David Lloyd, Chairman of the British Slovene Society, sent the message below to HE Tadej Rupel, Ambassador of Slovenia in the UK, on 24 February 2019:

Dear Tadej,

I feel that I must apologise, as a former British ambassador to Slovenia, for the ill-chosen words of our Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to Slovenia, referring to Slovenia as a vassal state of the Soviet Union. I am sure that Slovenians will brush this aberration aside with their customary goodwill, but I am deeply embarrassed.

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening at President Pahor’s Reception.

Best wishes, David

See: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/23/soviet-vassal-state-jeremy-hunt-makes-gaffe-in-slovenia?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

John Corsellis, who died last November, has been posthumously awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Slovenia in London.

The award was made for his work as a humanitarian aid worker caring for several thousand Slovene refugees in Displaced Persons camps in Austria in the years after World War II.

Tadej Rupel, Slovenia’s Ambassador to the United KIngdom, presented the award to John’s widow, Ann Corsellis, in a ceremony at the Slovenian Embassy on 4th February also attended by John’s three children, a grandson and family friends.

John was co-author of a book entitled Slovenia 1945 published in 2005.

BOOK NOW FOR THE BRITISH-SLOVENE SOCIETY’S PREŠEREN EVENING

WITH GREGOR VOLK AND GORAN KRMAČ

–         Saturday 9th February 2019. Drinks from 6.30 pm, dinner at 7.20 pm.

–        Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel, 12 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HX (undergrounds Euston, Euston Square, King’s Cross, Russell Square)

Singer Gregor Volk and tuba player Goran Krmač, two of Slovenia’s up-and-coming young entertainers, will perform for us after dinner.

We are keeping rates at the same as last year:

–         Members £45, non-members £60, students and under-18s  £29.

For that you will enjoy a drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine, the concert and a tombola with all sorts of attractive prizes.

Proceeds of tombola will, as always, go to Barka, the Slovenian charity we support.

–         Reserve your places now using the Application Form below. Space is limited, so it’s first come, first serve.

You should assume that paid-for places have been reserved unless you hear to the contrary. No tickets will be issued.

If you wish to make up your own party, please nominate a host who will book the table in his/her name. Please advise if you have any dietary requirements.

We are grateful to the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in London for donating Slovenian wine for the occasion and to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for granting the British-Slovene Society a subsidy.

2019 2 9 Preseren Evening application form

The British-Slovene Society once again filled the charming Wren church of St. Andrew-in-the-Wardrobe in London for the annual service of carols and readings in both languages. Organist Aljoša travelled from Leeds to play for us, and two sopranos and a contralto sang as a choir to support the congregation.

Afterwards the congregation stayed for more than an hour to talk and consume large quantities of fresh potica just flown in from Slovenia by five BSS members. The Slovenian Embassy generously contributed wine.  

After the service, we collected £410 for Barka, the charity we support in Slovenia.

Slovenian Ambassador Tadej Rupel (left) with BSS Trustee Marcus Ferrar.

Next year come again: it’s been pencilled in for Friday 6^th December.   

John Corsellis, who cared for Slovenes fleeing their country in 1945 and chronicled their Odyssey around the world, has died at the age of 95 in his home city of Cambridge.

As a young humanitarian aid worker, John helped look after several thousand Slovene refugees in Displaced Persons camps in Austria until they were able to emigrate to Argentina, the United States, Canada and Britain.

He developed a strong affection for the refugees, whom he helped run schools and other camp activities with the most meagre of means. While the Slovenes were bitter that the British Army sent back 13,000 Slovene Home Guards to be killed by the Communists, they warmly appreciated John for his support and friendship in their time of need.

Together with co-author Marcus Ferrar, John published a book entitled “Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival after World War II” in the U.K. in 2005. The Slovene edition published by Mladinska Knjiga became a best-seller in Slovenia.

John was a Quaker, and when asked by Slovene television interviewer how this affected his beliefs, he replied simply: “The Bible says ‘Thou shalt not kill’ and the Bible means ‘Thou shalt not kill’.”

A Quaker meeting will be held to give thanks for John’s life on Tuesday 4 December at 2.30 pm at the Friends Meeting House, 12 Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BA.

Here is a link to the interview John Corsellis and Marcus Ferrar gave to Sandi Čolnik of RTV Slovenia in 2006: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ryONG4poEo