ZBYSZEK HRYCIUK ONE OF THE FIRST to be BORN IN THE CAMP
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My parents, Władysław
and Władysława Hryciuk, came to
Blackshaw Moor in the latter part of 1946 from southern Italy and were
met by the cold and wet October weather. They were first housed at camp 4
but shortly moved into camp 1. The winter snows came early in January; as
luck had it Mother went into labour with me. A foot of snow had fallen
overnight so there was little chance of getting to a hospital. |
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Sgt. Maj. Polish Armoured Brigade
Władyslaw Hryciuk with wife Władysława nee Romańska Italy 1945 |
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I was born in the first aid
barrack at Camp 1. For a little lad, growing up in the beautiful
countryside on the edge of today's Peak Park, the setting was
perfect. Lots of places to explore, let imagination run wild and
pull legs and wings off "daddy longlegs" in the autumn. There were
woods close by in which two pools were hidden. It was the ideal
place for a spot of fishing or going on a picnic. |
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However, life for our parents was
far from ideal. We were housed in family barracks i.e. one big one
which had been divided into two. These were made of hardboard walls
and asbestos roof on a concrete base and concrete skeleton. The living
area consisted of a large family room containing a cooking range,
where most of the daily activities took place; three bedrooms and a
small room with cold running water and a scullery. Lino covered the
floor so walking barefoot was not comfortable. |
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Toilet facilities were restricted to
toilet blocks scattered around the camps. Our hut was on a hill above
the other huts and in the summer when the water pressure was low I
remember my mother having to carry buckets of water from
taps that were lower down the camp. |
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My parents, sister Basia me and
our next door neighbours 1947 |
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My father, like all the Poles,
wanted to work for his living but despite a willingness, many found it
difficult to find work. Jobs were restricted to mining and
agriculture and, although there was a shortage of labour, Poles were
greeted with prejudice and suspicion.
The first work my Father was able to find was at a quarry in
Buxton. His other choices were: the copper works at Froghall or the
coalmines of Stoke on Trent. It was heavy work, but he put up with it
for a couple of years and then found work at Adams Dairy in Leek where
he worked until his retirement. |
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The camp was self contained, in that
it had a chapel, the priest being Father Paweł Sargiewicz to see to
our spiritual needs; a shop, run by Mr. Szpala and then by Mr.
Dziurdzik; a club, run by Mr. Jurczenko to see to our other "spiritual"
needs. A large nissen hut became a meeting hall for shows, national
day celebration (akademie), Nativity
plays (Jasełka) and dances where people like my
Parents could meet and for a while forget the bad times. |
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As the children were growing up
a nursery school was established, run by Mrs. Kurjanowicz and then
by Mrs. Szmuniewska. At the age of seven, the children were
enrolled into St. Mary's Catholic School in Leek. |
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The late forties saw an exodus
of soldiers to Poland and Argentina. As time went by, many of the
residents left for other parts of Britain and the world. In the
early and mid fifties many left for the USA and Canada. In
between, others departed for different parts of the UK. By the
time the camp closed in March 1964 there were only 50 families
left on two camps. Everyone moved into the estate opposite the
Three Horse Shoes Inn. Although it seems as if the community had
broken up, the reverse had happened; we were brought much closer
together and the community was strengthened as a result. Distant
friendships were reinforced and a "second" community grew from
them. In the late sixties and early seventies, as the young ones
married and left the estate, the ones remaining were the original
settlers some of whom are alive today.
