IBMT Newsletter
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IBMT Newsletter www.international-brigades.org.uk Issue 21 / Autumn 2008 INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE MEMORIALTRUST MembersoftheClarion CyclingClub1895celebrate theirarrivalinBarcelonaon 19August,having completeda1,000-mile ridethroughBritainand northernSpain.The purposeoftheridewasto honourtwoclubmembers whowerekilledinSpain whilefightingwiththe InternationalBrigadesand tocommemorateafund- raisingridetoBarcelona whichthecluborganisedin 1938tohelpthevictimsof Franco.Seereportand morepicturesonpage5. ‘Pasionaria’nightsforLondonandManchester By Jim Jump rate the withdrawal of the volunteers from Spain. £9.99; full programme details and ticket sales Compered by actor Maxine Peake, among those from: [www.philosophyfootball.com] or 020- Two star-studied celebrations marking the 70th who will be performing are the poet and author of 8802 3499. anniversary of the departure of the International the novel “Trumpet” Jackie Kay and the Glasgow The Manchester celebration begins at 7.30pm Brigades from Spain in 1938 are scheduled for groupTheWakes, one of the most exciting bands at the Mechanics Institute, Princess Street, London and Manchester. on the new folk scene. Manchester M1 6DD; tickets will be available on In London, Philosophy Football is organising, in For the London event, which is supported by the door for £10 (£5 concessions); for more infor - association with theTUC and the public sector the IBMT, music will come from modern folk mation, phone: 0161-224 1747 or 0161-226 2013. union Unison, an evening entitled “Viva La superstar Eliza Carthy, together with legendary The weekend before the London event will see Pasionaria!” which will pay tribute to the women ska diva Rhoda Dakar.There will be poetry from surviving International Brigade veterans from of the Spanish CivilWar. It will be held onTuesday Jackie Kay and contributions from Maxine Peake, around the world, including several from Britain, 28 October – the exact 70th anniversary of the ZoeWilliams of The Guardian and Frances travelling to Barcelona for a 70th anniversary passing out parade in Barcelona when “La O’Grady, deputy general secretary of theTUC, reunion. In 1938, La Pasionaria told them: “You Pasionaria”, Dolores Ibárruri, made her never-to- among others. can go proudly. You are history. You are legend. be-forgotten speech in tribute to the Internation- With film and visuals, a tapas bar and special You are the heroic example of democracy’s soli - al Brigades. guests, the organisers say it promises to be a darity and universality in the face of the vile and In Manchester on Saturday 8 November, the night to remember.The venue is theTUC’s accommodating spirit of those who interpret IBMT is staging, under the title of a quote from La Congress Centre, Congress House, 23-28 Great democratic principles with their eyes on hoards Pasionaria’s speech, “You are legend”, an Russell Street, LondonWC1B 3LS. Doors open at of wealth or corporate shares which they want evening of poetry, music and prose to commemo - 6pm and the event starts at 7pm.Tickets cost to safeguard from all risk.” Comperingbothevents willbeMaxinePeake(far left),withTheWakes (centre)amongthose performingin ManchesterandEliza Carthy(right)inLondon. IBMT FROM THE SECRETARY Keepingalivethememoryand By Marlene Sidaway spiritofthemenandwomenwho Looking forward to Barcelona volunteeredtodefenddemocracy The 70th anniversary commemoration of the inSpainfrom1936to1939 October 1938 farewell to the International Brigades promises to be a very moving event. On Friday 24 October there will be a visit to the InternationalBrigade Barcelona monument to the International Brigades and wreath-laying at the Fossar de la MemorialTrust Pedrera. In the evening the Catalan government will host a reception at the Palacio de la General - www.international-brigades.org.uk itat. Saturday will be spent in Sitges, where the Charity no: 1094928 Brigaders and friends and families will be Patrons :Ken Livingstone and Paul Preston lodged during their stay.There will be a ceremo - CongratulationstoBrigaderLouKenton(left),1o0on ny of homage to the International Brigades and LifePresident: JackJones 1September,whocelebratedhisbirthdaywithwifeRafa a dinner with musical entertainment in the (pictured)andfamilyandfriendsinChiswick,west Chair: SamLesser evening. Anyone who plans to go who has not London.Aphotodisplayputtogetherbysonand Secretary: MarleneSidaway yet done so should contact me on 020-8555 daughterJohnandJudyillustratedLou’slife,fromhis 37ReginaldRoad,LondonE79HS 6674 or [[email protected]]. anti-BlackshirtstrugglesintheEastEnd,wherehewas Tel /fax: 020-85556674 born,andhistimeinSpaintodecadesofpostwar Email: [email protected] Searchlight calendar