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Sunday 9th July – British-Slovene Society Picnic with Bled Singers and Dancers

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Join us for our Annual Picnic on Sunday 9th July beside the new kozolec (Slovene hayrack) on Gillots Field, Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 1RZ. Bring picnic food, drink and good cheer. There is plenty of space for children to play and run around.

To help us celebrate our Society’s 30th anniversary, 20-25 folklore singers and dancers from Bled in Slovenia will create a true veselica (village feast) for us. Accompanying them are Deputy Mayor Iztok Pesrl and former Mayor Janez Fajfar. Bled is twinned with Henley, so they will be renewing longstanding friendships with Henley people.

   

The pictures show Folklorno društvo Rudija Jedretiča Ribno and Glasbena skupina Šuštarji.

We look forward to welcoming you! Save the date now.

The late Elizabeta Pleničar

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With great regret, the British-Slovene Society reports the death of Elizabeta Pleničar.  We last saw her when her daughter Mariana Pleničar-Bayley  set up a computer so that her mother could take part in one of our online events during the pandemic. Mariana writes:

Dear BSS members, sadly I must let you know that Elizabeta Pleničar died on Monday 13th March 2023. Beloved mum, Grandma and Great Grandma she lived to be over 100 years old and was known to many members of the British-Slovene Society.

She was an extraordinary woman with a fascinating life story full of resilience and resourcefulness.  This spanned her remarkable escape from war-torn Yugoslavia in 1945 to a life with my father Dušan in Lancashire and eventually Enfield.

She worked tirelessly behind the scenes supporting my father in his political endeavours. Both shared the aim of making transparent events that occurred in wartime Yugoslavia; and later played an instrumental part in campaigning to transform Slovenia into an independent state.

She died peacefully in hospital with close family beside her. Beloved by her family, hugely loved for her warmth and quick wit by all, she’ll always be with us.

The beginnings of the British Slovenian Society 30 years ago

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Jana Valenčič (centre picture), one of the founding members of the British-Slovene Society, recounts how it was created 30 years ago:

In 1986, when I arrived  to London, I encountered broadly speaking four groups of Slovenians.  The most visible and active group were Slovenian women of the baby boom generation who came to London  as au pairs to learn English, met a British husband and put down their roots, quite a few  of them in South East London. They were running a Slovenian Sunday school and belonged to the then British Yugoslav Society.

The second were representatives of Slovenian businesses, established semi-permanently, often bringing with them their families, and  in close contact with Slovenia.

The third group were individuals who for reasons of study or work came to London but did not seek out the company of  other Slovenians, and were often  of a liberal persuasion.

The last group were the emigrés, who had been drafted into the German army as young men, many of them  before they could get  any apprenticeship or professional education. Arriving in the UK, many had to start in  entry level jobs. They gathered around the Slovenian Catholic Mission near The Oval in South London. They were often deeply patriotic  but unsure of the postwar generation who, after all,  grew up as »Tito’s pioneers«.

Until June 1991  there was little contact between the older political emigration  and the postwar generations. There was some mutual suspicion.

The events of June 1991 changed everything.  All of us, Slovenians from London and other parts of the UK, of all generations, our spouses and our British friends, even those who had never been part of any organised group, joined hands to help Slovenia. The attack on Slovenia bonded us for the common cause, a free and independent Slovenia, and gave rise to our grassroots movement, the Slovenian Crisis Centre and the Slovenian Newsletter.

It  was paramount that our movement was inclusive. We all had the same goal, to see our homeland free and independent, but at the same time we were what Dr.Zvezdan Pirtosek at the time  called »The Europe of Many Flags«.

At our rallies one could see different flags, all with white, blue and red stripes but some with the Yugoslav red star, some just plain stripes and a few featuring the »Ducal Stone«, mythic symbol  from the dawn of Slovenian identity.

Our movement was particularly emotional for the generation of political emigrés. Suddenly  they felt included and welcomed, as Anton Hume (picture top right), himself from a mixed English/ Slovenian parentage, remembers about his father Anton Leopold Kacin.

The prominent political emigré, printer Dušan Pleničar from Enfield in North London, said to  me that »you young Slovenes are very different but we all have the same goal, to help Slovenia«.

After three months of intense adrenalin and fear for Slovenia’s future we could not just stop and simply disperse as if nothing had happened. So, in autumn 1991 we started holding regular meetings at  the Mason’s Arms, a pub in Central London run by a lady from Celje. In  the room upstairs we discussed  what we could do for Slovenia once the existential danger had passed.

The emigrés in particular felt those meetings as a pinnacle of their lives. They were ecstatic when we started talking about a formal gathering which would bond Slovenians, their UK born offspring and friends of Slovenia.  In particular the families of embittered emigré generation  parents and their UK born children were brought together during these planning meetings.

We had two goals.

As a registered charitable society we could use our contacts and expertise to support Slovenian efforts to achieve recognition of international status, independence and, last but not least, recognition of our cultural and national identity by the British. At the same time, a formal society would help Slovenians feel loyalty and belonging to their roots to continue through the generations.

