, 8pm
Warsaw Village Band - A concert: The Sage Gateshead St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2JR

Influenced by the musical genres of ‘hardcore folk’, ‘bio-techno’ and ‘Polish folk rock’, Warsaw Village Band offer a diverse and contempoary sound. They mix their traditional Polish grassroots with hints of reggae, rock, hip-hop, the blues, Indian raga and Swedish polka played out on traditional accoustic instruments including hammered dulcimers and violins, while singing in the Polish ‘white voice’ style.
Tickets: £16.50 - £7.50, available online from http://www.thesagegateshead.org/

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Rusza Festiwal ‘Made In Poland’ 2011!
14 maja – 25 czerwca

Z ogromną przyjemnością chcielibyśmy zaprosić Cię na tegoroczną edycję festiwalu promującego Polskę i inspirowanego polską kulturą Made in Poland. W tym roku będziemy starali odciągnąć Cię od szarości dnia codziennego i przeniesiemy w inne rzeczywistości. Daj się nam porwać!

Festiwal zaczynamy od występu polskiego kabaretu Limo – zabawny komentarz do rzeczywistości. Gwarantujemy zrywanie boków i przecieranie oczu z niedowierzania. Mnóstwo dobrej zabawy!
Występ Kabaretu już za 2 tygodnie w sobotę 14 maja o 19.00 , The Space (Newcastle College).

Razem z nami będziecie mogli świetować Dzień Dziecka w Newcastle Exhibition Park. Będą gry i zabawy dla wszystkich grup wiekowych oraz przekąski, napoje i słodycze ufundowane przez sklepy: Malgosia’s, European Food i Groszek. Planujemy rozłożenie namiotu – zapraszamy więc bez względu na pogodę! Start już 28 maja o 12.00.

W ramach festiwalu zaprezentujemy młode talenty polskiego kina. Krótkie filmy: ‘Twist and Blood’ i ‘Ciemnego pokoju nie trzeba się bać’ reż. Kuba Czekaj oraz dokument: ‘Warszawa do wzięcia” reż. Karolina Bielawska i Julia Ruszkiewicz
Uwaga! Zaprosiliśmy reżysera krótkich filmów Kubę Czekaja na spotkanie z widzami. Nieczęsta okazja na rozmowę z twórcą młodego kina. Tego nie można przegapić! Pokazy - 8 czerwca o 18.00 w kinie Tyneside.

W tym roku nie zabraknie wieczoru poświęconego sztuce. 19 czerwca zapraszamy na wystawę prac lokalnych polskich artystów: Małgorzaty Chałupki, Jadwigi Jasinek, Marcina Rewedy, Artura Burchardta and Tymoteusza Sułka.
Pozwól przenieść się do krainy słowa. W ten sam wieczór odbędzie się czytanie poezji przez członków grupy PoEzja Londyn. Impreza odbędzie się w the Cloister Cafe, w niedzielę 19 maja od 18.00.

Jednym z najbardziej emocjonujących wydarzeń tegoroczej edycji festiwalu będzie koncert Kapeli ze Wsi Warszawa w The Sage Gateshead 25 czerwca. Folkowa grupa, której muzyka jest określana jako „harcorowa muzyka folkowa”, „bio-techno” czy „polski rock folkowy”. Grupa powstała, żeby zachować tradycyjne polskie piosenki folkowe, ale muzycy nie stronią od reggae, indyjskiego raga, szwedzkiej polki, rocka, hip-hopu czy bluesa. Uczta dla ucha!
Po więcej szczegółów zapraszamy na stronę www.madeinpolandfestival.co.uk i na strony naszych partnerów. Prosimy przekazać to zaproszenie Waszym przyjaciołom i każdemu, kto może być zainteresowany.

Do zobaczenia na imprezach!


Organizatorzy Made in Poland Festival
http://www.madeinpolandfestival.co.uk/

Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych!

