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SpecialEva Jiránková –A remarkable life
In today’s Special our guest is the charming Eva Jiránková, born in
1921 to a notable Prague family in the early years of the First Republic.
As a junior, Jiránková was a competitive skier and as a young woman she
graced the covers of popular Czech magazines – something of a charmed
life. But that all that ended in September 1942 when her husband, Miloš
Jiránek, was arrested by the Gestapo, and spent the next years in
internment and concentration camps. More
SpecialLaureates of Gratias Agit award on the significance of their Czech heritage
Every year in October the Czech Republic honours those who have contributed
significantly to promoting the country’s good name abroad. This year,
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg bestowed the annual Gratias Agit
awards on thirteen personalities from around the world to thank them for
their work. On occasion of the country’s national holiday we bring you
the thoughts and experiences of three Czechs who live abroad, but who never
severed ties with their homeland and are proud of their Czech roots and
national heritage. More
One on OneVeronica Hyks: the past is not always a foreign country
Although she was born in Britain and has never lived in the Czech Republic,
the actress and broadcaster, Veronica Hyks, is every bit as Czech as she is
English. She speaks Czech without a hint of an accent, and gives every
impression of being totally at home in Prague, even though it has never
been more than her “virtual” home. Veronica Hyks tells David Vaughan
how this came about in this week’s One on One. More
SpecialGood King Wenceslas meets the Beatles on the Feast of Stephen
A good few years ago I used to live in a tiny flat in an old house called
the Mouse Hole, which was just off the ancient street that runs along the
bottom of the park below Prague Castle and the cathedral. In winter I used
to go out to the park to collect kindling to help get my sluggish
coal-fired stove to draw. On one occasion it had been snowing heavily and I
traipsed out through deep drifts. Ever since then I have always had a very
specific picture in my mind of the Victorian carol about the Czech patron
Saint, the tenth century Prince – or King - Wenceslas. I like to imagine
the Good King standing at one of the windows of the castle looking down and
spotting the poor man in the snow – in this case me – struggling with
an armful of branches. More
One on OneVeronica Hyks: the past is not always a foreign country
Although she was born in Britain and has never lived in the Czech Republic,
the actress and broadcaster, Veronica Hyks, is every bit as Czech as she is
English. She speaks Czech without a hint of an accent, and gives every
impression of being totally at home in Prague, even though it has never
been more than her “virtual” home. Veronica Hyks tells David Vaughan
how this came about in this week’s One on One. More
Czech BooksHana Wilson: messing about on boats after two decades on the airwaves
When she lost her job after twenty years in the Czech section of the BBC,
Hana Wilson was far from despondent. She simply allowed her hobby to take
over her life. Hana, who left Czechoslovakia back in 1980, has spent much
of the last decade on the waterways of Britain. Now she has published a
book, introducing Czechs to the wonders of life on a narrowboat. Hana
Wilson is David Vaughan’s guest in this week’s edition of Czech Books.
More
SpotlightCzech-Slovak couple enjoying dream life as owners of castle in Scotland
The Edlmans are a Czech-Slovak couple who chose to escape the stresses of
London and build a very different life in a castle in the west of
Scotland. Castle Levan is located on the outskirts of the sea-side town of
Gourock, less than an hour from Glasgow. I'll let the owners introduce
themselves:
More
Current AffairsLondon magazine catering to Czechs and other young immigrants from East
Since European Union enlargement two years ago, hundreds of thousands of
young people from the new, mostly ex-communist member states have gone to
the United Kingdom and Ireland in search of work and opportunity. At the
end of February a free weekly magazine directly aimed at such young
immigrants was launced in London. It's called Fusion, and its Czech editor
is Klara Smolova. On the phone from the British capital, she explained the
thinking behind it.
More
Czech BooksThe ever changing world of Czech and Slovak Britain
We are joined by two writers, Milan Kocourek and Zuzana Slobodova, to talk
about their new book "Cesko-slovenska Britanie" - Czech and
Slovak Britain. This is a fascinating book that profiles 22 Czechs and
Slovaks, who live in Britain or have a connection with Britain, and a
further 10 British people who have in some way a close link with the Czech
and Slovak nations.
More
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