Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011 Newsletter Basque Children of ’37 Association UK

Registered charity No.1115920 www.basquechildren.org

No. 16 December 2011

News and Anthony Eden. It was these actions them to complete the evacuation. that led to a debate in Parliament and so There was some discussion with the out to a stunned world. audience about the treatment of niños Asociation Annual Lecture The sheer daring, confidence and who were evacuated to the Soviet conviction of the 27-year-old reporter is Union. Members of the audience Nick Rankin: stunning, especially so in today’s world, pointed out what good care was taken ‘George Steer, the War in when that independence and desire to of the children, and how many of them get the truth out to the world seems to benefited from a first-class education the Basque country and the often to have been lost by a profession and went on to train for careers in many that has been mired in scandal or fields where they played a leading part. Basque refugee children’ docilely embedded with imperialist Some other recently-published books armies hell-bent on inflicting war on were referred to, notably Franco’s by Pauline Fraser innocent civilians. Friends by Peter Day, and James George Steer’s life was cut tragically Cable’s The Royal Navy and the Siege The third annual Basque Children of short at the age of 35 in a road accident of Bilbao. ’37 UK lecture took place in on in India at the end of December 1944 Nick Rankin’s gripping lecture October 15th at the Lecture Theatre while serving with the armed forces, formed the basis for a stimulating and of the Kensington and Chelsea Public having swapped his mighty pen for the informative afternoon. Library. sword that he felt he must now take up when the whole world faced the fascist Author of Telegram from Guernica, threat. His son by his second marriage, which is an account of George Steer’s George Steer junior, who could barely own intense “Boy’s Own” style life, remember his father, was in the Nick Rankin’s brief for the lecture was audience, and this added poignancy to to focus on Steer’s part in telling the the occasion. world that a horrific war crime had been committed by the fascist powers against Nick Rankin explained how ministers the defenceless little market town of in the Basque Republican Government Guernica. were desperate to get the children evacuated before the fall of Bilbao. Since writing Telegram from Guernica, However, I felt that Nick Rankin did which was published in 2003, Nick some disservice to Leah Manning, the Rankin has learnt more about how Labour MP and educator, who fought George Steer got the news of the horror tirelessly to bring some of the children of Guernica out to an incredulous world. to Britain, when he described her as “a His account had us gripping the edge busybody”. of our chairs: Nick Rankin the author showed that he could also deliver an We are, naturally, accustomed to engrossing lecture leavened by shafts focus on the 4,000 children who were of wit. evacuated to Britain in July 1937 aboard the Habana, but we learnt, during the George Steer was a man who took lecture how extensive the evacuation of risks, perhaps even more so during his the children actually was. time in , as he was still mourning the tragic loss of his first wife and child. The Basque Government wanted As a journalist, he risked his reputation 150,000 children to be evacuated, but by producing a report for The Times in the event, the total was much less: – when he was not even an accredited some 33,000. France, as the nearest journalist with that paper – that ran neighbour, took 20,000 and Belgium counter to the received information 5,000, with the remainder, apart from Nick Rankin, author of from other sources. He sent a telegram the 4,000 taken to Britain, going to the Telegram from Guernica directly to the MP Philip Noel-Baker, Soviet Union and Mexico. It took thirty asking him to use it to alert Lloyd George ships making seventy trips between

1 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011

of photos you took for the archives. We are having a DVD From the Editor made of the whole event and this will be available to buy.

I apologise for the lateness of this Newsletter. It was in fact In the meantime, Carmen and I are recovering! nearly ready by the end of December, but then the prepa- I wish you all a good summer. Let’s hope we have some ration for our magnificent event commemorating the 75th better weather. anniversary of the niños’ arrival took over. Pressure of work Agur from that meant that I had no time to think of anything else. Please do write giving me your impressions of the 12 May event. We would like to know what you thought of it. If we have enough copy, we will make a special edition of the Newsletter about it. I would very much like to receive copies Natalia

