Language.

[Gavrushka]

Gavrushka, you never holidayed in the Lake District with her in the 80's did you? I only ask because my one and only encounter with a Russian woman, was with one with a real potty mouth, very pretty, with her boyfriend, getting very angry in Glenridding. He seemed to be exasperated and was a little potty mouthed too!

Oh Lord, I hope not, because at the start of the 80s, she was busy being 4!

It'd be a very unusual sight to see any Russians/Eastern Europeans holidaying here in the 80s as the Warsaw Pact didn't dissolve until 91. - She was likely a spy or someone in the upper echelons in their 'some animals are more equal than others' society...

But, yeah, I have been known to have a bit of a potty mouth too...

[greypanther]

Oh Lord, I hope not, because at the start of the 80s, she was busy being 4!

Only 4? I am surprised because I had always assumed you were about my age, maybe a bit older. Late 50's I thought! Therefore I asumed she would be a similar age...

As for her being Russian well, I have to admit I could not be at all certain, mostly assumptions on my part I guess. I went to school with a lad with an unpronounceable Polish name, who used to take great pleasure in teaching us Russian swear words. Polish ones too. ( I remember none of them of course... ) His father came to the UK after WW2, supposedly was in Colditz and helped to build a glider there. His dad was in his 60's (?) when my friend was born. Luckily, they had anglicised their name, so it was manageable.

My only defence is that I was only late teens, early twenties, so very naive.

[Gavrushka]

We are similar in age. Don't judge me... LOL.

Yeah, it is very, very hard to distinguish between Eastern European languages, but there were a few (far too few) second and third generation Poles around in the 80s, and they did seem to hold their accent. The first doctor I remember back in the late 60s, early 70s, was 'Dr Cutts' who'd been a young man when he'd escaped Poland after Hitler invaded. Dr Cutts, what a name! And what a wonderful man. - He always looked forward to my mum's appointments because it meant he could have a cigarette.

[greypanther]

Don't judge me... LOL.

Sorry, did not intend to sound judgemental.

My school friend of Polish descent, had no Polish accent as he was born in Blackpool. I think his father had already died, but Andrew was very proud of him, told tales of him building the glider in a loft space in Colditz. He was proud of his dad being a troublemaker...

Edit: I just looked up the glider story, out of curosity and find it was British officers who built it. How odd, if I knew where he was, I would ask Andy about this! Of course, there was no internet back in the 80's...

[Alan Phipps]

I'm sure the Polish Colditz POW contingent and their resources will have been discretely organised in some way to help with decoying, storage, toolmaking and supplies used for the glider and launch construction, even if they didn't know details of the British project at the time.

[greypanther]

I'm sure the Polish Colditz POW contingent and their resources will have been discretely organised in some way to help with decoying, storage, toolmaking and supplies used for the glider and launch construction, even if they didn't know details of the British project at the time.

That was part of my problem that my quick research brought up Alan. It seemed to suggest that they started building the glider in 1943, but also say that the Polish officers were removed from Colditz in 1943. The article also suggested that the Germans knew about the project, but let it continue, because it kept the inmates out of trouble. Doesn't matter now anyway, I have no way of questioning my school friend.