Home From Home
Portraits celebrating the lives and stories of South London's Polish community
Since Poland joined the European Union in May 2004, Poles have become the largest foreign-born population in the UK. But what does the British public know about us, apart from the pre-conception that we are good builders and cleaners?
These photographs are of members of the Polish Community Centre in South Norwood, London. Some are old enough to have fought in World War II on the Allied side. These people have lived most of their lives here, and have worked as tailors, engineers, scientist and doctors... They have helped rebuild the British economy.
This project confronts the Polish stereotypes and reveals the real Polish people of Britain, whose stories are an integral part of the nation’s history.
Henryk Blachowiak
During the World War II Henryk Blachowiak spent his childhood in an Italian refugee camp, while his father was fighting on the front with general Anders Army. By the end of the War
About 150,000 Polish soldiers and their dependents were settled in the United Kingdom under The Polish Resettlement act. Henryk was then placed in one of the 45 UK based camps, where polish veterans and their families could continue the political struggle for an independent Poland while maintaining their language, culture, and traditions for an eventual return to their homeland.
When he moved to London, he trained as a tailor and had a good career - including making adjustments for some of the Queen’s outfits.