My father's return to Warsaw, 2017

My father flew into Warsaw on Thursday night, ahead of him a week spent commemorating the Warsaw Uprising and seeing a bit of Poland. After a day's rest, the first call on Saturday morning was to the Polish army museum, to see the exhibition about the Szkoła Młodszych Ochotniczek (SMO), the school which my mother attended during the war.

Below: my father is greeted by the daughter of the first commandant of the SMO, Ala Szkuta, who was instrumental in organising the exhibition at the museum.

Below: we were lucky enough to have a guided tour of the exhibition by the two women who put it all together; Julia Pronobis, on the part of the museum, and Ala Szkuta representing the association of former pupils and their families and friends. My mother was for many years a member of the association, as were most of her friends from wartime years,

Next visit was to the house on ul. Filtrowa 68 where my father lived before the war and during the occupation. His niece Marynka still lives there, she invited us over for lunch. Below: my father, his niece and grand-nieces, Magda and Dorota.

Below: back in Jeziorki, where my father has a chance to see our new park complete with footpaths, benches, picnic areas, beach and piers.

This morning we set off to Pl. Starynkiewicza/ul. Lindleya for a special mass for the soldiers of my father's Home Army unit - II Batalion Szturmowy Odwet. We arrived early, so a walk around the vicinity was in order. Below: outside Dzieciątko Jezus (Infant Jesus) hospital, where my father was born back in 1923.

Below: inside the church of the Infant Jesus on ul. Lindleya. There's a plaque commemorating my father's unit. It was here that the mass was held.

Below: Band of Brothers and Sisters - six of the seven soldiers and nurses from Odwet who came for the commemoration, first at the church, then by the monument to the unit on ul. Wawelska. My father met most of them at last year's events.

Below: my father particularly wanted to revisit the place where he escaped death on 7 August 1944. He survived this massacre, on the corner of Wawelska and Al. Niepodległości.

This time last year:
My father's first visit to Warsaw in 40 years

This time two years ago:
What's worse - unemployment, or a badly-paid job?

This time three years ago:
A return to Liverpool

This time five years ago:
Too good to last (anyone remember OLT Express airline?)

This time six years ago:
Poland's Baltic coast as a holiday destination

This time eight years ago:
The Warsaw they fought and died for?

This time ten years ago:
Floods, rainbows and hope