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Clockwise: Detail from the Parthenon marbles
in the British Museum;
Athens - Olympic flame ceremony for the London
Olympics 2012;
Greek and Cypriot students dancing in London;
Welcome! Καλώς ήλθατε!
I
maintained this blog under the name ‘Hellenic
School of Bristol’(*) for the period 2010-13 when I was a member of the
School's Committee. Under its new title – Hellenic
Diaspora in South West - Ελληνισμός
στη Νοτιοδυτική Αγγλία - this blog has three aims:
a) to
develop into a hub of learning support and a network of cultural exchanges in
the South West for all those who appreciate the positive and inclusive
aspects of the Hellenic culture and heritage. In particular, the blog aims
to support adults and children of the Hellenic diaspora in the South West of
England (especially in the area of Bath, wider Bristol, Somerset and
Wiltshire), as well as their philhellenes partners or friends, in their efforts
to
- learn the Greek language,
- explore the Hellenic myths, history and cultural heritage
- meet up with other adults and families in order to nurture and celebrate the Hellenic identity in the South West (including observing specials days, dancing and cooking)
- network with professionals of Hellenic origin or philhellenes and provide information about relevant businesses, services and products
- study, record and publicize the history of hellenism in the South West (and Britain, more generally)
b) to
help expand the bonds of solidarity between our communities and our
brothers and sisters of the Hellenic diaspora in the rest of Britain and around
the world by linking with similar initiatives in the rest of the UK,
including
- exchanges with schools and the Hellenic diaspora in the UK and as much as possible to the rest of the world
- links to relevant networks of professionals of Hellenic origin or philhellenes
c) to
help expand the bonds of solidarity between our communities and our
brothers and sisters in Greece and Greek-speaking Cyprus, currently suffering
from the effects of the politico-economic crisis by means of
- providing information, guidance and networking regarding re-settling in the South West of England in search of work and a better life
- linking with schools and other children in Greece and Cyprus and co-ordinate useful donations if necessary
- providing information about relevant businesses, services and products in Greece and Cyprus that may help stimulate economic activity.
These aims are ambitious but, thinking about it,
being ambitious is a very Greek attitude: never one to shy away from a
challenge, even if it is against all odds. As Epicurus said: 'the
greater the difficulty, the more the delight in surmounting it'.
I hope
you will enjoy visiting the blog and return from time to time to see its
progress.
Στο επανιδείν (until we meet again)
Theo
Papadopoulos
(T.Papadopoulos
AT bath.ac.uk)
Bath, South
West of England
07/02/2014
PS. This
blog is a voluntary effort and currently has no external financial sponsorship
or other support.
(*) The
Hellenic School of Bristol has now its own web page. It can be found under the
web page of Bristol’s Greek Orthodox Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. See here
for details: http://www.greekchurchbristol.com/