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Forgetting the bad times for
a while Mr. and Mrs Korczyk Mr. and Mrs, Hryciuk and an
unknown couple 1951 |
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Thank you to Zbyszek Hryciuk for memories and photos. |
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More Photos of life in the camp |
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Growing up in
the camp with the freedom of wide open spaces was great fun for the
children but living out in the sticks did have
some drawbacks. With the nearest shops some four miles away in Leek and
with no buses on route it was necessary to have some form of transport. A
bicycle was a must for many young and old alike. |
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Sharing a bike ; Zbyszek
Hryciuk, Ryszard Krzywicki and Tadek Łazowski |
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Sylwester
Jaworski and friend riding their bikes in the camp with a view of
the Roaches in the background. Sylwester lived in the camp from
1948 to 1958 when his family emigrated to the USA. |
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Szczepan Kapusta outside
his hut. |
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Barbara Hryciuk and Tadeusz
Łazowski |
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Zbyszek Hryciuk and ? Pawłowska |
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Basia Hryciuk and ? |
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Karol Szmuniewski |
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The White Eagles New generation
football team 1960/1 |
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Kazik Sromek, Staszek Kapusta, Rysiek
Widlewski, Rysiek
Bielicki, Janusz Dziurdzik, Rysiek
Krzywicki, John Williams Wojtek Milaszkiewicz Janek Barczewski
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Blackshaw Moor youth club 1960+ |
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Back row:- Tadeusz
Łazowski, Elżbieta Markowska, Ryszard Milaszkiewicz, Barbara
Szmuniewska and Wojciech Milaszkiewicz |
Middle row:-
Barbara Hryciuk, Danuta Markowska, Stasia Świeca,
Halina Hryciuk |
Sitting;-
Danuta Hryciuk, Edward Kopeć, Zbigniew Hryciuk, and
Teresa Krzywicka. |
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Jan Budzyński with his wife Maria
and sons Jerzy and Waldek |
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Photo sent in by Waldek
Budzynski |
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In the early 1960s the lower
part of Camp 2 opposite the Three Horse Shoes Inn, was demolished to
make room for a new council housing estate for the fifty odd Polish
families still living in substandard barracks. In 1964 families from Camp 1 moved a few hundred meters
down the road out of their leaky huts with no
facilities on to the newly named Tittesworth estate with all the mod cons of the day. |
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From old to new:- Mrs.
Hermit in her garden outside the hut which was home. |
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Mr. and Mrs. Hryciuk outside
their new council house. The
camp church, previously in a nissen hut, was moved to a
barrack close to the new
estate and can be seen in the background. |
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The move to the new estate did cause one problem for
the community, they had to leave their Nissan hut church on Camp1
which served them for the past 18 years. Luckily, the Ministry of
Defence, which, in 1943 compulsorily purchased the land from the
Day family to build the camps, still owned what was left of
Camp 2 and
gave permission for one of the brick buildings, an ablution
block, which was situated at the top of the new estate, to be
converted into a new place of worship. Spurred on by the camps
priest Fr. Sargiewicz the Polish community of Tittesworth Estate
raised funds for the materials needed to upgrade the old washhouse
into a worthy place of worship, all the labour put into the
conversion was given voluntarily. |
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A view of the Tittesworth Estate against
the back drop of the Roaches. |
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On October 4th 1964 the new renovated little
church opened it's door to be blessed at a special Sunday service
by Monsignor B. Michalski from London. Sadly less then
three years later Fr. Sargiewicz died in a road accident, his
replacement Fr. Serafin Potoczny O.F.M. and later Fr. Manswet
Smalcerz and Fr. Franciszek Szpilka took over the pastoral
duties. |
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The little church on the estate was in constant use
serving the Polish community of "Little Poland" for the next
thirty years. In 1978 Mr. Day bought the buildings back from the
Government and the Polish community then paid a nominal annual
rent of £5 for the use of the building and every one was
happy. As the years passed the generation that came to the camp as
children or were born there, grew up and moved and the Tittesworth Polish community dwindled to a
handful of mostly elderly worshipers using the little church.
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Polish youth outside
the new camp church with the new houses in the background. |
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The lease of the little church expired in 1993 and the
owner decided he needed the building for his own use. In June 1993
the little church closed its doors for the last time with a Holy Mass
attended by about 25 worshipers. Today the building still stands converted
into a bungalow and the Tittesworth estate now houses mostly English
families. |
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The
unsightly huts on Camp 1 that spoilt the view of Staffordshire Moorelands were
demolished and in their place now stand a caravan site serving
visitors to the Peak National Park. If you look through the undergrowth
around the perimeter of the caravan site you can still find remnants of
the old camp. |
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