the POLSKI blog

Today’s papers quote the Office for National Statistics which claims that “Between the year ending December 2003 and the year ending September 2010 the Polish-born population of the UK increased from 75,000 to 521,000″ It also claims that in recent times immigration of Polish people has declined: Immigration was highest in 2007 at 96,000 Polish citizens, [...]

I noticed something different about today’s Guardian. The front page felt very Polish. It was white and red, like the Polish flag. And had I had my morning coffee, I would have realised instantly that it wasn’t a coincidence. But instead, I needed a few more minutes to notice a very obvious Polish theme running [...]

Polityka, one of the oldest and best Polish weekly magazines, has launched its Kindle version. I’m not sure whether it’s available for other ereaders too, but the Kindle version is surprisingly good. Polityka – despite its title – doesn’t just focus on politics, but is a high-quality liberal weekly whose topics span a wide range: [...]

Here’s a new Polish phrase for you: “zakaz palenia”. Or “smoking prohibited”. From today, most public spaces in Poland become smoke-free zones. Smoking is now banned in bars, clubs, restaurants, schools, hospitals, bus stops and many other public places. Roughly a quarter of all Poles smoke regularly and probably won’t be happy with the ban, [...]

I’ve recently introduced you to a new Polish cultural site aimed at the English-speaking world, and here we have another one. This time it’s all about the latest news. thenews.pl is run by Poland’s equivalent of the BBC World Service, Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy. It’s published entirely in English and is mainly focused on Poland [...]

While Britain is struggling with the volcanic ash again, Poland and parts of Central Europe are hoping that they won’t see a repeat of the disastrous floods which destroyed parts of southern and western Poland in 1997. Over the past few weeks the weather in Poland, the Czech Republic and other neighbouring countries hasn’t been [...]

When I started this blog, I wanted people to change their view of Poland. Out with the old, in with the new. Glad things are changing. There are more and more Polish cultural events in the UK, I see more and more people who come to London just to visit – not to work – [...]

I should perhaps dedicate this post to everyone who still complains about the Royal Mail in Britain. Have you ever tried its Polish equivalent, Poczta Polska? No? I’ve just read a post on one of the Wall Street Journal blogs dedicated to Central and Eastern Europe about the weird experience that is Poczta Polska. And [...]