Karolina Kolodziej from the Polish Cultural Institute tells us where to find a taste of Poland in London for our World in London series.

Since 2004, the cultural picture of the UK’s capital has dramatically changed. “The Poles are coming!” the British newspapers shouted. And so we came… in quite big numbers actually (some estimated the total at one million!).

Polish shops (polski sklep) sprang up in every London borough and our rustling language can be heard on practically every street corner.

But our relationship with the UK goes way back and has for a long time influenced cultural life in the capital. Bonnie Prince Charlie was the son of James Francis Edward Stewart and Polish aristocrat Maria Klementyna Sobieska, daughter of the Polish King Jan III Sobieski.

Funnily enough, Poland Street in London’s Soho was named in honour of King Sobieski, who won the Battle of Vienna in 1683 defending Europe against the Ottoman Empire’s army.

The Second World War saw the Polish flying aces fighting in the Battle of Britain and our mathematicians helping to break the Enigma code. After the war, Polish soldiers and their families settled down in the UK, many of them in London, choosing areas such as Ealing and Hammersmith to build their new lives.

The next generations became prominent individuals in the capital’s cultural life, from composers, musicians, artists, to museum and gallery directors, film producers and directors, designers, architects… the list goes on.

So find your Polish London! Here are a few clues on how to discover it:

Try our food delicacies. Be brave and venture into one of London’s many Polish shops, buy some kieÅ‚basa (polish name for sausage) for the barbeque and try our bread.

Visit one of the Polish restaurants. We highly recommend Baltic in Southwark or The Knaypa in Hammersmith, which serve modern Polish cuisine and great vodka cocktails.

See some Polish contemporary art. Works of PaweÅ‚ Althamer, Zbigniew Libera, MirosÅ‚aw BaÅ‚ka, Wilhelm Sasnal and Artur Å»mijewski can be seen in Tate Modern as well commercial galleries such as Gagosian or White Cube. You can also check out London’s branch of Warsaw gallery Lokal 30.

Look out for Polish classical and jazz music. Our orchestras, bands and soloists visit the UK capital very regularly with concerts in venues such as the Barbican, Southbank Centre or Wigmore Hall.

Every March, we host the Polish Film Festival Kinoteka with the crème de la crème of Polish cinematography being screened at the Riverside Studios, Prince Charles Cinema, BFI Southbank and the Barbican.

Don’t forget to grab a Polish read. Books by established writers such as MiÅ‚osz, KapuÅ›ciÅ„ski and Mrożek, as well as contemporaries including Huelle, Tokarczuk and Krajewski, are available in every good bookshop. And for a real literary treat, visit the British Library and ask for the Polish Collection, to see the historical gems as old as 15th century.

So no excuses - Polish London is out there and within easy reach!

Check out the Polish Cultural Institute website www.PolishCulture.org.uk for regular updates on what’s to come. And let us know your Polish London recommendations below…

Fryderyk Chopin arrived in London on Friday – not the composer but a ship named after him – which has moored on St Katharine’s Pier next to Tower Bridge.

The world’s second largest brig has arrived for the Mayor’s Thames Festival, which takes place from Saturday and I was lucky enough to be invited aboard.

At 40m in height, with a bust of the famous composer, an incredible 23 different sails and more than 130 guide ropes attached, it’s an impressive sight.

The young and enthusiastic crew – all students from Poland – will entertain Londoners and visitors with traditional dances, songs and acrobatics as well as guiding visitors around the ship during their stay in London.

Mr Rafał Szmytke, President of the Polish Tourist Organisation said:

“They’re the best of the best, hand-picked finalists of a national competition. They are young, creative, and passionate about telling the world about their cities, regions and the country.”

I spoke to crew member Michael Szynkarzynshi who told me:

“The whole course took about three months and there were almost 70 students from all around Poland from at least 75 universities and we were specially picked.”

He added “We had to send a special one-minute video presenting ourselves and the most interesting people were chosen.”

The students will be teaching visitors the Polonaise, a traditional Polish dance, leading up to a Guinness World Record attempt for the most people dancing the Polonaise at one time on Sunday 12 September.

Fryderyk Chopin will now  be at Canary Wharf until 12 September. The Mayor’s Thames Festival takes place this weekend.

Click on the video below to see the Fryderyk Chopin crew members in action.