Flag_of_Poland

231 Chesterton Road, Polonia Club, (Cambrai) Cambridge

History of 231 Chesterton Road

1939 Cambrai

Harry Slater

---

In 1960 the Polish community started looking for premises for their own social club but it was not until 1972 that they acquired 231.  It has a thriving restaurant as well as chapel, library and meeting rooms.

(Catholics in Cambridge p.235): The purchase of 231 Chesterton Road, Cambridge in 1972 was an event of the highest importance for the development of the Polish community in Cambridge. Here, fpor the first time, a chapel, social club and community centre were brought together under the same roof, together with residential accommodation for the Polish parish priest. The Polish parish centred on Polonia House was given the proudly evocative dedication ‘Our Lady Queen of Poland’.

---

Cambridge Polish community establishes a clubhouse — 30 December 1976
The Cambridge Polish community has a simple though to reflect upon. Fascism drove them out of their country and brought them to Britain & the advent of communism back home kept them here when the war ended. Poles like Henio Muszynski and Czeslaw Rataj, young infantrymen in 1945 recall the camaraderie of a post-war further education camp at Fowlmere where many were taught English and eased into British life. Cultural and social activities thrived; there was dancing and drama, “but we would just hire a place so that people would meet every week to talk Polish and just play cards”, said Mr Muszynski. Four years ago the community raised the money needed to buy a three-story club house in Chesterton Road. It has 300 members and is a comfortably furnished piece of Poland in Cambridge.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Road Area Scrapbook, reference 1976 12 30