This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Part of UK in Poland

16th September 2013 Warsaw, Poland

The Last Night of the Proms – a GREAT Finale to a GREAT Bus Tour of Poland

An action packed day taking us from the main square in Poznan to Wroclaw and on to Katowice and then Krakow. A GREAT Bus Tour led by our two GREAT Minis. 10 000 kms and over 20 GREAT cities – a GREAT Polish welcome in each and so many business discussions.

Krakow, historic capital of Poland and capital of arts and culture – Last Night of the Proms, the climax of the Henry Wood Summer Promenade Concerts – almost. The 18th Last Night of the Proms in Krakow – A philharmonic emblazoned with flags and the entrance flanked by our two GREAT Minis.

An absolutely GREAT concert – Poland’s young, modern Beethoven orchestra directed for the evening by Daniel Smith, a GREAT emerging talent hailing all the way from Australia. A GREAT programme of music and 750 Promenaders crammed into a hugely atmospheric concert hall.

UK, Polish an American flags and so many people clad in Promenade regalia – a simultaneous replica of the Henry Wood series or a GREAT British Polish Icon in itself. A rapturous reception to Elgar, a cacophony of British Polish and international voices singing Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and the British and Polish National Anthems. A superlative, fantabulous and GREAT evening of music. A GREAT post-concert reception hosted by Krakow’s Mayor.

A GREAT evening and above all a GREAT climax to a GREAT Bus tour of Emerging Europe’s highest growth market.

My personal thanks to our GREAT film crew – Malgosia our ubiquitous, omnipresent Editor in Chief – HALO;  Andrzej, our Film Director Par Excellence – GREAT Tiramisu for breakfast; Pawel, the only man I have seen cramped into the back of a Mini Cooper with two GREAT big cameras; Justyna for keeping us all on track, script and time; Ania for that excellent footage you didn’t know we could get. You’ve been on the road with me for the last 6 weeks for the GREATEST ever promotion of GREAT Britain in Poland, a testament in itself to GREAT commitment; a GREAT team – thanks very much. I must also mention the two Roberts – driver Robert and programmer Robert – they made sure the GREAT bus went where we said it would – no mean feat and finally the iconic GREAT Bus support crew, Piotr, Jacek and Milimetre who have had at least 20 runs at putting the tents up and taking them down – in the main squares of the GREATEST cities in Poland. A Big thanks to you.

1 comment on “The Last Night of the Proms – a GREAT Finale to a GREAT Bus Tour of Poland”

Comments are closed.

About Martin Oxley

Martin Oxley joins the Embassy team in Warsaw, building on a 15 year business career in Central Europe. An expert in the healthcare and life sciences sector, he has led a…

Martin Oxley joins the Embassy team in Warsaw, building on a 15
year business career in Central Europe. An expert in the healthcare and
life sciences sector, he has led a number of the leading blue chip and
regional pharmaceutical companies in Poland and the broader Central and
Eastern European region.
Most recently he was CEO of the British Polish Chamber of Commerce.
Under his leadership the Chamber grew to be one of the most prominent
international business networking organisations in Poland receiving a
number of awards  for excellence and partnership development.
Martin retains a keen interest in digital media, communications,
cultural relations and enterprise development. He is very enthusiastic
about his new role at the Embassy and honoured to have the opportunity
to play a leading role in championing the development of British
business in Poland.
He is married to Małgorzata and has two children Jaś and Nati.

Follow Martin

Tags

bus concert GREAT henry wood krakow last night of the proms mini

Links