transcription of the original document. Procedo a seguir con esta costumbre Project On top of this, there is the copyright desde este detino al que me incor- issue. Before we can publish this poré hace un año, adjuntándoles una by Helen Ford material on the internet we need to try fotografía del acto de la entrega de su to locate the copyright owners. This is nuevo pasaporte español a Dr Carmen a huge task because according to UK Coupland Dueñas, que ha recuperado la nacionalidad española de origen en The Modern Records Centre at the copyright law, individual intellectual base a lo previsto en la Disposición University of Warwick is currently ownership of a “literary work” doesn’t Adicional 7ª de la Ley de la Memoria engaged in a project to digitize the expire until 70 years after the creators’ Histórica, 52/2007. Carmen es hija de files relating to the Spanish Civil War death. Many of the archives being una de las “niñas de la guerra” que held within the archives of the TUC. digitised are therefore still in copyright. procedentes del País Vasco, (su nombre This amounts to nearly 50 files and We are asking for the help of members figura en la interesante obra Niños encompasses letters, reports, committee of the public to identify current copyright vascos evacuados a Gran Bretaña, minutes, pamphlets, memoranda and owners (for example, descendents 1937-1940, de Gregorio Arrien), pasaron propaganda material produced by of individual authors). Lists of the a vivir durante nuestra Guerra Civil en el members of the British and Spanish individuals and organizations who wrote Reino Uniodo, donde muchos termin- governments; political groups; or issued the documents in the TUC files aron integrándose desde un punto de international, British and Spanish are now online so please contact us if vista familiar, social y profesional. trade unions; pressure groups, aid you think that you may be the current Carmen es en la actualidad la Sec- organisations, and other interested copyright owner. retaria para Socios de la “Asociación parties. The papers add up to over We are aiming to complete the project británica de Niños de la Guerra”, (”The 11,000 items so far. in spring of 2012 Basque Children of 1937 Association The results of the scanning will be UK”), de reconocido prestigio por sus made available on the internet and múltiples iniciativas en todo lo que tiene will be a fully searchable resource, que ver con el recuerdo de la Historia de comprising both images and texts of all Letter from the Spanish España y sus lazos en el Reino Unido. the items within the files. For instance, Con mi agradecimiento, les envío un it will be possible to find all the letters Consul in Edinburgh cordial saludo. written by Juan Negrín or Wilfrid Roberts within the collection. The following letter written by the Span- Javier Jiménez-Urgate, Consul General The files cover the Spanish political ish Consul in Edinburgh appeared in de España en Edinburgo. situation in the lead up to the war, the the September 2011 edition of Carta de Spanish Rebellion, Spanish refugees España and the International Solidarity Fund for the Relief of Workers in Spain, Medical Desde el inicio de mi carera en el año Aid and Spanish seamen in British ports. 1973, como resposable entre otras Details of all the files can be seen on cosas, de los Asuntos Consulares en la the website along with more information Embajada de España en El Cairo, hasta about the project: http://www2.warwick. hoy, y especialmente durante todos mis ac.uk/services/library/mrc/news/scw/ distintos destinos de Cónsul General, files. en Houston, Nador, Larache, Teután y We are using optical character ahora Edinburgo, he sido asiduo lector recognition (OCR) software to “read” de esa prestigiosa e histórica publi- the images and convert them into text cación. files. Unfortunately OCR does not Mas de una vez, he remitido breves recognise handwriting and can struggle sueltos comunicando alguna noticia de to accurately read 1930s printed or interés merecedora de ser recojida en typescript text. We therefore have to sus páginas tan seguidas por nuestra go through and correct every OCR siempre ingente emigración española en Dr Carmen Coupland Dueñas with the text file to ensure that it is an accurate el exterior. Spanish Consul, Javier Jiménez-Urgate

