Polish Community in Bury

The Polish Community in Bury

The Polish community in Bury, Lancashire has been around since the late 1940's. It grew over time and the Church was central to its existence along with the Polish Club founded in 1962.

The larger towns and cities in the UK will no doubt have a Polish Club somewhere? Manchester, Leeds, Bradford.

Usually comprised of volunteers, a place where you can eat authentic Polish food, dance Polish dances, listen to traditional songs, see the Polish Scouts, learn to speak Polish on Saturday school and of course, births, deaths and marriage celebrations in traditional style.

You will always find cheap booze in the average Polish club, no need to be Polish they welcome everyone.

My parents used to go to this club now and again.

Polish mass was celebrated at the Convent Chapel which later turned into Holy Cross College.

The circle of Polish community life.

Bury Market and Deli (Katsouris Delicatessen),
Church
Polish Club.

Between these you could feed your belly, nourish your soul and exercise your dancing feet!

When the Chapel went, the Club built a church inside the Club building, which is still there today.

I used to go frequently but as time went by work, family and day to day life got in the way.

Sadly the only time I go is funerals but when I do I am transported back in time!

Most of the people I knew when growing up in the 1970's/80's have long since passed away.

It's sad to see the location of gravestones within a distinct decade where people all seemed to go at the same time.

It was an ageing population even in the 1970's but these people had been through the hell of war, the misery of losing their families (if lucky they could rejoin them years later), or escape Communist Poland and start a new life here with nothing.

Some never managed to start a new family or find someone to live there final days with, so people had friends, very good friends. Some I have already written tributes in these blogs, because they were more than just friends of my dad after Remploy, they were family. My family was very close because we just only had each other. Yet I feel fortunate to have lived this double existence? The Polish friends on the one side and my English friends who have always been there to support me. I shall do a blog on them later complete with photos!

It seemed that most Polish families would have a single child, probably because they couldn't afford to feed 2 or more but it was obvious to me even from an early age.

The Teacher, Doctor, Dentist, Solicitor would be Polish and they would almost automatically have the community as their default clients.

The funny thing is Poles tend not to ghettoise, they integrate very well into the surrounding area. They have a get up and go attitude.

Even though these elderly people had been close to death during the war or had long time injuries, I rarely heard them complain?

I think they were just lucky to be alive, make it through war and start again.

When you have nothing, anything is a bonus.

My dad although he was severely injured was not frightened of anything at all and would still put the fear of God into me if I did something wrong (which naturally I never did since I was a perfect Angel!).

There are more negatives and pictures to go through and scan, hence this blog will be updated later on.

Polish Club Bury- Click here