Here's a photo of the eggs that my little boy and his friend Nicholas painted on Friday. Nicholas's mum showed me how to scratch the shell of the egg and dye the eggs with the papery outside of an onion, as is the Easter egg decorating tradition in Poland.

Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych!

Websites for pregnant women and expectant fathers

Here is a list of excellent websites for pregnant women and expectant fathers. I’m looking forward to the arrival of my second child later this summer!

Tutaj jest lista doskonałych stron internetowych (w języku angielskim) dla kobiet w ciąży. Cieszę się powiedzieć że, jestem w ciąży (znowu), a moje następnie dziecko urodzi się w tym latem.

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/

http://pregnancy.about.com/

http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/pregnancy/article/pregnancy

http://www.bounty.com/pregnancy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tools/pregnancy_calendar/

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/pregnancy/pregnancy.asp

The websites above give good advice on your entitlements as a parent-to-be, and what you can expect in pregnancy and the first few weeks of parenthood.

This is a great website for all fathers and fathers-to-be: http://www.dad.info/

And here are details of an online community group for Polish mums resident in the UK: http://community.babycentre.co.uk/groups/a966885/polish_mums_in_the_uk

Most importantly, find other Polish parents resident in the North East of England by contributing to this brilliant thread on the highly acclaimed Polnews Forum - (rodzice w północno-wschodniej Anglii - poznajmy się):

http://www.polnews.co.uk/forum/dzien-dobry-rodzice-poznajmy-sie-vt2224.htm

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

'Łódź Ghetto Album by Henryk Ross’

Last week I stumbled upon an exhibition at the Side Gallery in Newcastle entitled ‘Łódź Ghetto Album by Henryk Ross’. It is a touring exhibition from the Archive of Modern Conflict. Sadly this is the last week that the exhibition runs in Newcastle, so if you’re interested in Polish and / or Jewish history, in photojournalism or wartime photography do visit now. Exhibition details are as follows:

‘Łódź Ghetto Album by Henryk Ross’ Thursday 27th January – Saturday 26th March 2011 Gallery opening times: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm, Exhibition Free. 5-9 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE1 3JE

To find out more please visit: http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/lodz-ghetto-album-by-henryk-ross

Book- Scotland and Poland: Historical Encounters

Announcing the publication of...

Scotland and Poland
Historical Encounters, 1500-2010

Edited by: Professor T.M. Devine and David Hesse
ISBN: 978190656627
Publication Date: 2011
Publisher: Birlinn
Format: Paperback
Price: £20.00



Scotland and Poland: Historical Encounters, 1500-2010
Ed. Devine, T.M and Hesse, D, Birlinn: Edinburgh, is a collection of essays exploring more than five centuries of Scottish - Polish interactions.


Chapter 11: Press Reception of Polish Migrants in Scotland, 1940-2010 by Rachel Clements.


Read the Polish Culture.org review: http://www.polishculture.org.uk/literature/news/article/scotland-and-poland-historical-encounters-1500-2010-collection-of-essays-revealing-the.html


Buy from Waterstones: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/tom+devine/david+maria+hesse/scotland+and+poland/8382279


Buy direct from Birlinn:
http://www.birlinn.co.uk/book/details/Scotland-and-Poland-978190656627

Polish Migration Projects in the UK

I try to keep the 'interesting projects' page of this blog up-to-date with projects of interest to my research. Here's a selection of the more Polish migration specific projects detailed on the page, which have recently been completed in the UK.

The Essential Guide for Polish Parents

A nine month research project addressing issues presented by Polish Pupils in London Schools was conducted by Rosemary Sales, Louise Ryan, Magda Lopez Rodriguez and Alessio D’Angelo in 2008. Their research, funded by the Economic Social Research Council and Multiverse, has been used to form an essential guide for Polish parents living in Britain. For further information about the project please follow this link to the Economic Social Research Council website: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/RES-189-25-0005/outputs/Guide/read/ddb8c1ae-3839-4903-b754-b2ba7892ac29. To download ‘The essential guide for Polish parents’ or to read the full report and report summary please follow this link to the University of Middlesex website: www.mdx.ac.uk/hssc/research/centres/sprc.

