October 11 is Pulaski Day. This notable Pole's story in the USA is told by Peter Walker on Walker's World - a show Peter researches, scripts and presents on ORLAfm.
Ugandan tyrant Idi Amin once claimed he was the last King of Scotland, a fanciful claim no one took seriously but made a good movie. Yet we stop in our globetrotting tracks to hear Peter Walker reveal that there was once a Polish king of the huge African island of Madagascar. In perhaps Peter's zaniest episode of Walker's World so far, he's back from his travels with the most exotic fruit - enough to make Sir Walter Raleigh's potatoes go off.
As we join fellows who are Americans, to celebrate their Independence Day in the United States, Peter Walker brings you a jaw dropping story of one Tadeusz Kościuszko, an engineer, statesman and military leader who is revered today as a national hero in five nations: Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, France and the United States. He helped win independence for the USA, promoted black Americans' education and demanded an end to slavery 90 years before the American Civil War. He even made it onto a Polish bank note during the Communist era. This is a trip worth taking! Join Peter now!
June means Strawberries and Cream and lawn tennis in Wimbledon, south west London. Peter Walker serves insights into Polish stars who achieved great successes in tennis over the past century.
Poland is helping its neighbour Ukraine in the tragic conflict against Russia. Poland has many reasons, not only geopolitical but also historical, to help Kiev. In the 14th century Poland was Europe's biggest country by land. Ahead of Europe Day this month, Peter Walker explains how, and also tells the story of more influential Poles.
In his second episode of Walker's World, ORLAfm presenter Peter Walker continues on the path of Russia's historical aggression, which seems so timely as the tragedy of the invasion of Ukraine prevails. It is more than symbolic that the catastrophe of Ukraine began weeks after the start of the Chinese Year of the Tiger - considered to be a year of conflict and rift. It was also the Year of the Tiger when a Polish aircraft heading for Katyn commemorations crashed at Smolensk in 2010. So why is April the cruelest month for Poles? And how has it shaken the world? Our featured Poles in this edition are the 22,000 Poles who perished at Katyn as well as President Ryszard Kaczorowski and his wife and ORLAfm Honorary Patron Lady Kaczorowska. Peter delivers another engaging and poignant episode.
Poles are generally regarded in a good light in the UK. Champions in the sky, they managed to defend Churchill's Britain in the 1940s. But did they also have another agenda? Did they help a Dane to overthrow the norms of the day? While the tragedy of Ukraine's invasion by Russia unfolds, in his first monthly episode of Walker's World Peter Walker offers a lighter-hearted, true account of events which changed the course of history in the British Isles.
Maciej Lyszkiewicz (Photo right at POSK) has honed his style of Latin jazz in the Baltic city of Gdynia for more than two decades. An [...]
ORLAfm is excited to announce the start of a new series of podcasts for everyone interested in Polish history and famous names. It is remarkable how many Poles left Poland to find fortune, fame and sometimes tragedy. You may be surprised how many people you know have Polish backgrounds. The presenter of this show is one such case. Walker’s World is a monthly series presented by ORLAfm veteran DJ Peter Walker, whose natural parents were Polish.
With June 23 set for an historic vote on Britain’s destiny in or after the European Union, Charles Crawford shares his fears about how the “Brexit” campaign will unfold, as well as the growing populism which social media encourages. And could there be a “Poxit” too? The former British ambassador to Warsaw also talks about his new book about writing speeches for leaders and how former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski went off script while on his watch. Interviewed by George Matlock. © ScriptEase Ltd 2021. All rights reserved
Colin Vearncombe, best remembered as the front man of 1980s hot band Black, gave ORLA.fm a candid interview in November 2010 which was included in [...]
Jon Regen, whose grandmother was from Poland, is still waiting to perform in his ancestors’ homeland. In this candid interview the New York singer-songwriter and [...]
Trade unions in Britiain have been in relative decline since the 1980s. But if only 25% of UK workers are in unions, even fewer Polish workers in the UK are members. Co-author of a new survey Dominika Potkańska from the Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw explains to George Matlock the issues and how likely are Poles to join a union. © ScriptEase Ltd 2021. All rights reserved
Since its launch in May 2006 as the only Anglo-Polish radio station, ORLA.fm has been proud of many of its staff for the work they have done at the station, and the media and other roles that they have secured thanks to our tutelage afterwards. Today, we celebrate the achievements of one Dominik Tarczyński, who has been sworn in as one of the youngest Poseł of the Polish Sejm, a member of the lower chamber of the Parliament, whom we welcome back for a special reunion interview with station director George Matlock.
November 1, All Saints’ Day, is a day for remembrance of those who have departed. Commemorated across Europe it is especially observed in Poland. As [...]
In September, Northern Ireland’s biggest regional daily, the Belfast Telegraph, published a contentious letter from University of Cork academic Dr Kevin McCarthy, suggesting Poland cannot [...]
The most famous Polish deli must be Parade Delicatessen opposite Ealing Broadway railway station in west London. The shop has served customers for 63 years [...]
ORLAfm - Some Poles plan to stage a one-day strike in the UK on August 20. But it doesn’t command the support of Polish groups, nor is there clarity about the aims, venues for protest, or legality of the action. George Byczynski of the British Poles Initiative tells ORLA.fm’s George Matlock there is a more positive way to show Poles’ contribution: by giving blood that day #PolishBlood ORLA.fm is a media patron of BPI. © ScriptEase Ltd 2021. All rights reserved
Former Labour party leadership contender Bryan Gould saw in 2013 that Ed Miliband had failed to be “more rigorous and adventurous to convince people for [...]
ORLAfm - George Matlock introduces the relaunch of ORLA.fm as a podcaster on the station’s birthday 18 May 2015. © ScriptEase Ltd 2021. All rights reserved