THREE hundred people, including former residents of the Polish camp at Northwick Park, near Blockley, attended a special dedication ceremony of its restored grotto and new memorial on Saturday.

The ceremony, in English and Polish, was carried out by Her Excellency the Polish Ambassador, Barbara Tuge-Erecinska (corr). Also there was the chairman of Gloucestershire County Council, Mavis, Lady Dunrossil, and council leader and local representative Barry Dare.

The area was a camp for Polish soldiers and their families from 1948 to 1969 before it became a business park.

The £5,000 project to restore the old grotto and dedicate a new memorial was the idea of the Polish Ex-Combatants Association of Cheltenham.

Chairman Chez Maryszczak, who lived at the camp himself, said the project was launched as part of Poland's year dedicated to war hero General W Anders - who visited Northwick Park in 1952.

"It was a very successful event and we are very pleased," said Mr Maryszczak. "There were people who had lived at the camp meeting friends they had not seen for 50 years. It was very moving.

"After the camp closed, the residents had dispersed all over the country."

Following the ceremony - the grotto and memorial is now being called the Monument, and dedicated to the Polish soldiers and families who stayed there - the guests went to a reception at the canteen at Northwick Park, which was opened specially for the occasion. Representatives of the business park were also at the ceremony.

There was also an exhibition of the camp's history, also produced in the form of a booklet by the association.

Also among the guests was Blockley magician "Mayling" who had entertained children at the camp.