大象传媒

A selection of your comments in English and Polish - some comments have been edited for brevity.

Thank you for informative programme. I am Polish, and came to England not to find work, but to be with my English husband.
I feel that the programme lacked one crucial dimension - an analysis of the negative impact the exodus has on Poland.
I wonder whether the young Poles you portrayed, who so enthusiastically speak of better opportunities, give a thought to their relatives still in Poland, who might need care or education?
Who is going to provide it if so many nurses and teachers leave for the promised land of UK? Anna Maria

Dziekuje za interesujacy program. Jestem Polka ale nie przyjechalam do Wielkiej Brytanii w poszukiwaniu pracy. Przyjechalam tu bo moj maz jest Anglikiem. Uwazam, ze program nie poruszyl jednego waznego problemu- efektow, jakie imigracja wywiera na Polske. Ciekawa jestem czy mlodym, entuzjastycznym Polakom, z jakimi rozmawialiscie w programie zalezy jeszcze na znajomych, rodzinie, ktora potrzebuje ich w Polsce. Kto bedzie zajmowal sie chorymi, czy uczyl w Polskich szkolach jesli wszystkie pielegniarki i nauczyciele wyjada do Wielkiej Brytanii? Anna Maria

As your web page points out 聳 this is not the first wave of Polish immigrants. The first 聳 post World War II 聳 consisted of people who fought not only for Poland but for this country and would happily have returned were it not for the consequences of Yalta and Russian/Communist takeover. Their children 聳 most born approx 1946+ were brought up and educated in England. Sensibly, Polish parents with no knowledge of English instead of teaching them pigeon English, sent them to local schools where they quickly picked up full language skills (many Polish children were actually reading in Polish at age 5, prior to commencement of school in England) 聳 soon, all the top positions in class were 聳 almost embarrassingly 聳 Polish surnames!

Those children often inter-married with their Polish peers, and kept up Polish traditions, culture and, naturally, language skills with their offspring, while fully integrating into the English community. Thus, the second generation born in UK was fully aware of its cultural background, whilst being totally bi-lingual and indistinguishable from their English counterparts. Some of them chose the 聭English way聮, others are intrigued by their Polish roots 聳 yet both still feel at home in both cultures. A very few have chosen to make their roots also their home 聳 so there is a margin of migration in the opposite direction to the current trend. Many older people, including those who literally fought for 聭your freedom and ours聮 are also choosing to return, now that Poland is free.

As to the young immigrants to England 聳 in most cases, the term immigrant is too far-reaching. Most of these young people see this as an adventure, a short-term financial 聭fix聮 and will eventually return to their own. They are prepared to work hard and to play hard, and often enrol once again on university courses, this way sometimes gaining 2nd and even 3rd degrees.

They gain experience of life, of independence, language skills and knowledge of what was once, under Communism, a forbidden world. They will return the richer in experience and more mature, realising that roots are perhaps stronger than purely financial gains. It must also be borne in mind that it is not enough to say that 聭Maciek earns 4 times as much here as he would in Poland聮 聳 indeed, his take home pay may be 4 times as much but his accommodation, food and costs of living are 4 times greater. The difference lies in the jobs available 聳 in the so-called 聭market economy聮 following the fall of communism, foreign investment in Poland usually means taking over a Polish company, laying off most of the workforce, selling the machinery etc (often to China and other more eastern destinations) and shutting down operations. It is not surprising that unemployment in Poland is so widespread at present. And that is what forces Poles (and other East Europeans) to work in England.

I write this as one who has inside knowledge of the above 聳 the daughter of Polish war veterans, and mother of 3 children brought up in England, who are proud to be Polish, who take their places in British society without demanding that British society should adapt to them, and who feel equally at home in both cultures.
Barbara Herchenreder

Jestem corka Polskich weteranow wojennych, ktorzy przybyli do Wielkiej Bryatni w latach 40tych. Mam trojke dzieci wychowanych w Wielkiej Brytanii i dumnych z bycia Polakami.