We agreed to aim at the founding of a registered organisation with charitable status, »The British Slovene Society« and a parallel business organisation with the same name, which would financially support our not-for-profit charitable organisation.

In the planning we were greatly helped by the expertise of David Bieda (picture top left), himself a  member of several charitable organisations in London, including as founder trustee of the Covent Garden  Area Trust in the 80’s, and chair of the Seven Dials Housing Action Area Committee.

The task of founding the BSS as a charitable organisation fell upon two of the initiators, Anton Leopold Kac and his son Anton Hume, himself a  chartered accountant  with decades of experience in international taxation and transfer pricing, with his father Anton Leopold Kacin in a support role.

Anton played a key role in the formation of the structure and organs of the society. He prepared the draft statute. On 6.10.1993. he co-founded the company »The British Slovene Society (Limited by Guarantee)« with the legal status of an English Limited Company. Subsequently, on the 19th of October 1993 he registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales the charitable organisation »The British Slovene Society«.

Anton was the first secretary of »The British Slovene Society (Limited by Guarantee)«, from its founding on 6.10.1993 to 24.11.1998, and he continued to be one of its guarantors. At the same time, he was also one of the trustees of our »British Slovene Society« charity.

Anton’s  role is recognised in several  documents, including the invitation to the initial meeting of the BSS founding fathers and mothers in David Bieda’s home, from November 1991 (in the Slovenian National Archives). On the founding document of the Society he is listed as a secretary (source: The Charity Commission website).

Two years of hard work by Anton bore fruit. The BSS was registered and  membership increased as the Slovenian members of the former British Yugoslav Society joined the BSS, of which Keith Miles became the Chairman.

Jana Valenčič

Slovene musician Boštjan Gombač appearing live in London 28 March 2023

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Boštjan Gombač, who performed at our society Prešeren Evening in 2020, is back in the UK on the 28 March for a rare live performance in London. Boštjan will be joined by Same Sky (electronics and ambisonic mix) and Amousement (visuals) to combine the oldest instrument in the world (Neanderthal Flute, 50.000 BC) with the newest electronic instruments and AI generated visuals in an improvised sonic exploration entitled “Cracks of Time”.

More details and tickets available at:

Article images:

This event takes place with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in London.

Lea Sirk celebrates British-Slovene Society’s 30th anniversary

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Our Prešeren Evening on 11th March this year was a special occasion, since we are marking our 30th anniversary.

Lea Sirk, Slovenia’s 2018 Eurovision Song Contest finalist, joined us at the Ambassadors Hotel in London to celebrate with an inspiring concert accompanied by three other Slovenian musicians from the Primorska region. Besides her Eurovision song »Hvala ne«, she sang popular favourites in both Slovene and English. In the end, with the audience thoroughly warmed up, she formed an ad hoc choir to continue singing late into the evening.

Jana Valenčič, David Bieda and Anton Hume told how supporters of Slovenia’s independence in Britain got together in 1993 to create the British-Slovene Society.

Among guests was  Jana Bajec Povše, Chargé ‘d’Affaires of the Slovenian Embassy in London, which again kindly donated Slovenian wine for the evening. For the tombola, Elan donated a pair of skis, while Trimo gave a travel voucher of €1,000 and several other prizes – for which many thanks. Mateja Šömen and Andrej Ogorevc ran the tombola with great verve, raising £527 for Barka, the charity for people with special needs we support in Slovenia. The Slovenian Government’s Office for Slovenes Abroad, kindly provided a subsidy for the event.

        

Next event is on Sunday 9th July: the annual BSS picnic by our new kozolec (hayrack) in Henley, attended by the Deputy Mayor of Bled with a party of 20-25 Slovenian singers and dancers. Come with your friends and family for another rousing festivity.

8th March – applications deadline for the Prešeren Evening – don’t miss it!

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The British-Slovene Society cordially invites you to our annual Prešeren Evening of drinks, dinner and a concert by Lea Sirk. The event takes place in London on Saturday 11th March, and the deadline for applications is Wednesday 8th March. Don’t miss out. Make sure you sign up in time.

          Saturday 11th March 2023. Drinks from 6.30 pm, dinner at 7.20 pm.

          Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel, 12 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HX (undergrounds Euston, Euston Square, King’s Cross, Russell Square)

After dinner, we will be entertained by the vivacious Lea Sirk, who sang for Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest Finals in 2019. Lea comes from Primorska – the Adriatic coast of Slovenia.

There will also be an attractive tombola with prizes including skis donated by Elan, and a flight voucher worth €1,000 donated by Trimo.

Rates are:

Paid up BSS Members £62, non-Members £77, students and under-18s £39

For that you will enjoy a drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine, the concert and a tombola with all sorts of attractive prizes.

Note: if you become a Member now, you benefit from the Member’s lower rate. Membership costs £15 per year, and £25 for families.

