THE latest community news from Lampeter

Hanes Llambed

THE May meeting featured a talk by Wieslaw Gdula entitled: ‘Polish families in the Lampeter area’.

He detailed figures of the number of Polish people in Britain and Ceredigion just after the Second World War.

Unlike the large number in the country today, they came as refugees, rather than as economic immigrants seeking employment.

He explained how some members of the Polish armed forces left their country in the 1940s and joined the British army and airforce, and took part in major battles across the European continent.

Once the war was over most of the British based Poles hoped to return home, but for many this was not an option as their country was now a communist state, with high levels of control exercised by the Soviet Union.

Resettlement camps were set up across the UK for the Polish citizens remaining here, including one near Aberaeron.

These camps were temporary until people could be dispersed or until they could find employment.

A number took the opportunity to live in, and work on, small farms in west Wales. The speaker said there were 30 to 40 families living within 15 miles of Lampeter.

Evidence of the numbers of Polish people who used to live in the area is provided by St Peters Church graveyard where there are many graves with headstone inscriptions describing those interred there.

Many of those engaged in farming had little knowledge of agriculture and had to learn quickly.

Equally, they had little English language awareness.

They established a Polish social centre at the bottom of Bridge Street in Lampeter which was known as the “Polish House”. The parents of the children saw them learn English and Welsh at school, and in order to acquire knowledge of Polish culture and language they attended the social centre, which today is the building occupied by WD Lewis’ agricultural business.

Today, the Polish community has very largely disappeared as the younger people who were born here have dispersed to other parts of Britain.

St Peter’s Church

THURSDAY, 30 May: Ascension Day Holy Communion at 7pm. Sunday, 2 June: 8am, Holy Communion in English; 10.30am, Family Worship (bilingual).

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