Poland Twin Visit Success, by Stan Pajak
18th - 21st November 2005

The first ever organised trip to Torun in Poland by TASTE (Torun And Swindon Twinning Enterprise) proved a great success. Over 40 people from Swindon made the trip including Mayor Ray Fisher, Council officers and some members of the Polish community.

We left a cold Swindon at 5.30am on Friday and flew from Stansted to Bydgoszcz airport which is about 35 miles from Torun. We arrived at our hotel - the Pod Orlem just after 3.00pm. Hence it is almost possible to have breakfast in Swindon and a late lunch in Torun! Situated in the picturesque Old Town people either had their first Polish meal at the hotel or at the many nearby restaurants, cafes and bars.

Over the weekend there was a Blues Festival at the university. I went to the first event and was truly amazed at how good the bands were - it seems the Blues is a really multinational music form with bands from Poland, England and the USA. My daughter Hannah was impressed by the level of audience involvement and we eventually arrived back at our hotel at 2.00am!

On Saturday we had a walking tour of Torun by guide Jan Rucinski who vividly explained the wonderful history and sites of Torun. Gothic history surrounds the visitor with highlights being the home and statue of Nicholas Copernicus, the Cathedral and the Virgin Mary church, the beautiful market square and the ruins of the castle of the Teutonic Knights which includes a gothic toilet tower!

The afternoon saw an official reception at the breathtaking 17th century Tenement House with the Torun President Michal Zaleski. Mayor Ray Fisher and myself gave speeches following those of the President and the Rector of Nicholas Copernicus university who spoke in perfect English and presented us with the first copies of the university prospectus in English. The spread was really mouth watering with fresh salmon, traditional mushroom soup and savoury fancies. Local TV viewing figures must have rocketed as Ray took part in a TV interview! There was also an opportunity to meet members of the Torun Council. Some of our social services officers were somewhat comforted by the fact the Polish government also keeps changing its polices and targets for social services!

One of the attractions of Torun to visitors from England besides the history must be the shopping opportunities it presents. A car free shopping centre of individual shops with good prices is supplemented by out of town French hypermarkets. Bargains were to be had with clothes (the mayor and mayoress both came back with hats!), drinks (good Polish vodka at 5 UK pounds a bottle!) and wonderful Polish food (there was fast food for the unadventurous!)

The Torun adventure came to an end on the Monday with a small flurry of snow and a last rush around the shops. Everyone came back to Swindon with wonderful memories and a pride in the link we have established between Swindon and Torun.

Swindon journalist Dave Andrew travelled with us and the trip received extensive coverage by both local newspapers in Swindon and Torun. Visitors from Swindon were interviewed and featured in Nowosci. Potential sponsors take note!