Jak zauwazyliscie w programie Polacy mieszkali w Wielkiej Brytanii od czasow powojennych. Pierwsza grupe imigrantow z Polski stanowili ludzie, ktorzy walczyli o wolnosc nie tylko Polski, ale rowniez Wielkiej Brytanii. Polscy zolnierze i piloci nie mogli wrocic do ojczyzny, w ktorej rzadzil Zwiazek Radziecki. Postanowili wiec zbudowac swoja przyszlosc na wyspach nie zapominajac o polskich korzeniach. Dzieci polskich zolnierzy w Wielkiej Bryatnii wkrotce zawarly mieszane malzenstwa z brytyjskimi obywatelami. Wiele z nich wybralo angielski styl zycia zapominajac o polskich korzeniach ale wielu zdecydowalo sie kultywowac tradycje i jezyk rodzicow.

Jesli chodzi o nowa imigracje Polakow to w wielu przypadkach przyjazd do Wielkiej Brytanii jest dla mlodych Polakow czysta przygoda, krotkoterminowym sposobem zdobycia pieniedzy. Ci mlodzi ludzie sa przygotowani na ciezka prace a czesto nawet zapisuja sie na studia. Zdobywaja tu doswiadczenie zawodowe, niezaleznosc zyciowa, szlifuja jezyk angielski i poznaja nowa kulture, nieznana ich rodzicom, ktorzy wychowywali ich w czasach komunistycznych. Mlode pokolenie polskich imigrantow wroci do kraju wzbogacone doswiadczeniami z Wielkiej Brytanii i z odpowiednia suma pieniedzy na rozpoczecie zycia w Polsce. Po kilku latach na obczyznie mlodzi Polacy zdadza sobie sprawe, ze wiezy rodzinne sa wazniejsze niz pieniadze i wroca do przyjaciol i rodziny.

Ponadto nalezy zauwazyc, ze choc Maciek zarabia 4 razy wiecej niz zarabialby w Polsce, jego koszty utrzymaniai i zakwaterowania tutaj tez sa cztery razy wieksze. Wielka Brytania nie zawsze jest rajem dla Polakow. Barbara Herchenreder

It's OK Labour ministers saying we need all these foreign workers and branding us as lazy - I wonder if they would be so keen if their jobs were on the line? With parts of this country changing face at an alarming rate, I am seriously thinking of emigrating myself, no doubt as I am a self employed painter and decorator of 28 years, I won't be missed. Matthew

Ciekaw jestem, jak zareagowaliby ministrowie z rzadu Blair'a gdyby ich miejsca pracy byly zagrozone naplywem imigrantow.W miare jak wyglad spoleczenstwa brytyjskiego zmienia sie w zawrotnym tempie sam zaczynam sie zastanawiac czy nie wyemigrowac. Jako malarz i decorator z 28 letnim stazem na pewno juz wkrotce na nic sie tu nie przydam. Matthew

I have been living here 30 years. Worked very hard at the beginning, sometimes 12 hours a day but I like being here from the first day. With time I opened my own business had a fashion shop, then two, sold them and started health clinic. I married an English man, have a son and now grandchildren.

We have three homes, flat in London, big house with land in Shropshire and a house in Spain. Work has brought us all we have and now we enjoy our life to the full. I want to tell every Pole that has high hopes when he or she arrives here, England will give you opportunities, you have to grab it and run with it. Halina

Jestem Polka i od 30 lat mieszkam w Wielkiej Brytanii. Na poczatku bylo mi ciezko, czasem pracowalam po 12 godzin dziennie ale zawsze mi sie tu podobalo. Z czasem otworzylam swoj wlasny biznes- sklep z konfekcja, potem drugi, potem sprzedalam je oba i otwarlam klinike zdrowia. Wyszlam za Anglika. Mam syna i wnuki. Obecnie mamy trzy domy i mieszkanie w Londynie, duzy dom w rolniczym Shropshire i dom w Hiszpanii. Ciezka praca zapewnila nam dobrobyt. Dzieki pracy teraz mozemy korzystac z zycia. Pragne powiedziec kazdemu Polakowi, ktory przyjezdza do Wielkiej Brytanii, ze jest to kraj pelen mozliwosci. Wystarczy tylko po nie siegnac i je wykorzystac. Powodzenia. Halina

I was very interested in your programme aired today. I am hoping to get early retirement next May and move to Poland. So I was interested in Polish people coming here. Perhaps a piece about British going the other way would also be an idea?