Reserve your places now using the online Application Form

Space is limited, so it’s first come, first serve. To enable us to give numbers to the hotel and allocate tables, please send your application by Wednesday 8th March at the latest.

If you wish to make up your own party, please nominate a host who will book the table in his/her name. On the form you can also advise any special dietary requirements.

We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for supporting this event with a subsidy, and to the Embassy of Slovenia in London for donating wine.

Holy Mass in Slovenian House on 12th March

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On Sunday 12th March a Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Slovenian House at 62 Offley Rd in London by Emeritus Reverend Stanislav Cikanek. The Mass will be followed by refreshments in the Reception room.

Confirmation of attendance is desired but not obligatory.

Contact: info@skm-london.org.uk, 07365 353900

 

 

 

Sign up for the Prešeren Evening with Slovenia’s Eurovision finalist Lea Sirk … and join us for our 30th anniversary!

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          Saturday 11th March 2023. Drinks from 6.30 pm, dinner at 7.20 pm.

          Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel, 12 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HX (undergrounds Euston, Euston Square, King’s Cross, Russell Square)

After dinner and tombola, we will be entertained by the vivacious Lea Sirk, who sang for Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest Finals in 2019. Lea comes from Primorska – the Adriatic coast of Slovenia.

Rates are:

Paid up BSS Members £62, non-Members £77, students and under-18s £39

For that you will enjoy a drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine, the concert and a tombola with all sorts of attractive prizes.

Note: if you become a Member now, you benefit from the Member’s lower rate. Membership costs £15 per year, and £25 for families.

Reserve your places now using the online Application Form

Space is limited, so it’s first come, first serve. To enable us to give numbers to the hotel and allocate tables, please send your application by Wednesday 8th March at the latest.

If you wish to make up your own party, please nominate a host who will book the table in his/her name. On the form you can also advise any special dietary requirements.

We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for supporting this event with a subsidy, and to the Embassy of Slovenia in London for donating wine.

Online course of Slovene for pupils who wish to study in Slovenia (February – June 2023)

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A message from the Office for Slovenians Abroad:

Center za slovenščino kot drugi in tuji jezik vabi na Tečaj slovenščine za dijake, ki želijo študirati v Sloveniji. Spletni tečaj, ki bo dvakrat tedensko po tri šolske ure potekal med 28. februarjem in 6. junijem 2023, je namenjen dijakom zadnjih letnikov srednjih šol, ki se nameravajo vpisati na univerzo v Sloveniji, in bi radi osvežili in nadgradili svoje znanje slovenščine.

Urad Vlade RS za Slovence v zamejstvu in po svetu namenja za udeležbo na tečaju za udeležence iz zamejstva in izseljenstva posebne štipendije. S štipendijo, ki znaša 650 EUR, se krijejo stroški udeležbe na tečaju. Prošnja za štipendijo mora vsebovati osebne podatke o kandidatu in utemeljitev. Obravnavane bodo le prošnje, ki jih bodo napisali kandidati sami. Prošnje za štipendije pošljite do 13. februarja 2023 po pošti (na naslov Centra za slovenščino kot drugi in tuji jezik) ali po elektronski pošti (mladinski.tecaji@ff.uni-lj.si). O rezultatih boste obveščeni do 22. 2. 2023.

Več informacij najdete na naslednji povezavi: https://slovenci.si/tecaj-slovenscine-za-dijake-ki-zelijo-studirati-v-sloveniji-februar-junij-2023/

How to pay your BSS membership dues

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Dear Members and Supporters,

To those who are already Members and have paid your annual dues, many thanks. Your support is much appreciated. If you are not yet a Member, do consider joining! You would be most welcome. Among the advantages you enjoy are a reduced price for the Prešeren Evening in London on March 11th.

Just a quick reminder how to pay for your 2023 British-Slovene Society membership:

Subscriptions remain at the same level as last year:

INDIVIDUAL £15
FAMILY (maximum 5) £25
STUDENT £5
CORPORATE £100

If you have a Standing Order or have already paid for this year, you can ignore this notice. Otherwise, you have a choice of three means of payment:

  1. The best way is by direct electronic transfer to The British-Slovene Society’s bank account with Natwest, Sort Code 60-20-36, Account Number 51197685, IBAN: GB67NWBK60203651197685, BIC: NWBKGB2L. Please put your name in the reference field. This means of payment saves the Society unnecessary costs. Wherever possible, we ask you to set up a Standing Order. This will save you time and trouble next year.
  2. Or you can pay through our website www.britishslovenesociety.org by clicking on “JOIN/RENEW” and following the instructions. On the website you can also pay by PayPal (though this incurs a cost to the BSS).
  3. Or by cheque made out to The British-Slovene Society and sent to the Treasurer, Andrej Ogorevc, 10 Rogers Court, 5 Premiere Place, London E14 8SF, e-mail: treasurer@britishslovenesociety.org.

Thank you!

Trustees of The British-Slovene Society