WITAJ w Immingham... or welcome to Immingham!
This was the Polish greeting from one mayor to another as they shook hands at the town's civic centre.
Mayor of Immingham Neil Castle met his counterpart Kazimierz Fudala from the Polish town of Rzepiennik Strzyzewski, in what could be the first step towards building closer links between the two communities.
The meeting was arranged by Mr Fudala's son Grzegorz, who lives in Immingham, and whose wife has just given birth to a boy.
Grzegorz, 33, of Ferndown Drive, a lorry driver for McCann European Transport, said: "Having worked and resided in Immingham with my wife since 2009, I cannot imagine living in another community. It is very quiet and nice and the people are very friendly.
"I thought that a meeting would allow for the exchange of information on the work of local government in the UK and Poland, as well as the history, culture and traditional customs of the area of Immingham."
His father was making his second visit to England, following his first four years ago.
Speaking to the Grimsby Telegraph through a translator, Kazimierz said: "First of all I have come to see my son and my new-born grandson, but on this occasion I also wanted to meet the mayor of Immingham.
"The first thing that struck me about the town is the huge factories and the oil refineries. The other buildings, I find them ordinary."
Asked about how the role of Immingham's mayor compares to that of his own, he said: "It is a totally different system. Here the mayor's function is unpaid and part-time, whereas my job is more like that of the town clerk. I am responsible for anything that goes on. I am the mayor and I also occupy a clerical position."
Immingham mayor Neil Castle, who presented his visitor with a shield bearing the crest of Immingham, said: "His council is similar to ours in that it has a main council above it just like we have North East Lincs. But he is directly elected as mayor by the people and he has a paid position.
"His town has a population of about 7,000 and he is responsible for the roads and many other things. It is the first time I have welcomed a mayor from another country and it was a pleasure to meet him."
Grzergorz first came to Britain about five years ago. He worked as an industrial paint sprayer – the job he did in his homeland – in Scotland, before moving to Grimsby where he worked at Young's.
In 2009 he moved to Immingham.
Asked if he missed Poland, he said: "Only my family. My mother, my sister and brother are in Poland.
"I came to England for a better life. My hometown in Poland is very small and there are no factories, so to go to work you have to drive about 15km."