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News Recepción anual del ejecu- tivo vasco para residentes vascos en el extranjero Varios cientos de personas, incluso Her- minio Martínez con un grupo de vascos que trabajan y residen en el extranjero, fueron invitados el 26 de diciembre a una recepción oficial en Lehendakariza para la entrega del premio de Cooper- ación al Desarrollo. El acto se celebró en la sede de la Presidencia vasca de Vitoria. El Lehendakari Patxi López dijo que estaba convencido que “el fin de ETA” podía provocar todo un cambio pa ra Euskadi. La recepción tuvo un impor- tante componente de reconocimiento a la trayectoria de los cooperantes y las organizaciones no gubernamentales vascas. “Sois los mejores embajadores de Euskadi en el exterior; sois el mejor cuerpo diplomático que puede tener un país”, enfatizó el Lehendakari. Dos Herminio Martínez with Patxi López meses después de que la banda anun- ciase el cese definitivo de su actividad, el Lehendakari destacó que “con el fin nivel de aceptación responde al aumen- por su coste zero, pues hasta el último de ETA, no sólo hemos salido de una to en la evolución de las plazas. . euro invertido por el estado se recu- etapa negra de nuestra historia, sino Cuatro años después de su inicio, pera de forma indirecta; y es asimismo que hemos liberado energías para dar el Programa se extendió a las perso- rentable por su capacidad de apoyar la un salto adelante en nuestra proyección nas mayores españolas residentes en economía local.” internacional.” Europa, al principio 2,500 plazas para Entre las principales lineas de ac- residentes en Bélgica, Holanda y Fran- tuación del Ministerio de la Sanidad, cia. Hoy participan los residentes en 15 Política Social e Igualidad se encuentra IMSERSO – países europeos, Iberoamérica, Nortea- la de llevar a cabo programas de enve- mérica, Norte de América y Australia. jecimiento activo y saludable que propor- El 25 aniversario del En la actualidad este Programa cionen a las personas mayores una sostiene más de 105,000 puestos de mejor calidad de vida. Este programa Programa de Vacaciones trabajo, cuenta con más de 1,000,000 de “ha contribuido a crear un ocio en igual- plazas y se extiende por toda España.Se dad para hombres y mujeres” precisó para Personas Mayores fueron incorporando zonas de destino y la ministra Pajín “ya que la mayoría de nuevas modalidades de viaje. Ya no solo éstas no se jubilan nunca de las tareas son turnos de vacaciones, sino que co- El objetivo de Programa de Vacaciones domésticas, a pesar de que compartan incidiendo con las nuevas necesidades gestionado por el Imserso es de facilitar su vida con un hombre jubilado y ellas y demandas de las personas mayores, a las personas mayores unos días mismas sean trabajadoras jubiladas.” el programa ofrece viajes culturales; de vacaciones a precios asequibles. turismo de naturaleza e intercambios Además, el programa tiene tambien el internacionales con Portugal y Andorra. objetivo de estimular la creación y el La Ministra de Sanidad, Política Social “Goodbye ” mantenimiento de empleo en el sector e Igualidad, Leire Pajín, presidió en by Pauline Fraser turístico, hotelero y afines en temporada Benidorm, el acto conmemorativo del 25 baja. aniversario del Programa de Vacaciones “Goodbye Barcelona”, which was sup- El Programa se inició en la temporada para personas mayores gestionado por ported by the IBMT, opened to a full 1985/1986 con 16,000 plazas y dos el Imserso. house for its grand Gala Night at the Ar- puntos de destino: Palma de Mallorca En esta conmemoración, la ministra cola Theatre on 24 November last year. y Benidorm. Con los años este Pro- destacó en su intervención que, a 25 The Arcola adjoins Ridley Road market, grama se ha consolidado como un logro años de su puesta en marcha, “las cifras in London’s East End, scene of many del Estado de Bienestar. De hecho,el avalan la retabilidad económica y social past battles against the fascists. programa de Vacaciones cuenta con un del programa de vacaciones, ya que es Script by Judith Johnson, with lyrics índice de satisfacción de los usuarios y un yacimiento de empleo sólido, que ha and music by Karl Lewkovicz, the musi- usuarias del 92%, y una intención ex- generado más de 105,000 empleos la cal had been in the making for some six presa de volver a viajar con él del 97% pasada temporada. Es tambien rentable years. Karl invited members of the IBMT de quienes ya lo han hecho. A este alto