Poland's Migration Challenges

Polish emigration experts Krystyna Iglicka (the Center for International Relations Warsaw), and Magdalena Ziolek-Skrzypczak (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) have produced an excellent online article about the outcome of EU enlargement on Poland. The article includes information about: historical background, immigration to Poland, refugees and asylum seekers, emigration from Poland, Polish citizens abroad, remittances, return migration, Polish immigration policy and Polish integration policy.
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=800


Podcasts on Historical Scottish Migration to Poland

As part of the University of St Andrews Scotland and the Wider World, Researchers' Night 2010, Dr Peter Bajer and Professor Waldemar Kowalski have uploaded there papers on to podcasts, downloadable on the Researchers' Night webpage. I think this is a really innovative and exciting way to present research, being free, accessible and public, and both papers present Scottish migrants in a very empathetic manner. The podcasts are downloadable in both Polish and English.
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/researchersnight/podcasts

Sport & Physical Activity - Polish Community

The charity Sporting Equals, which aims to promote ethnic diversity across sport and physical activity in the UK, produced this interesting information leaflet in 2010 which highlights issues of Polish health and lifestyle and also gives a brief summary about participation in sport as a migrant group in the UK.
http://static.ecb.co.uk/files/polish-factsheet-10924.pdf

To read more about interesting projects in my research field please visit my blog page: http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/p/list-of-further-reading-listening-links.html

Polish Restaurants in the North East of England

Here are names, addresses and opening hours of Polish restaurants / takeaways in the North East of England. Sadly I’ve only found two listings, so please feel free to email me with details of other Polish restaurants / takeaways in the region. This information has been requested by several people eager to try Polish food in the North East.


The Gospoda
Upper Level,
Princess Square,
Newcastle upon Tyne.
NE1 8ER
Tel: 0191 261 0197

Opening Hours: 7 days a week, Mon - Thurs 12 noon - (last orders taken) 9.00pm, Fri - Sat 12 noon - (last orders taken) 10.00pm and Sun 12 noon - (last orders taken) 7.00pm


Website: http://thegospoda.com

Serving a range of traditional Polish dishes including pancakes, soups, Polish sausages, bigos, goulash and sauerkraut salad. A range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available, including teas, coffees and homemade cakes and pastries. Vegetarian options available.

Pierogi Place
34 Pilgrim Street,
Newcastle upon Tyne.
NE1 6SE
Tel: 0191 232 3332

Opening Hours: 7 days a week, Mon - Thurs 7.30am - 9.30pm, Fri 7.30am - 11.00pm, Sat 10.30am - 11.00am and Sun 11.30am - 7.00pm

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pierogiplace
Website: http://pierogiplace.co.uk/

Serving eat-in or take-out Polish inspired foods, such as bigos Hunter’s stew and pierogi dumplings with a choice of sweet and savoury fillings. Also serves Faitrade coffee. Vegetarian options available.

Please do support local business here in the North East of England. Here's a link to my blog about Polish shops in this region: http://polishfamiliesnewcastle.blogspot.com/2010/11/polish-shops-in-north-east-of-england.html

Threat to the study of Slavonic languages in the UK

As a former student of Glasgow University Modern Languages Department I am saddened and concerned to hear about the department’s threatened closure.

The study of the Slavonic languages has a long history at Glasgow, which currently represents one of the only institutions in the north of the country where you can study Polish, Czech and Russian at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The proposed cut of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Glasgow goes directly against national educational policy. For me the proposed cut highlights a grave threat to the study and promotion of the Polish language in the British academy.

To read more about the threatened closure of the department please visit:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/herald-letters/letters-thursday-10-february-2011-1.1084389

To read more about the counter campaign to maintain the department please visit:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Modern-Languages-and-Cultures-at-University-of-Glasgow-under-threat/179538408755444

Most importantly, to sign the i-petition against the closure of this department please visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/glasgowmodernlanguages