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Fairford History Society |
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November 2009 - Just published ‘The Cotswolds at War’.
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June has updated the previous edition of her book with more pictures and information and a whole new chapter about the Polish Hostels that was not included before. The book details how national policy was interpreted and how it influenced everyday village and rural life. This is the kind of interesting information about the day-to-day problems that ordinary people ‘suffered’ and is not often recorded elsewhere. It is an absorbing and fascinating read packed with much local detail. It makes us of the post-war generation realise just how lucky we are and how grateful we should be to those who fought for our country during the Second World War. |
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About 200 year 7 students and teachers from Fairford’s Farmor’s School left their classrooms to investigate the topic ‘Change in the Community’. They visited several sites around the town. One of which was the Heritage Room in the Community Centre, the old Farmor’s School, where FHS had set up a display. Students were interested in the Timeline which is a permanent feature of the Heritage Room and a display concerning the Polish Hostel in Fairford. The students also visited the site of the Hostel adjacent to their School where nothing remains to be seen.
Some artifacts were also on display, including the original Town Crier’s hand bell, a paraffin lamp from the signal box at the former Fairford station and an old tin chest inscribed ‘Farmor’s Endowed School’ which was accompanied by ‘the cane’!
Several longstanding residents of Fairford attended and answered questions about the changes they had seen over the years.
The students ended their day with lunch at Walnut Tree Field followed by a debriefing session at the School.
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Ten members visited the collection following on from Emma Stewart’s talk in February. What a treasure trove the building turned to be! Hours could have been spent browsing and reminiscing about the wonderful collection of objects stored there: the bell from Weaver’s Hall, the butter churn, the domestic items and then on to the costume collection, the lovely evening dresses and uniforms. Upstairs were the smaller objects; everyone recognised objects from their childhood which brought back many happy memories. For those with an archaeological interest, shelves of masonry and stonework artefacts collected from the area were on display. |
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The Corinium Museum receives all the items from local archaeological investigations and there were boxes and boxes of bones, both animal and human. Much of the stonework was from old Cirencester Abbey, which was situated behind the present church, including medieval masonry with the remains of the paintwork with which it would have been decorated - what a wonderful sight Cirencester Abbey would have been! - and of course lots and lots of Roman items. The Resource Centre at Northleach is open for group visits, contact the Corinium Museum for details 01285 655611 or email museums@cotswold.gov.uk. |
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On a beautiful summer day about 250 Polish visitors, some from as far as Belgium and the USA plus Fairford residents attended the unveiling of the Polish Hostel commemorative plaque at the Pitham Path Gate on Leafield Road on Saturday 30th May. The plaque was funded by the Polish Ex-Combatants Association of Great Britain and was the brainchild of Mrs Alicja Swiatek Christofides, one of several people attending the ceremony who had been born in the Polish Hostel at Fairford. The Hostel opened in the grounds of Fairford Park in 1947 and about 1,200 Poles were resident there until it closed. For more detailed information on this subject see Zosia Biegus’s website at www.polishresettlmentcampsintheuk.co.uk. The plaque was placed at what used to be the main entrance to the Hostel thanks to the generous support of the Ernest Cook Trust, who now owns the land. Maurice Jones, the Town Crier, (right above) introduced speeches made by (from left to right) Joe Cusack, the Mayor of Fairford; Czeslaw Maryszczak, Chairman of the Polish Ex-Combatants Association of Great Britain and World Federation; Nicholas Ford, Secretary to the Trustees of the Ernest Cook Trust(middle standing); Father Philip Beisly, parish priest of St Thomas of Canterbury in Horcott; June Lewis Jones, President of the FHS; and our Chairman, Geoff Hawkes.
After the unveiling most of the visitors made their way to the Community Centre for a reception and refreshments during which they viewed an extensive exhibition on the history of the Polish community in Britain. The event was organized by Alicja Swiatek Christofides with the assistance of the Fairford History Society.
See Historical topics for more information about the Polish Hostel at Fairford Park and www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk for information about Fairford and other Polish Hostels in Gloucestershire.
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Polish Hostel at Fairford Park. This camp housed Polish families displaced during World War II. The Ernest Cook Trust is kindly erecting a plaque which was funded by the Polish Ex-Combatants Association (SPK) at the former entrance on Leafield Road (at the start of the footpath to the Cascades). Previously there was nothing to mark the place were over 1,200 Polish people lived before moving elsewhere. |
Mr Czeslaw Maryszczak, the Chairman of the SPK will formally unveil the plaque at 11 am on 30th May 2009, and there will be a display and refreshments provided by Fairford History Society at the Community Centre afterwards. Alicja Swiatek Christofides, who was born at the Hostel is organising the event and is keen to get in touch with people or their relatives who lived there. They all will be invited to the ceremony. Please contact fhs@cotswoldwireless.co.uk for further information. |
The Archive Room on the second floor front of the Community Centre will be open from 1-3 pm every Monday from now on. Other times can be arranged by contacting Alison Hobson 01285 711768. FHS receives local history enquiries especially family history mainly through its website address from all over the world – the more information we have the easier it is to answer these enquiries so please if you have any material which shows the history of the town for the Archive please let us borrow them. They would be copied, recorded and returned – especially photographs and postcards.
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Despite the inclement weather a huge number of people attended the Oxford Archaeology (collaboration with Hanson) Open Day at the Horcott Quarry site. There were with guided tours, a marquee with a display of artefacts and literature. Our group was lucky enough to be taken round by Granville Laws, the Project Leader. He considered it to be one of the most important sites in the area with evidence of habitation from 800 BC – 800AD, Iron Age through Roman to Saxon. For a more detailed article see Historical Topics. |
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