Celebrating 100 on Easter Sunday

By Jonathon Howard

MOUNTAIN VIEW Retirement

Village resident Henryk Drewek is celebrating an extra special 100th birthday on Easter Sunday, April 9. Mr Drewek has led an extraordinary life. He was born in Poland during the interbellum, which was a period of two decades between the world wars (November 11, 1918, to September 1, 1939).

Born into a middle-class family, Mr Drewek said he has fond memories of his youth and can recall life in Europe with excellent detail.

“I remember going to the best school and we had everything we needed, it was a happy time,” he said.

“We had great holidays with family and friends, and I felt it was a terrific upbringing.”

But as history tells us, Mr Drewek’s family and Poland itself would be turned upside down due to the onset of World War II and the push by Hitler’s Nazi Party to dominate Europe under a fascist regime.

Although Mr Drewek has quite a story to tell from WWII, he prefers not to speak about his war years and The Weekly will respect his wishes.

Mr Drewek did note that he feels sad for the Ukrainians in the current and ongoing invasion from Russia.

“I feel sad about any war,” he said.

Putting war aside, Mr Drewek became an accomplished hotel manager and ran several restaurants in London before he received sponsorship to come to Australia, where he really shined.

The story goes that after WWII, he, like many displaced Poles, found himself on the streets of London trawling for work.

“It wasn’t long before I found a small hotel in which I could gain employment,” he said.

As Mr Drewek put it, he was required to start at the bottom and it was not easy.

“The days were long and hard, and I started at the very bottom, cleaning and doing anything I was told,” he said.

But his strong work ethic and a solid education would pay off.

The hotel owner quickly noticed Mr Drewek’s skills and within about eight months he was promoted to manager.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“I had only really just started at the hotel, and I was already in charge.”

With a lot a reassurance and the fact London was in dire need of more workers, Mr Drewek was told to embrace the managerial role.

He took on the role with gusto and before long he was running the hotel like a well-oiled machine.

“I felt so privileged to have this opportunity after the hardships of WWII,” he said.

He would go on to manage the exclusive Mayfair Lane Restaurant in London for eight years.

The choice to enter the hotel and restaurant industry and his eventual move to Australia, were perhaps Mr Drewek’s best moves in life.

“I employed an Australian to work for me in London and he nominated me and my family to come to Australia where hospitality experts were desperately needed,” he said.