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Ryszard Napierski lived in Seighford Polish camp from
1950 until 1965 his family moved there from Wheaton Aston camp when he was
a year old. This is his collection of photos and memories from Seighford
camp. |
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Me in front of our nissen hut about 1952 |
My mother and I walking back from the shop
about 1954. So many cabbages!!! |
Me, my mother, my cousin Danusia and my sister in our beczka
(nissen hut). About 1958 |
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There were three sites around the
airfield. Site three had two
air raid shelters and could only be reached by a country track which was
about one eighth of a mile long. It was some distance from the polish shop and
other camp amenities. It was sited in a really nice area surrounded
by woods and fields. It closed quite early, I suspect it was its
isolation that led to its decline. |
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Camp one was sited a little further along the
main camp road, that's where I started my camp life. This site contained
the church, shop and dance hall. The buildings were mainly nissen huts
except for two long brick buildings which housed four families. It also
had two air raid shelters and two ponds surrounded by trees and fields.
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In our "beczka" (nissen
hut) about 1954 My mother and father are on the right, me in the
centre and two of my mothers English workmates on the left |
My mother Mieczysława, sister, father and me at my Aunt Olesia's wedding in the dance
hall (świetlica) 1957 |
My mother and sister at our second house about
1961 |
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The second site was all brick buildings and
the part that everyone aspired to move to when a vacancy arose. It was
also the largest of the three camps and had some six air raid
shelters, surrounded by fields with a large wood and a very large
water tower at the side of the main entrance road almost opposite the
polish shop. At the age of about eleven we moved from our nissen hut to our first brick built abode
in the second camp. |
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From left to right. My auntie Ala Gratkowska,
me and my mother Miczysława. The buildings on the left (nissen
huts) were
disused and dismantled some time after this photo was taken. |
Zygmund Rygiel, Michael Wills,
Ryszard Rygiel and my cousin Stefan Napierski. The brick building
behind them is an air raid shelter |
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A VIEW OF PART
OF THE CAMP |
taken from the water tower. The
building just behind the brick tower was the church. |
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CULTURE, CUSTOMS AND
UPHOLDING OUR IDENTITY |
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FIRST COMMUNION |
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This picture is of my sister's generation 1963. Top row from left to right.
Ryszard Śliwinski. Alicja Bobela. Father Bronisław Nowak. Alicja Gratkowska.
Kazimierz Góra. Second row. Karol Kotara. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Zygmunt Rygiel. Third row. Unknown. Unknown Zosia Kawecka, Krystyna Napierska
(my sister). Ted Myszkowski. Front row. Unknown. Dorotka Wojtulewicz (as a
point of interest Dorotka appeared on the opening credits of 'Please Sir'
the seventies comedy in which she also had a non speaking part) Marysia Kawecka
and finally . Riszard Bobela. |
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1963 First Holy Communion in the church. I was serving
as an altar boy at this time. There was a mishap where one of the girls set
fire to her veil, I
remember the camera man, Mr Oleszko running forward as it happened. My
mother is at the centre of the photo looking on. |
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1963 First Holy Communion. My sister is in the centre of the
picture (the girl with the long dark hair) Dorotka is in the right corner
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This was my Holy Communion 1957. From left to right. Danusia Napierska (my
cousin) Myself and Ewa Rygiel. |
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CORPUS CHRISTI
PROCESSIONS IN DIFFERENT YEARS. |
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This is the earliest procession photo I have about 1954/55. The only
person I recognize is the small boy to the left of the leading altar boy
(our view point) This is Zygmunt Potaczek, later to become head altar boy
in Seighford. The barn and cottage in the background was a small farmstead
between first and second camp sites. Parishioners from
Stafford and Wheaton Aston also attended the processions. |
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A little further down the same
road as the first photo but in a different year 1957. Taken from the
opposite side of the road. On the right of the photo is an older Zygmunt
Potaczek. The lady in the centre of the picture carrying a banner is
my auntie Olesia Gratkowska. In the background you can see the
nissen hut (beczka) where I lived. |
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A Corpus Christi procession walking through the
first site camp in the early sixties. |
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The girls in
full view in the first photo are sisters and my
cousins, Jadwiga and Krystyna Gratkowska The second photo;- the lady in
the striking polka dot dress was a visitor from Poland and unknown to us.
On her right is my mother, Mieczysława Napierska. further along, the
woman holding a book is Mrs Wojtulewicz, The man holding the banner is
Edward Góra, next to him is Professor Alfons Podwojski, for many years he taught Polish in Stafford,
the small altar boy at his side is his son Miecio. Then
from left to right we have Mr Bobel, Mr Wojtulewicz, Mr Laszcz and Mrs
Marcińska. |
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CHILDREN IN THE CAMP |
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This party took place in the
Polish school room about 1958. I am in the centre looking as though
I'm picking my nose, in fact I am eating. My sister Krystyna is to my
right. |
This photo is also the same party 1958. The
man standing in the background is Marian Kotara. He was to become our
scout master a few years later |
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1. Danusia Napierska
(cousin) |
10. Alicja Bobel. |
19. Zygmund Rygiel.
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2. Bobek Sergiew
(cousin) |
11. Ryszard Bobel. |
20. Ryszard Napierski.
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3. Jurek Sergiew
(cousin) |
12. Kazia Pomykała. |
21. Kazimierz Potaczek.
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4. Romek Sergiew.
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13. Zbyszek Góra. |
22 Teresa Ogielda |
5. Stefan Napierski
(cousin) |
14. Staszek
Ogielda. |
23 Krystyna
Szanta. |
6. Ryszard
Sergiew. |
15. Basia Cymbaluk.
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24 Ryszard Rygiel. |
7. Zbyszek Piech.
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16. Andrzej Figiel.
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25. Emilia Piech. |
8. Not sure. |
17. Halberda. |
26 Grażynka Szanta.
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9. Ewa Rygiel.
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18. Teresa Kurek.
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27 Teresa Pomykała.
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Christmas 1959 |
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Christmas 1959. My sister Krystyna is on the left of the photo looking
away from the camera. She is holding onto her 'dolls furniture set'. Behind
her are two twins, Hania and Danusia Śmiałowska. I could never tell them
apart. In the back ground you can see Father Christmas with his white
beard. |
My sister Krysia in a hat now
looking at the camera, Father Christmas is hiding among the children.
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NATIONAL DAYS |
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Here we see the dance hall (świetlica) from the foot of the stage. The
girl dozing off second from the left is Basia Cymbaluk. I am the kid
wearing glasses at the upper left. I was sitting on Mr Podwojski's lap
because there was no more seating space. The gent at the front wearing
glasses is Mr. Feliks Bolechowski, he must have been important because he attended many events. Bottom right is our priest
at that time, Father Mieczysław Bossowski. |
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Our little dance troupe
performing at the Co-Operative assembly rooms in Stafford (since
demolished) I am the only male in this troupe (third from
the right) All the other boys chickened out. |
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Seighford was a wonderful place to live and
be brought up in, most people kept chickens and grew a huge variety of
fruit and vegetables, there was always something going on. Dances at the
hall were all night long affairs, church going was a must and for a time I
was head altar boy, that doesn't mean I was an angel, far from it. I still
remember all the families that lived there by name, the number of kids
they had, their names and what has become of most of them since. My
grandmother and Uncle were amongst the last people to leave the camp.
It stood derelict for a few years before a haulage company took over part
of the site. It is now an industrial estate. |
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If you lived in Seighford
camp and have memories and photos you would like to share please contact
me. |
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Page 1 Seighford. |
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Page 2 Current Page |
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