3 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011 to come to performances, and give their comments, as the musical took shape Donation of Painting by Koke Martínez to over time. To use the story of the International Kezka Dantza Taldea Brigaders as the theme for a musi- cal was daring and ambitious, but the final production was a vindication. Karl On 14 November 2011 an event was and Judith assembled a superb cast of held at the Casa de la Cultura Portalea performers, all gifted actors and sing- of Eibar to mark the donation of a paint- ers. The songs were a delight to the ear ing by Koke Martínez (Jose María Mar- and the production was pacy. “Goodbye tínez) to Kezka Dantza Taldea. Carmen Barcelona” received rave reviews in both Kilner was there to represent the Basque newspapers and specialist magazines. Children of ’37 Association UK and to Brigade veteran David Lomon, 93, was say a few words about Koke. guest of honour. He was delighted with Born in Cabredo, Navarra, in 1926, the performance, which to some extent Koke was one of the 4.000 Basque mirrors his own story: the young hero is children who was evacuated to Great a Jewish East Ender who cut his teeth at Britain in 1937 and spent all his life in Cable Street and sees fighting fascism Britain. He held his first exhibition at the on the streets of London and as age of 20 in the Archer Galley at Notting one and the same battle. Hill Gate After the performance, there was a Q The painting that was donated was & A session with historians Prof. Paul called “Balletomania en repos”, painted Preston and Richard Baxell. in 1923, when Koke would go to the Sadly, “Goodbye Barcelona” ended studios of the Royal Ballet Company in its run at the Arcola on December 23. It London to watch his friend and fellow deserves to be performed more widely exile, Pirmin Trecu, practise. around the country. It would whet the ap- petite of those new to the history of the , while providing Below is a report to the Juan Luis Vives Trust by the Principal of Croydon School of Art them with top-class entertainment. where both Koke and Careles Martínez studied. Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture by Jose Martinez & Spanish edition of Caereles Martinez held at the “Archer Gallery”, London, in ‘Only for Three Months’ November 1946 A translation (by Toni Fernández) of Adri- an Bell’s book Only for Three Months These two gifted young artists have been holding their first important exhibition of has been published in Spain by Platafor- work at the Archer Gallery, London, during the month of November 1940. ma Editorial. The book was launched at Elkar’s bookshop in Bilbao in December. Their work would certainly shock many of the die-hards even of their own country but The following day Adrian and Herminio let us hope that the shock would be useful to jerk them into an awareness of what is Martínez had a round of interviews with happening not only on the political field but also in matters ofArt and Culture.(…) various Basque newspapers and the lo- The young people of today are showing very much more initiative and resource than cal Bilbao radio station. their immediate contemporaries for they have lived through a war and at a rate which the normal individual does not dare to contemplate.These two young Basque artists have actually lived through two wars and have known only war conditions for the greater part of their lives. They are fearless in their approach, they disregard convention of the narrower degree and state boldly and with conviction just what they feel and know to be concerned with the fundamentals of present-day endeavour and thought. (…) Caereles and Coque are young but their future is assured; let us hope they will go on from one success to another and win regard and renown not only for themselves but also for the others of their race who were roughly uprooted from normal life and thrust into the life of a strange society.

