Spotlight - "Fast Tracks and Music" the story of Baska Cunnigham.
My journey to St Andrew’s has been a long one - in terms of distance at least!
I was born in Chorzow, near Katowice in Silesia, southern Poland but lived in Katowice until I came to London. Katowice is a vibrant city with quite a few universities, very good theatres and cinemas. It is a host to many international music events and also has a very developed business centre.
My mother, who is retired now, was a college teacher and then a university lecturer teaching economics. My father, who sadly passed away when I was five, was an architect.
My childhood years fell into the time of big political and cultural changes in Poland – from the severe, grey and unforgiving years of communism into the days of democracy and freedom of speech. The times were very interesting and partly influenced my choice of MA course, which I completed in Katowice with a Master’s degree in 1998 (politics and culture of Nicaragua and Central America). During my college and university years I was closely involved in writing and designing college and university gazettes as I have always been interested in graphic design and printed media, and this has continued to this day.
Baska and her mum
Aside from graphic design I loved English language and read a lot in English – particularly Irish literature by the likes of Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. I always wanted to visit the UK and after finishing my MA course I came to London in June 1998 and I have stayed ever since!
My interest in graphic design prevailed and what a better place than London to study it. During the graphic design course I enrolled on I started work experience at GQ, The World Of Interiors and Conde Nast Traveller magazines. While at Conde Nast Publications I was offered a design job at a dance music magazine, where I met my now husband Jake, who worked for a photo agency in the same building. After a few months of dating, Jake proposed and we got married in July 2001 in Hackney Town Hall.
Wedding day
After working as a freelance designer at a few glossy magazines I finally settled for nearly 5 years at YOU magazine, the Mail On Sunday supplement.
When our daughter Zosia was born in January we lived in London Fields, Hackney. As much we loved living there we decided that we wanted Zosia to be near her grandparents. Jake’s parents live around the corner from St Andrews in Queens Club Gardens (in the flat Jake was born in!) and every time we came to visit them I thought it would be a nice place for all of us to live and for Zosia to grow up in. Then a pure coincidence happened - a flat above Jake’s parents became available and we moved in January 2009. Before then we had moved quite a few times, but here it finally feels like home!
I knew St Andrew’s from coming to visit my in laws and always thought it was a very welcoming looking church. My first experience of St Andrew’s was at Mums & Toddlers and one of Peter’s unforgettable cappuccinos - I knew I would be going back there.
After stopping full time work in May this year to spend more time looking after Zosia, I became a more regular member of Mums & Toddlers and now - since recently becoming Parish Administrator for St Andrews - I virtually live in the church, which I don’t mind at all! I’m happy to be part of this community.
Jake and Zosia