Poland appeals to me, especially the Baltic coast as it seems very modern and also with access to the country side. A lot of Polish people have cabins by the lake and spent their leisure time relaxing in the country. Property is cheaper than here and that life appeals to me. Thanks for a great programme.
Cath LeGry-Ramsbottom

Bardzo podobal mi sie wasz program. Planuje przejsc na emeryture w przyszlym roku i mysle o przeprowadzeniu sie do Polski. Podoba mi sie zwlaszcza wybrzeze Baltyku. Wydaje sie byc bardzo nowoczesne ale ma tez dostep do krajobrazow polskiej wsi. Wiem, ze duzo Polakow spedza rowniez wakacje nad polskimi jeziorami. Posiadlosci w Polsce sa wciaz duzo tansze niz tutaj i sposob zycia wydaje sie naprawde atrakcyjny.
Cath LeGry-Ramsbottom

I have watched your programme about the young Poles in London. I must say that the pricture they have drawn of Poland is not that true. I am Polish myself and I do believe that there are work possibilities back home too, if one is ready to pursue a career there. Many find it easier to come here because the money seems better.

But the earnings are in proportion to what you have to spend to live on. It works the same way in each country. You may earn more here, but you will also spend far more on food, morgage, bills, etc. To sum up, it is a better wage here only if you do not live a normal life here, with bills to pay, children to feed, etc
Ania

Ogladalam Wasz program i nie zgadzam sie z obrazem w jaki mlodzi Polacy przedstawili Polske. Jestem Polka i jestem przekonana, ze w Polsce jest wciaz wiele mozliwosci pracy dla kazdego, kto jest przygotowany na rozpoczecie kariery w kraju. Wielu Polakow przyjezdza do Wielkiej Brytanii ze wzgledu na lepsze zarobki raczej niz brak mozliwosci pracy w Polsce. Nalezy jednak zwrocic uwage, ze wiekszym placa towarzysza wieksze wydatki. W Wielkiej Brytanii mozna wiecej zarobic ale trzeba tez duzo wiecej wydac na jedzenie, kredyt hipoteczny, rachunki, itd. Tutaj zaoszczedzic mozna tylko jesli zdecydowanym sie jest na prowadzenie skromnego zycia z szeregiem wyrzeczen. Ania

My name is Beata, I'm 29 years old, I'm Polish and I came to England 2 years ago. I wish to say, that England was my dreamed country and I always wanted to come here but I didn't. To be honest I've never thought that I will ever come to visit this country, not to mention living here but life is full of surprises...

As many others I came here because, even though I'm a well educated woman, I was struggling with getting a proper job for a proper money in Poland. I do not regret my decision but also I do not feel like if I came to paradise; I've got a good job, I'm working as a Sales Administrator, I've got reasonably good salaries, I have a quite ordinary life with my husband (also Polish) but this doesn't make us feel happy. We both just feel like strangers here and I know that this won't change no matter how long we will stay here.

I must say that we owe England a lot - a chance of which we couldn't find in Poland and people seem to be friendly to us but somehow we don't feel welcomed here. Even though we're working hard, paying taxes, not using social system for benefits, we are only those 'Poles immigrants' and we don't want to feel like that. I want to live and work in and for my own country and I hope to do so one day because money is the only thing what keeps me here and that's not everything what I wish to live for... Everything best for all Poles in British Isles! Beata