F.Hinchliffe Principal Croydon School of Arts and Crafts

(from Bulletin No 3, (1946) of the Juan Luis Vives Scholarship Trust)

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Talks given total war, including women and children. as Live Aid and its off shoots such as This had the effect of both humanising Comic Relief. previously abstract foreign entangle- It is appropriate to end with Picasso’s ments, while telling the audience about “Guernica,” the mighty cultural statement them so they were able “to do some- about one event which has become an “Hear voices from a far thing.” iconic image of war and the cruelty of This immediacy provoked and guided war. Commisioned to do a painting for distance”* both a short term humanitarian response the Spanish pavillion at the Paris Exposi- – exemplified by the treatment of the tion, Picasso first read about the events The news, niños vascos and niños vascos and at the same time re- in Guernica in L’Humanité on 29 April. brigadistas in south east wrote the script for the popular govern- On 1 May he began a new canvas which mental and cultural responses to war was ready for public viewing on 11 July. London and disaster. To anyone with any politi- Often forgotten at the top of the painting cal awareness, a less heart-warming is a single light bulb - symbolic both of by Andy Brockman feeling might also have been invoked: the technology which brought about the the victims in the pages of Picture Post conflagration that April afternoon, but or on newsreels were people “like us,” perhaps also of the technology which This article is a summary of a talk given at living in cities “like ours”- for Madrid and ensured the event would be illuminated the Marx Memorial Library on 12 December Guernica, read London and Coventry. while the ashes were still hot and not be 2012 as part of their programme marking the forgotten or kept secret and shrouded 75th anniversary of the start of the Spanish I have been examining how the com- by lies. Civil War. munity in south-east London received news from Spain and how it responded to it through political activism, volunteer- ing for service in Spain and by accom- *The title is from a line in the poem “Badajoz As in 1937, issues of intervention in to Dorset August 1936” by Valentine Ackland. foreign civil conflicts and the response of modating 20 Basque children, includ- government and civil society to refugees ing the three Trecu siblings, Pirmin, are still very much alive and often driven Elisabete and Lore, and by humanitarian by intimate coverage of conflicts in real activism the two Uribe brothers Iñaki time on the 24 hour news media. Com- and Koldo, at the Shornells Conference paring those responses in 1937 and the Centre, owned by the Woolwich Arsenal More Talks given response to foreign disasters and civil Cooperative Society. war today, we can say that the Spanish From the local press, it is clear that Civil War was the first conflict to receive there was an existing network of activ- Herminio Martinez gave a talk on 15 the kind of intimate, almost real time, pic- ists informed by speakers, discussions, August 2011 for the BBC World Service ture led reporting which is commonplace film and slide shows, promoted by the on “Child Evacuees of the Spanish Civil today. Equally, media coverage shaped Trades Unions and Communist Party of War” . It has subsequently been broad- and arguably often drove, political and Great Britain amongst others, as well as cast several times. popular responses to conflict in some- the efforts of non-interventionists and thing also very close to real time, a factor Franco sympathisers. However, there Carmen Kilner gave a series of talks in which remains in play to the discomfort is an increase in the amount of cover- the Basque Country during the autumn of politicians and civil servants trying to age after the bombing of Guernika and about the Basque children and her manage both long term policy and short responses which reference that event. mother and her mother’s experiences term crisis. as a maestra. On 13 October at the By early May Foreign Secretary An- Ikastola Arizmendi at Arrasate, on 14 In the first half of 1937 the carefully- thony Eden was being forced to respond October at the Ikastola Arizmendi at framed government policy which came in Cabinet to public opinion driven by Eskoriatza, on 28 October in the Insti- under pressure from media informed news from Guernika and mistakenly to tuto at Elgoibar and on 30 November at public opinion was non-intervention and discount the press campaign and talk the Department of Modern Languages , the short term crisis was the fallout from of 4,000 child refugees as designed to State University of New York, Oswego, the bombing of Guernika by the Condor generate money for Basque Children’s New York State. Legion on 25 April and the imminent fall Committee . Evidence at local level from of Bilbao as the front collapsed under the Woolwich, shows the popular effort to Natalia Benjamin gave two talks in Ox- pressure of General Mola’s offensive. help the Spanish people and Basque ford at the end of June, the first one to In April and May 1937 a new combi- children in particular, was driven by ines- the refugee group in the Synagogue and nation of the visual and written media, capable evidence of injustice and need, the second to the University of the Third utilising new technologies such as the disseminated by the mass media. Age Botley group. international telephone and radio link, A persuasively similar modern airmail, and the 35mm compact camera equivalent is Michael Buerk’s famous in the hands of the first generation of BBC News reports on the Ethiopian front line photojournalists like Robert Famine which first aired on 23 October Peter O’Brien gave talks on 23 and 24 Capa and Gerda Taro, responded to 1984. By 7 December 1984 the song May to the Middlesbrough U3A history events in a way which reached a global “Do they know it’s Christmas,” had been group and the Normanby Local History audience with an previousy impossible released by Band Aid and the public was Group on the Basque childrn at Hutton immediacy. The coverage of this new energised into supporting a famine relief Hall. style of journalism was of immediately effort which continues to this day through recognisable victims of a new concept : the various branded “Aid” streams such

