12 days to embarkation. My clinic has messed up. On February 2nd I had requested an updated list of our vaccinations and a release of 3 months' worth of repeat prescriptions, which they should sent to our chemist at Brent Pharnacy. When I checked by phone yesterday nothing had been done. They had not even seen my email, they said. Bristling with frustration, I resent the email straight away. Then I waited an hour and rang again. Yes, they now had my email. Patiently, I clarified what I needed and was told it was all in hand. Last night, I actually received the list of vaccinations. But they did not include the latest ones taken especially for the journey.
So this morning, a Saturday, I paid a quick visit to the clinic. The receptionist checked my computerised notes and told me that they had no report from the Williams Pharmacy about our tetanus, hepatitis and other vaccinations. I drove to the Williams Pharmacy to find out why the clinic had not been notified, but they were shut. I would have to chase them up on Monday by phone. Just to reassure myself, I contacted my own Brent Pharmacy to see if they had now received the instructions for the repeat prescriptions. To my despair, they had not. Again, I will have to check that also with my clinic on Monday. That is a whole 10 days wasted on my medical records and supplies. I cannot afford to have any more days wasted.
This was frustrating. However that afternoon Marta, a friend arrived from Warsaw, arrived to stay with us for a few days. We went for a long walk along the canal to Hanwell, which she profondly enjoyed, as it gave her a sense of freedom after leaving her problems in Poland behind her. Chirpy and effervescent, she even reinvigorated Albina sufficiently to get her to come out for an enjoyable Italian meal together. Best of all we all three went browsing around a stylish dresh and furnishng shop in Brentford High Street. Marta even talked Albina into buying a couple of dresses which Albina could wear on one of the Formal Nights during the cruise. That was an amazing achievement as Albina had stressed a number of times that she wouldn't be seen dead at one of those social events. I better make sure she packs those 2 dresses. What is the likelihood that she will try to ditch them? Will she really dress up and come to a social night? If so, then it will be the first time in 10 years.
Despite preparations for the big journey, life still goes on elsewhere.. I cannot shake off the world events around me, much to Albina's dismay.
Just for the record, I can at least reproduce my letter to the Editor of “i”, even if it does not get published there. It expresses my anger at the tardiness of the German government in offering military support for Ukraine. I understand Germany’s historic hangups about sending offensive weapons to a theatre of war, but Germany now has to be counted as one of the main European democracies helping to fight a war with German weaponry, and Ukrainian voluntarily donated blood, to defeat the Russian dictator who is threatening to undermine European democracy. There cannot be half measures.
From Wiktor Moszczynski, 88 Isambard Court, Paddlers Avenue, Brentford, TW8 8FP
Letter to the Editor of "i",
Dear Editor,
I was astounded to read that Germany will be delivering the bulk of
their Leopard tanks to Ukraine next year ("Security council approves 178
tanks", i 08.02.2023). Yet the war to defend democracy is taking place now and a large
Russian assault is imminent. Germany might just as well send the tanks next
century. At least Germany's eastern neighbour, Poland, understands the urgency
and knows that Ukraine requires tanks now and not just pledges. That is why,
prior to a promised prompt delivery of 14 German Leopards, Poland is supplying
30 more Polish Twardy tanks and a further 30 post-Soviet T-2 tanks immediately.
These the Ukrainian army can utilize straight away as they have already been
trained to use both. Poland understands, better than most of its European
neighbours, that its own precious independence depends on Ukraine retaining its
independence against an immediate, not a distant, threat.
Yours faithfully,
Wiktor Moszczynski
Also I am equally incensed by the 8 year prison sentence meted out by a Belarusian court to Polish journalist and community leader, Andrzej Poczobut. I had written about hom before.
Consequently, I have drafted a letter of protest to the Belarusian Ambassador which the Federation of Poles in Great Britain should send immediately. I hope they don’t waste too much time drafting and redrafting it. Speed is of the essence. I have told them if it were not for my coming world tour, I would be organizing a protest outside the Embassy.
Embassy of the Republic of Belarus,
6 Kensington Court
W8 5DL
London
The
Federation of Poles in Great Britain, which represents the main Polish
community organizations in the UK, wishes to express the sense of anger felt by
our members at the outrageous 8-year prison sentence imposed on Mr Andrzej Poczobut,
the Vice-President of our sister organization, the Union of Poles in Belarus.
To accuse him of promoting “neo-nazism” and to list him as a “terrorist” is a
preposterous accusation of a democratically elected community leader, who is
also a journalist writing for a liberal Polish newspaper. We also continue to
protest at the continued harassment of Mrs Angelika Borys, the President of the
Union of Belarus, who remains under house arrest and still faces baseless
charges of fostering hatred and organizing illegal gatherings. We demand their
immediate release and the dropping of all charges against them.
Over the
last three years we have witnessed the systematic attempt by your government to
undermine Polish ethnic organizations in your country and to intimidate its
community leaders. By closing down Polish community centres and schools,
destroying historic Polish war cemeteries, blocking access to Catholic churches
with Polish parishioners, illegally confiscating and selling off Polish
community property, suppressing publication of Polish newspapers and by
arresting and exiling Polish community leaders, you have betrayed not only the
cause of democracy and human rights in your country, but also your own
Belarusian constitution, which clearly lays down the rights of ethnic
minorities to promote their own culture and language. We have already protested
to you in the past about these repressive activities and we have also received
a supportive statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when we raised
these cases with the government of the United Kingdom.
Your
government’s brutal suppression of the democratic opposition and of independent
ethnic minority institutions in your country, as well as your government’s
support given to Russia’s criminal invasion of your Ukrainian neighbour, has
made your country an international pariah. You must surely regret that. We can
only hope that eventually your embassy will be able to convince your government
in Minsk that this is the wrong path to follow, and that it is time that
Belarus rejoined the world community as a democratic peace seeking country that
allows its ethnic minorities to prosper.
Yours sincerely,
President of the Federation of Poles in GB
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