This week in commemoration of Holocaust we would like to invite you to see film by Andrzej Wajda "Katyń" which will be screened in Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle. This is a story about atrocities and mass murder of the polish soldiers and polish intellectual elite by Soviet army. "Katyń" a masterpiece of the polish history is a representation of the true facts of the Second World War and the disgraceful struggle to live people caught up between two aggressors German and Russian.

You can see the film 27th January in Tyneside Cinema. More info on www.tynecine.org/whatson/events.php

January is important month for Poles in North East. Every year they celebrate The Great Orchestra of Christmas Help, which is similar in purpose to Children in Need in England. Last year this charitable event in Newcastle was very successful and attracted over 300 people and large donations for cancer research in Poland. This year the entertainment was even more varied, but unfortunately there were much less Polish people taking part in the celebrations.

In November this year a Polish organisation from London set up a project called 12 Cities. The project is intended to give the answers to the current economical situation in Poland and also encourage Polish people to come back to Poland. Representatives of 12 major polish cities such as mayors, councillors and investors will be attending 12 seminars in London and they will be promoting their cities and its opportunities.

The memorial to honour Polish and Scottish soldiers who died in World War II has been unveiled on the 10th of November in Redbraes Park in Edinburgh. This memorial has been designed to commemorate Polish and Scottish links and also to remember a bear called Voytek, which helped the soldiers during the war. The sculptor, Scottish policeman Simon Daley wanted to bring the communities together by sharing the history with Poles and English. He also wanted to unveil the sculpture as a part of 90th anniversary of Polish Independence Day and Remembrance Day in the UK.

I don't know what it is, is it me or everyone else, or is it the time going so fast that I really can't keep up with it. First the downturn of economy, than Poles decided to return home, then British banking system nearly collapsed, then Hamilton hit the roof of championship, then Obama reached the victory, and now Poles are getting advised how to claim British benefits back in Poland. It is a magic roundabout, which is giving me a headache.

Polish friend of mine who use to work BBC in Newcastle is looking for polish people living in North East and who due to changing economic climate decided to return to Poland. She would like to invite them to take part in the report for BBC Look North on this subject. Recently BBC Newcastle made a program about Poles living and working in North East, which was reported and presented by her and it was well received by the polish communities. Now the BBC wants to make a follow-up film featuring a Polish person who is living in North East and is now returning home. If you would like to take part in this program send an e-mail to newcastlenews@bbc.co.uk and introduce yourself.

We have approached a half term at school and now many Polish people in North East are starting to consider going back to Poland.

Credit crunch and unstable economy in UK have a great impact on migrants in our region. No one really knows what this will bring in the future.The media are panicking and constantly suggesting that almost half of those who came since 2004 decided to leave England. The great migration back to Poland can well be relevant to southern areas of UK but definitely not in North East.

I would like to welcome you all to my Blog about Poles in North East.

I was born in 1968 in Poland in Gdansk, where Lech Walensa used to work in the same shipyard together with my dad.

I have been living in North East since 1990 and like all Poles came to this country to work and create better life for myself.