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Features our calendar. You are going to be “repa- or nurse by name,” and this is as true triated”; but what sort of a counrtry is that today as ever. The following three articles were all originally to which you are returning? Certainly it There are two main types of dances in published in 1937 will not be a flourishing and prosperous the Basque country although there are province of Vizcaya. No! Unfortunately many varieties of them – the recreational that is not what you will find. Instead you dances such as the quadrille, farandole, The War In Spain – will find Fascist regimentation, a regime aurresku, fandango and sauts, and those A Basque boy tells his story based on war and exploitation, and of a ritual nature. The former are of com- mourning in your homes. paritively recent origin, though certainly As part of their school work, the children This must lead you to think: why have charming, graceful and picturesque. housed in Street, Somerset, were asked to we got to see his? Who forces us to go I remember one delightful spring write essays on the war in Spain. The teacher and see? These are the questions I have afternoon, the hot sun beating down on has not taken the view that it is desirable to asked myself. And this is the answer that the golden tanned skins of the dancers, repress what is in their minds and emotions. has forced itself on me. watching the aurresku in a small Guipuz- Here is one of the essays. The author is Franco, the man who represents crime coan village. Several young men entered Pablo Uribe, a boy of fifteen, a native of Bil- bao. He belonged to the Anarchist Party. and treason. He is the man who is ruin- the circle of spectators, and their leader, ing the future of our country. He is the or aurresku as he is called, sent four of The droning of aeroplane engines over- man who wanted to destroy our lives. He them to pick the maidens of their choice head, shrieking of warning sirens, bombs has killed our mothers and our broth- from among the crowd. In a minute or explode….the murderous aviators de- ers, and is trying to kill Spain herself. two they returned each with a laughing, stroy the life of a loyal town. There is cry- But he, let us be certain of this, will not chattering Basque lass, before whom ing in the streets. Women run with their kill our magnificent Republic, and he they danced with amazing dexterity. children clasped to their breasts. Like will not conquer the fighting spirit of our Meanwhile the atzesku or young man wild beasts, mothers crouch to defend freedom-loving people. who brings up the rear, and one or two the lives of their young. ‘The black birds Do not go back with the idea that you others, did likewise. In a few seconds, have come to exterminate us.’ will have to be slaves of Fascism. Do the arena was a revolving stage of Unfeeling tools of a worthless master, not let the spectre of doubt cloud your twisting, whirling couples in colourful where is your conscience that you can minds. Perhaps in the not so distant draperies.. This scene is followed by the do this to us? Do you not understand future our flag will fly again in the whole aurresku and atzesku taking it in turns to our parents’ anguish when they see us of Spain, and the army of the people will direct the complicated movements of the running like sheep from one place to an- carry it in triumph through the streets of long chains. other, maddened with pain, not knowing Bilbao. Stranger and more interesting are the where to flee? If we run to the bomb- Do not forget you are going to the ritual dances which are only performed proof shelters, we find them crowded home of your enemies , of the enemies by a priviledged few who are trained to their entrances, and the bombs burst of the workers, and an enemy of the from childhood to execute the peculiar and kill us. If we throw ourselves to the world, and of God himself. That is why and complicated steps. Their origin is to ground, you swoop down and machine- you must hate him. be found in the ritual of the spring festi- gun us. Why do you make us civilians Do not believe his nonsensical talk, his val. The fact is that the early churches the target of your wrath? What satisfac- lies which have long been exposed, nor adapted them as religious dances. Of tion do you find in our sufferings? his lying papers. Forever keep in your these, the sword dances of the coastal The droning ceases. Once again mind the vision of the people that rose provinces of Guipuzcoa and Vizcaya the hoarse siren tells us that the black in arms to defend itself against Fascism performed by men only, are especially birds are gone. The daily air raid is and of your flag which is the flag of Free- quaint to watch. over. Left are the bodies of age-worn dom and Humanity. The dancers, dressed in their white men, little children, harmless women, Always despise and hate Fascism and shirt and trousers, sashes and espa- all victims of the tragic flight.We cannot opression and those who represent it in drilles, create a vivid picture as they twist believe the stillness. Our ears still ring Spain. – Salud! and swirl to the music of the instrument with the sound of bombs, and we think (from The New Leader, 24 December 1937) each of them plays. Preceded by a that somewhere in the distance another standard bearer, the men march into harmless town is suffering as we did. the arena. And at the end of the proces- (from The New Leader, 20 August 1937) sion, seven drop on one knee, while the Dances of the Basques eighth whirls the standard round, sweep- ing it low over the heads of the others. by Howard Fane (who has recently These movements are then followed returned from the Basque Country) by the zortzikoa, the ezpata and jokuo, To The Basque Children danced with swords.. Who Are Returning In a Hampshire meadow, golden with These are perhaps the most interest- buttercups, 4,000 Basque children have ing and principal dances of the Basques, from a Basque boy who remains been in camp, playing and dancing in but there are an infinite variety of others the happy care-free manner of children to attract and fascinate. One has only to see the solemnity with which many of the This is to my friends who with me the world over. But these kiddies are dances are performed to realize what a escaped the barbarism and murder of different, for they come from a race for deep meaning lay behind their origin. international Fascism, from Franco, whom dancing is a craze, and has been for centuries. As long ago as 1659 it was thegreatest of all monsters. (from The Carlisle Journal, 2 July 1937) The day on which you go is a sad day in said of the Basque that “a child knows how to dance before it can call its father