Nazywam sie Beata. Mam 29 lat i przyjechalam do Anglii 2 lata temu. Chcialabym moc powiedziec, ze Anglia byla moim marzeniem i zawsze chcialam tu przyjechac, ale nie moge tego stwierdzic. Mowiac szczerze nigdy nie myslalam, ze przyjade do tego kraju i nawet tu zamieszkam, ale zycie jest pelne niespodzianek. Zdecydowalam sie na wyjazd bo pomimo, ze mam wyzsze wyksztalcenie z Polski nie moglam znalesc dobrej pracy za dobre pieniadze w kraju. Nie zaluje, ze wyjechalam, ale nie nazwalabym Anglii rajem. Mam dobra prace i w miare dobre zarobki. Zyje razem z mezem, ktory tez jest Polakiem ale nie powiedzialabym, ze pieniadze czynia nas szczesliwszymi.

Obydwoje czujemy sie tu obco i wiem, ze niezaleznie, jak dlugo tu zostaniemy to uczucie obcosci nigdy sie nie zmieni. Musze przyznac, ze duzo zawdzieczamy Anglii, szanse kariery, ktorej nie dano nam w Polsce. Ludzie tez sa dla nas mili, ale mimo wszystko nie czujemy sie tu swojo. Pomimo, ze ciezko pracujemy, placimy podatki, nie korzystamy z uslug publicznych wciaz jestesmy klasyfikowani jako ci 'polscy imigranci' i nie checemy byc kojarzeni w taki sposob. Chce zyc i pracowac dla mojego wlasnego kraju i mam nadzieje, ze kiedys nadejdze ten moment, ze bede w stanie to zrobic. W Anglii trzymaja mnie tylko pieniadze, a pieniadze to nie wszystko, czego chce od zycia. Wszystkiego najlepszego dla wszystkich Polakow na wyspach. Beata

Amazing programme - how many memories it brought back of Thatcher's economic miracle in the eighties.

I and many others had to travel Europe looking for work. I could earn 5 to 10 times my earnings than in the UK. I was exploited by the unscrupulous. I slept in porta cabins 30 to a room. The 大象传媒 even did a programme about exploited Brits forced to work in Germany because there was no work here. Remember the De Witt brothers? We were the Poles then, we undercut the Germans wages.

Now the roles have reversed, Britain is an economic power house and there is plenty of work... In a recession, construction is the first to feel it. What happens to all these people then? What happens when we have another economic Tory miracle?

I am too scared to think of it and I am too old to go through all that again. Swap Brits for Poles and we have the eighties all over again. I would like to see Digby Jones living in a porta cabin like I had to and like many Poles are doing now...

We are all being exploited at some time. I could never ever go through that Tory nightmare again. It is alright for you in the media - you never face that nightmare of unemployment. It was the 20's and 30' all over again.

Incredible how things changed and incredible that we will vote the nightmare back again, thanks to you lot. Sam Johnson

Bardzo dobry program. Reportaz o Polakach przypomina mi cud gospodarczy Margaret Thatcher z lat 80 tych.

Ja I moi znajomi musielismy wtedy wyjezdzac do Europy w poszukiwaniu pracy. Moglem tam zarobic 5 do 10 razy wiecej niz w Wielkiej Brytanii. Bylem wykorzystywany i spalem w kabinach po 30 osob w pomieszczeniu. BBc nawet zrobilo program o Brytyjczykach wykorzystywanych w Niemczech bo w kraju nie bylo dla nas pracy. Pamietacie braci De Witt? To my bylismy wtedy 'Polakami' zanizajacymi niemieckie place.

Teraz role sie odwrocily. Wielka Brytania jest potega gospodarcza z wieloma mozliwosciami. Co stalo sie z nami? Co stalo sie z Konserwatystami gdy media pomogly odzyskac im wladze? Jestem z astray zeby o tym mowic. Zamien Brytyjczykow na Polakow i znowu jest jak w latach 80.

Chcialbym zobaczyc wilekich 'bossow' spiacych w kabinach jak ja musialem i jak teraz robia to Polacy.

Wszyscy jestesmy eksploatowani w pewnym momencie w zyciu. Ja nigdy nie potrafilbym przejsc znow przez ten horror. Sam Johnson

Continued...

Read more of your comments...