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The Ogrodnik Story

These photos were supplied to me by Zoe Ogrodnik. She attended the University of Southampton where she studied MLANG (Integrated Masters in Languages, French and Spanish) University of Southampton Faculty of Humanities Department of Modern Languages and Literatures ‘Remembering’ the Polish Resettlement Camps of Post-War England.
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Image1
Christening at the Camp
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Image 2
Celebrations after a Christening. Zoe's Grandfather Czeslaw and her Grandmother Vera are on the left front row and back row.
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Image 3
The Bride is one of the young girls in Image 2
 
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Image 4
Religious Altar outside. This may have been a Corpus Christi celebration where it was customary to hold a procession.
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Image 5
Religeous Procession
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Uncle Edward's Godfather Mr Jozef Kusy and his daughters.
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Image 7
Uncle Edward’s Christening. My Grandma, Vera, is holding Uncle Eddie in the middle and my Grandpa, Czeslaw is on the far left. My eldest uncle Alec is front left.
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Image 8
Uncle Edward's Christening, with his Godfather and Godmother.
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Image 9
Celebrations for my Uncle Edward's Christening.

Zoe Ogrodnik's explanation of the information supplied.

My uncle Edward was born in the Petworth Polish Camp and lived there with my grandma Vera, my grandpa Czeslaw and my oldest uncle Alec (Olek) until Eddie was about 2/3. My dad wasn't born until 1961, so about 9 years after they left the camp. 

It was really great when I was interviewing everybody to hear about how they remembered my grandpa as a very suave gentlemen with his big glasses. 

 

As far as a story for the post that is a bit different to what you already have, my uncle Eddie did share a funny one. For a period of time my grandma was in hospital. Whilst she was there, my grandpa adopted a pet snake. Probably an adder we think. He decided to feed it in order to entice it to come to the hut so it would eat the mice and rats that lived between the corrugated iron. Of course, when my grandma returned from hospital she made him get rid of that snake!I hope this is enough for you to make a short post, Ryszard. I have also attached a full copy of the dissertation as I have now received my official degree award. I will say it is more within memory studies than general history, so it discusses methods of remembering and how the memory of the camps feed into previous research. 

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Many thanks again for your participation. 

Zoe Ogrodnik

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