Boglarka (Bogi)
Born in 1988 in Hungary’s capital Budapest, Bogi grew up in Tatárszentgyörgy, a village about 60 km (40 miles) south east of the city.
Tatárszentgyörgy was very small, with just one school, a church, a few shops, a pub and no train station but there were some buses, though not very often.
Life in the village was very calm, with beautiful forests and fields near by and it was common to see ancient Juniper bushes growing in the area.
Times became difficult for many in Hungary following the huge political changes of the late 1980’s but Bogi reflects that despite not having much, her family were always able to find joy with each other.
After studying Political Science and working at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest, Bogi moved to London in 2010 and more recently to Southend-on-Sea in Essex in 2015.
Bogi shares that living in Southend is special because it is one of the first places where she has felt really safe and valued.
Bogi eventually worked at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest, which was especially emotional, as her Great Grandfather, who was Jewish, had to hide from Nazi forces during World War II. Many of Bogi’s family members were lost in Auschwitz during this time.
Photo: Bogi at the Holocaust Memorial Garden, Victoria Ave, Southend-on-Sea.
Bogi has always loved nature and remembers seeing foxes, deer and sometimes the footprints of Wild Boar in the local forest.
Bogi (left) enjoys time at the pine forest with her older sister and Rex their dog. Bogi has always loved animals and now has several rescue dogs.
When Bogi first moved to Plaistow in London, she could not afford the tube fare so she took the bus to work 6 days a week which added several hours to her day.
Bogi (left) and her older sister have enjoyed many special times together.
Times became difficult for many in Hungary following the huge political changes of the late 1980’s but Bogi reflects that despite not having much, her family were always able to find joy with each other.
Bogi (bottom right) remembers hours of freedom playing with neighbourhood friends. A favourite activity was playing football on the streets and when Hungary wasn’t in the FIFA World Cup, Bogi’s family would always support Brazil as they loved watching players like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho on TV.
Bogi remembers adventures in beautiful nearby pine forests during her spare time and school holidays. Bogi’s Dad taught her and her sister to respect the forest, as well as showing them the different kinds of foods and beautiful things that could be found when foraging.
Bogi became very unwell from about 3 years old and was eventually diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. This meant that she could not eat any foods with Gluten such as pasta or bread and while that was challenging, Bogi began to feel much better within a short time.
When arriving at Luton Airport on 25th September 2010, Bogi remembers how excited she was to be in England and how different everything looked compared with home.
Bogi’s Dad was able to build their family home when Bogi was young, which included a number of unique decorative features.
Bogi’s Great Grandfather (centre) was Jewish and had to hide from the invading Nazi forces during World War II.
Photo: Three generations including Bogi’s Grandfather when he was a child, with her Great Grandfather (in uniform) and Great Great Grandfather (right).
Bogi traces her love of cooking back to when her Dad taught her about using distinct flavours and ingredients like Paprika when she was young.
Bogi’s Dad included his two daughters in creating this unique mosaic floor in their home. Photo: Bogi with her baby brother at Christmas.
Bogi is very thankful to her parents for always loving and encouraging her, even when times were difficult.
Bogi’s school Geography teacher had traveled around the world and she remembers how inspiring and encouraging he was, especially as Bogi had never had the opportunity to travel much outside of her local area. Photo: Bogi’s school report from 2000-2001.
Despite the disappointment of not being accepted into her university of choice, Bogi went on study Political Science at a prominent university in Budapest.
Just before moving to England in September 2010, Bogi stayed with her sister for the summer at the beautiful Lake Balaton, which is the largest lake in Central Europe. This was a special time together and Bogi met her future husband during this time.
Photo: Bogi (right) and her older sister enjoying a hot day at Lake Balaton
Bogi’s Mum is a fan of The Beatles and Christmas was never complete without listening to their songs. Bogi was delighted to be able to help her Mum fulfill a lifelong dream when she visited London for the first time in 2011.
Photo: Bogi’s family recreating the cover of The Beatles Album Abbey Road in London, 2012.
