Lovely article. Lived in Chorlton in the 70s which had an old-fashioned "Polish grocers store" serving those who had stayed on after the war. Main memory is you had to queue for a very long time to pay as the shopkeeper knew everybody and treated them all as if they had popped in for a cup of tea and a natter.
Great article. i'm off to the sklepy for lunch now for sure!
"I would self-consciously ask questions about products in the proper way, ‘Czy Pani ma…?’ ‘Does the lady have...?’ and would be greeted with bemused looks from shop workers, who wondered why an eleven-year-old sounded like they were in their eighties. "
I loved this bit so much. Thats exactly how i feel when speaking my dated 1970's tinged french, passed down from my mum.
In between lockdowns in 2020/2021, I would take my very young children to our local Polish shop, polski sklep to buy food and children’s magazines and most importantly, to chat with the shopkeepers in Polish. It was a ritual & something to look forward to. For this Polish-Canadian immigrant in London, Polish shops are something I did not experience in my small Canadian hometown & now always make me feel closer to my Polishness. As a linguist, I appreciate all the language references and even as a woman in my 40s who although fluent in Polish, did not grow up in Poland, I sometimes get nervous in Polish shops. (I often tell my children to chat with the shopkeepers to practise their Polish.) And funny enough, in London, Gail's cafes are often also a rich source of Polishness because of the staff and where my children feel like they are in a Polish cafe, at least the ones local to us!
Another fabulous essay. I’m currently in London visiting from Australia and I really enjoy pieces like this to helped deepen my understanding of places and communities.
A great piece made greater by its focus on the Lewisham polski sklep, my former local. As the child of Yugoslav immigrants, the Polish shop would often be the best source of essentials like peanut puffs and Vegeta you couldn't find anywhere else.
When living in Streatham, with its many Polish stores, I developed quite a herring habit.
I found Marta’s text a bit unfair. I know the local shop she’s referring to and honestly it’s a really nice place.. Her negative tone feels a bit exaggerated and doesn’t reflect the reality
Hi Edyta, I’m not sure we detected any negativity at all in Marta’s text - more a loving acknowledgement of the absurdities and contradictions skleps can contain.
Lovely article. Lived in Chorlton in the 70s which had an old-fashioned "Polish grocers store" serving those who had stayed on after the war. Main memory is you had to queue for a very long time to pay as the shopkeeper knew everybody and treated them all as if they had popped in for a cup of tea and a natter.
Great article. i'm off to the sklepy for lunch now for sure!
"I would self-consciously ask questions about products in the proper way, ‘Czy Pani ma…?’ ‘Does the lady have...?’ and would be greeted with bemused looks from shop workers, who wondered why an eleven-year-old sounded like they were in their eighties. "
I loved this bit so much. Thats exactly how i feel when speaking my dated 1970's tinged french, passed down from my mum.
In between lockdowns in 2020/2021, I would take my very young children to our local Polish shop, polski sklep to buy food and children’s magazines and most importantly, to chat with the shopkeepers in Polish. It was a ritual & something to look forward to. For this Polish-Canadian immigrant in London, Polish shops are something I did not experience in my small Canadian hometown & now always make me feel closer to my Polishness. As a linguist, I appreciate all the language references and even as a woman in my 40s who although fluent in Polish, did not grow up in Poland, I sometimes get nervous in Polish shops. (I often tell my children to chat with the shopkeepers to practise their Polish.) And funny enough, in London, Gail's cafes are often also a rich source of Polishness because of the staff and where my children feel like they are in a Polish cafe, at least the ones local to us!
Another fabulous essay. I’m currently in London visiting from Australia and I really enjoy pieces like this to helped deepen my understanding of places and communities.
Obsessed with pickled celeriac and look in every Sklep I pass. Just stocked up on six jars!
Great read
A great piece made greater by its focus on the Lewisham polski sklep, my former local. As the child of Yugoslav immigrants, the Polish shop would often be the best source of essentials like peanut puffs and Vegeta you couldn't find anywhere else.
When living in Streatham, with its many Polish stores, I developed quite a herring habit.
I found Marta’s text a bit unfair. I know the local shop she’s referring to and honestly it’s a really nice place.. Her negative tone feels a bit exaggerated and doesn’t reflect the reality
Hi Edyta, I’m not sure we detected any negativity at all in Marta’s text - more a loving acknowledgement of the absurdities and contradictions skleps can contain.