politicalactivism. Treasurer: MikeAnderson TheJulypageofthe2009calendarproducedby 16MeadowWay,Heathfield,EastSussex anti-fascistgroupSearchlightfeaturesthewon - TN218AL derfulMarkReadphotoofsurvivingBrigaders. spirit of those who volunteered in support of the Tel: 01435-864978 Phone020-76818660toorderyourcopy. Spanish Republic. Since then the Trust has Email: [email protected] grown beyond our wildest dreams, with a mem - Thank you, ambassador bership of 800 people, many of them very active MembershipSecretary: PaulineFraser WearesadtolearnthatCarlosMiranda,theSpan - in promoting events and raising money. This is 90RodingLaneNorth,WoodfordGreen, ishAmbassador,isleavingtobecomehiscoun - wonderful, and exactly as I hoped it would be – a EssexIG88NG try’sambassadortoNato.Butwewishhimwellin grassroots organisation united in admiration of Tel: 020-85060088 hisnewpost.Hepaidaverymovingtributetothe what the people of Britain did to support their Email: [email protected] Brigadersandlaidawreathatthisyear’sJubilee comrades in Spain. Othercommitteemembers: GerryAbrahams, Gardenscommemoration(reportonbackpage). It would be wrong to curb that enthusiasm. MikeArnott,RichardBaxell,GeoffCowling, WreathswerelaidtoobyKatieGreen(IBMT), But we all need to be aware of the wording of our JackEdwards,MaryGreening,MickJones, MartinSugarman(AssociationofJewishEx-Ser - constitution and consider well before we involve JimJump,DoloresLong/HilaryJones vicemenandWomen),NataliaBenjamin(Basque the name of the Trust in support of causes which (jobshare),ManusO’Riordan,Richard Childrenof’37AssociationUK),JoeSistoforhis we as individuals might rightly be very passion - Thorpe(co-opted),AlanWarren fatherandallSpanishRepublicansandonefrom ate about but which might cause offence to Annual membership rates are £15 standard theWaterlooNineElmsBranchoftheAslefrail other members and have dire consequences in and £7.50 for concessions; affiliating union.(“Thetruthofthedefeated”:page7.) our relations with other organisations. Similarly, organisations by arrangement. Further it is important that those who write or speak details and membership forms are avail - Sponsored run for the IBMT about events in Spain or the volunteers and their able from the Membership Secretary, along Chris Hall finished the 10k Great Yorkshire Run families should check their facts and not spread with standing order and gift aid forms. in Sheffield on 7 September to raise money for false information – enough of that goes on in the the IBMT. In doing so he beat his best time by media as it is! two minutes but missed out on running under the hour by just three minutes. Well done Chris! Time for me to step down Members who sponsored him should now send Next year will mark my 10th year with the IBMT their sponsorship money to Dolores Long at 3 and I give notice that I will not seek re-election at IBMT NEWSLETTER Rufford Road, Manchester M16 8AE or to me. the annual general meeting in 2009.This will give us a chance during the coming year to plan The IBMT Newsletter is published three Protecting the good name of theTrust what future path theTrust will follow. It is an times a year and is sent free to all members of When the IBMT was formed in 2000, its constitu - exciting time and new ideas and energy are the IBMT. Members living overseas can tional aims were to keep alive the memory and needed to carry it forward to greater things. I access the current issue by using a password shall be very sorry to leave. I have made some on the IBMT website. Back numbers can be wonderful friends and have been proud to serve downloaded from the IBMT website on theTrust in memory of my late partner, David [www.international-brigades.org.uk/ Marshall, and his comrades, and hope I can con - newsletter.htm]. For information about tinue to be involved in some way. receiving the IBMT Newsletter on tape, con - tact the IBMT Secretary. Send all items for the next issue to the editor Left:TheIBMTranastallforthefirsttimeatthisyear’s by 31 December 2008 at the latest. TolpuddleMartyrs’FestivalinDorset.TheJulyevent Editor: JimJump attractedsome8,000people–manyofwhomvisited 6StonellsRoad,LondonSW116HQ ourstall.PicturedareIBMTSecretaryMarleneSidaway Tel: 020-72286504 (centre)withIBMTTreasurerMikeAnderson(right)and Email: [email protected] IBMTmemberChrisTranchell. 2 International Brigade Memorial Trust NEWS FROMTHE PRESIDENT ByJackJones Rememberingthe17Sussexmen hadthepleasureon1Septemberofopen - inganexhibitionatthePeople’sCentrein ByMikeAnderson ILiverpoolabouttheInternational It was standing room only as Jack Jones, IBMT Brigades,inparticularaboutthevolunteers Life President, welcomed nearly 150 people who fromMerseysidewhowenttoSpaintofight had come to hear the story of “Sussex and the theforcesofreaction. Spanish CivilWar” in Lewes on 21 June.