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a great deal of persuasion to allow 4000 News of her parents began to reach Interview with children to come to England and refusing Josefina. Her mother had reached to be responsible for them financially. Catalunya by boat, later joining the refu- Josefina Alvarez Savery On May 21st 1937 the SS Habana left gee exodus as it made its way over the Bilbao for Southampton. The cross- Pyrenees and into France. Her father, by James Petrie ing itself was a horrible experience. meanwhile, had been identified as a Josefina was fortunate enough to be Republican sympathizer, captured and allocated a bunk, ownership of which taken to Santander. “From there he was ‘My father’s last words to me were, she promptly lost when she left it to get taken to Gijon and, as far as we know, “Speak English – don’t waste your time”.’ some bread and chorizo for her brother he was shot. He was actually tried and and she spent most of the time being he was found not guilty. They used to Josefina Savery’s comfortable front sea sick. do that, let them go and then just shoot room looks out on the shower swept On arrival at Southampton and without them as they went out, which is why hills of nearby Newport. The house has a word of English, Josefina and her fel- they can claim he tried to escape.” been her home since 1965 and Wales is low refugees were taken to the 30 acres She became a teacher in Newport, where she has lived for almost 75 of her and 500 bell tents awaiting them in North after having won a scholarship to study 88 years. Stoneham. Gradually, the children were English at Birmingham University, Petite and elegantly dressed, Josefina sent away in groups all over the country where she met Granville from South sits next to the gas fire. Around her, to a variety of houses. Josefina and her Wales who shared her passion for lan- an enormous Spanish dictionary and brother were delighted that they were guages. After he returned from service copies of offer clues to going to stay together and go to Wales. in Burma, they married and settled for her past. However, it is her accent, a “Somebody said to us, “Oh you’re more than 60 years, not far from Cam- blend of Welsh with Spanish, that belies lucky, you’re going to Wales,” and the bria House. her remarkable story. Josefina was one treatment we had in Wales, well it was Most of the children eventually re- of 4000 child refugees of the Spanish incredible.” turned to Spain.Around 250 remained, Civil War who arrived in Britain nearly The children found a definite sense some still meeting up today to preserve 75 years ago clinging on to their par- of kindred spirit amongst the Welsh, the memory of those life-changing ents’ reassurances that their stay here where a significant Spanish community events and to reminisce. Many talk would only be for 3 months. She never already existed through the exchange of a sense of being neither Spanish returned to live in Spain and she never of coal for iron ore between Cardiff and nor British, of not really belonging in saw her father again. The story of the Bilbao. Left wing beliefs forged in the either culture. Despite annual visits to children says much about the generosity coalfields of South Wales also ensured her remaining family in Bilbao, Jose- of those volunteers who welcomed the a furious sense of outrage at Franco’s fina remains adament that she would children.. brutal suppression of a democratically never have wanted to live in a Franco- One of four children, brought up in elected Spanish government and at the led Spain. “On one occasion we were Bilbao in the industrial Basque region non-interventionist stance of the British walking through Bilbao when Granville of northern Spain, Josefina’s happy political leadership. It was an outrage put his arm round my shoulder to point childhood came to an abrupt halt on April that provided Josefina and her fellow something out. This policemen suddenly 26th 1937 as she witnessed first hand refugees, who came to Cambria House pointed at us and yelled, “Moralidad!”. the terrifying impact of Franco’s attack in Caerleon ,with a very warm welcome. Well, he was my husband! No, I couldn’t on the town of Guernica. “When Guerni- “It was wonderful. There were concerts have stood that.” ca was bombed we could see the ambu- and the boys had a football team, which The rain starts to sweep down heavily lances coming through to the hospitals. was very good indeed.” on the steep hills outside her window, Of course they said it was the Reds Heeding the words of her father, hills that share more than a passing who had done it...”.Despite Josefina’s Josefina picked up English quickly and resemblance to those that flank Bilbao. mother being a practising Catholic, the one of the teachers, Miss Ward, took The spirit of the 15 year old girl who fact that her parents were both teachers, her to London for the day…This teacher wrote passionate entreaties against bull and therefore suspiciously liberal, meant was not the only one to recognise the fighting and who railed against the utter they would be vulnerable to accusations potential in the young Josefina. Christo- stupidity of war in the Cambria House of being “Reds” themselves. Word had pher Hill, a lecturer at Cardiff University Journal remains undiminished as she already travelled fast as to how merci- and member of the Communist Party. discusses recent events in Spain. Does lessly the right wing forces were dealing Hill not only introduced Josefina to The she have any regrets at the way things with those who did not share their vision Guardian, the reading of which became turned out in the end? She pauses and of a Spain united under the flag of dicta- a life-long habit, but also suggested smiles at the suggestion: “No, I have torship. when she was 15 that she went to an no regrets. I’ve been very happy here. The savagery of Guernica persuaded English public school, Badmington Col- I met my husband, had my children, Josefina’s parents to make the heart- lege, as a boarder .“We were all treated grandchildren. I was very lucky. It’s true, breaking decision to evacuate her to the same. There were other refugees everybody said, when we were put on England with her younger brother, there, a German refugee became my the boat, “It’s only for three months”, but, Gerardo. Josefina is convinced that her best friend, and there were daughters well, I suppose it just ended up being for parents made the right decision. “I was of some very rich people indeed but no a bit longer than that, that’s all...... ” lucky. I would never have wanted to live one was treated differently. It was a very in Spain under Franco”.. “My father said, liberal education. We had lessons on “I’d rather send you there than anywhere “The Progress of Civilization”, which was else because it’s a tolerant country.”But James Petrie is a member of the Basque so much more interesting than classes not everyone shared this tolerance, Children of ‘37 Association on people killing each other.” Stanley Baldwin’s government requiring

