THE Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Tomasz Trafas was warmly welcomed at Newton Abbot Museum on Monday for the opening of a new exhibition.

The exhibition, Polish Folk art and the story of Ilford Park, is a product of months of hard work that has pulled together photographs, paintings, recollections and contributions from the community.

Curator Felicity Cole and volunteers have displayed the artwork and archive pieces that are a celebration of Newton Abbot's connection with Poland.

Mr Trafas said: 'It is so good that we have a chance to be outside of London and to see that here we have Polish roots and still have Polish people here.

'Here we see small but very precious attention to our culture, our history, to our settlement here in great Britain.'

Newton Abbot Mayor Mike Hocking said: 'For the past 56 years, Newton Abbot has been linked to Poland through little Poland and this exhibition is in that honour.'

Polish volunteer at the museum, Teresa Wright donated pieces of folk art that were combined with a history of the Ilford Park Polish Home known as 'Little Poland.'

Curator Felicity Cole said: 'The community have come forward and offered goods for the exhibition. One lady offered Polish boleros and another has contributed to an oral archive. It is really good to see the

community coming forward.

'The amount of people here is wonderful and goes to show the interest in the folk art and the history of Ilford Park.

Every person at Ilford Park has a story to tell and this is a celebration of that.'

Henryk Kunwaszkiewicz lived at Ilford park from the age of two to 18 and left the home in 1969 when families were beginning to be

resettled into the

community.

'This exhibition really endorses the fact that the Polish Community exists here and that is recognised by the Town Council.'

'It really takes us back and it is a moving experience. For us, it is a link with the past.'

The exhibition will run until May 31.