7 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011

and with dormitories, dining room, and Various occasions were celebrated BASQUE REFUGEE playroom in the house. Volunteers came in style. On November 5th, the chil- to help with teaching and recreational dren were introduced to Bonfire Night, CHILDREN AT BURNASTON, activities as well as with sewing and with their own guy and a bonfire in the administration. Car-owners took the grounds. In December, Maria Teresa’s DERBY children for outings in the surround- 21st birthday was marked by a special ing countryside. Groups were taken to meal in the dining room, with cheers June 1937 – January 1938 the local swimming baths and on other from the children and the presentation occasional visits, such as tours of the of a basket of artificial flowers made by by Anne E Owen Co-op bakery and the workshops at themselves. The Committee provided the Technical College. Concerts and a cake with 21 candles. Christmas was film shows were held at Burnaston and a memorable one, with decorations, On 21st May, 1937 the Mayor of Derby at least twice there were visits to the presents from a bran tub and many called a public meeting in the Guildhall, theatre. A football match against a local official visitors, including the Mayor and at which Derby decided to “adopt” 50 of boys’ school was reported in the local leading members of the Mayor’s Com- the Basque refugee children who were paper, but there were surely others. mittee. Songs were sung and the Mayor already on their way to Southampton. A Scouts from Burton-on-Trent came to gave each of the children sweets and an Committee for the Care of the Spanish camp in the grounds and played with the English shilling to take home as a sou- Children was immediately appointed and refugees, and in August they arranged venir of their stay. They had a traditional an appeal for funds was launched. The a Sports Day to which members of the Christmas dinner, games with the visiting Mayor at that time, Mrs Petty, Derby’s public were invited. scouts, a film show each evening and a first woman mayor, had helped with the trip to the pantomime on Boxing Day. Belgians who came to Derby in 1914 The Warden sent the names of the so was already experienced in working children at Burnaston to the authorities In January 1938, groups of 18 and 21 with refugees, and the M.P. for Derby, in the Bilbao area and from the end of children went home. They were seen off Philip Noel-Baker, was involved in the July, some of them began to hear from at the station by Derby friends and by establishment in London of the National home. The language barrier made it the Mayor’s Committee, escorted by the Committee for Spanish Relief. Moved by difficult to establish contacts with English Warden to London and handed over to the sufferings of the civilian population in children but a local boy remembers that the National Committee for their rail and Spain, the people of Derby and district he and his friend, aged 8, used to go to ferry journey back to Spain. Burnaston responded readily and donations soon the fence at Burnaston House and the House was vacated, as work on the began to arrive. children would come to meet them. He construction of Derby Airport had already still remembers the tune and a garbled begun and the house was required. The Burnaston House, an early 19th cen- version of the words of a song (perhaps last few girls were moved to Evington tury residence some three miles out of a Basque folk song) that the refugees Hall, Leicester and some were placed by Derby, had for some 30 years been the sang to them. A 10-year old Derby girl, the National Committee at other centres home of a boys’ preparatory school. It whose mother was Spanish, used to in Hull and Walsall. One or two, who had recently been purchased by Derby meet the children at social gatherings, were not going home, settled with foster Corporation for the establishment of an probably organised in association with families in Derby. airport. The house was standing empty the local Catholic church, where they so it was quickly secured by the Mayor’s Burnaston became the home of played games and taught each other Committee to accommodate the Basque Derby Airport, forerunner of today’s East dances, such as the Lambeth Walk and children. Gifts of furniture and equip- Midland airport. In the 1990s, the site be- La Raspa. Some of the children spoke ment poured in, corporation workmen came the Toyota factory and the house only Basque, so even for her, commu- redecorated the rooms, the last head of was demolished. The memory of this nication was difficult. When visiting her the boys’ school, Captain Houldsworth, episode in local and international history own relatives near Bilbao in 1949, she was appointed Warden, with his wife as had almost been lost but, thanks to the was able to renew contact with some of Matron, and voluntary organisations, in- campaign by the Basque Children of ’37 the Burnaston children and also man- cluding Toc H and the Girls’ Life Brigade, Association, it is now firmly on record. aged to trace the mother of one boy busied themselves with moving furniture who, having lost touch with home, had and making beds. stayed in England. A wonderful reunion Anne E. Owen is a member of the Travelling by train from their camp at took place. Etwall and Burnaston Local History Society Eastleigh, the children arrived in Derby on 17th June, were welcomed at the station by members of the Mayor’s Com- mittee and driven out to Burnaston by coach. There were 30 girls and 19 boys, aged from 7 to 11, and two young Span- ish women, teacher Maria Cruz Fernán- dez and helper Maria Teresa González. The children seemed to settle down quickly, enjoying the green countryside and the lovely grounds in which they could play. Gradually a programme of education and entertainment was put in place, with the old stables converted to classrooms Basque children arriving at Derby’s Friargate Station on 17 June 1937

8 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011

BOOK REVIEW bombing and shelling meant that being Walter Leonard (“León”) a foreign war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War gave journalists a new talks to Jim Firth status. (from notes in the Marx Memorial “We Saw Spain Die” library) by Paul Preston NEW BOOK

I was brought up in Germany and when Reviewed by Tom Webb “Blasín un refugiado vasco I had finished school, went to college to study Hotel Management. At the end of Paul Preston is today’s leading historian en Inglaterra” my studies, in 1934, I went to Spain to on the Spanish Civil War, the events improve my Spanish. I first worked in a leading up to it and the aftermath. In by Blas Óscar Guerrero hotel on the Costa Brava, then I went this book he looks at the events through Uriarte into partnership at a hotel in Tossa with the eyes of the numerous professional (Ediciones Beta III Millenio SL, 2012) an English couple. The hotel occasion- war correspondents and major writers ally entertained visitors from England who were witnesses at the time. He such as the poets Auden and Stephen examines their motives in reporting (and Spender, and it was used as a guest sometimes not reporting) and the way home for some members of the Interna- in which individual journalists publicised tional Brigades and nurses. It was there what they had seen. that I met Poppy and Chloë Vulliamy. Preston tells us why, when and where each correspondent was in Spain and In 1937, Poppy returned to England to quotes extensively from reports filed be in charge of some of the Basque by individual writers. We learn of the refugee boys who were still at the camp personal risks endured, both physi- in North Stoneham and who hadn’t been cal and professional, the restrictions of allotted to a specific colony. In May censorship and political interference.. 1938, she recommended that I should In the early days of the war, atrocities in take over from her and be in charge of Catalonia brought newspapermen flock- the colony at Faringdon, Oxfordshire. ing from around the world. At that stage, It was the home of Lord Faringdon, a the Republican Government was virtually Labour peer, and he made available to without a framework of law and order. the Basque boys one of the gatehouses The consequent terrorism, violence and of his country retreat, Buscot Park, at destruction of property was witnessed Eaton Hastings, near Faringdon. by the foreign correspondents, whose He provided us with completely free reports made a significant impact on the accomodation, and supplied eggs, milk world wide public and political opinion. and other food free of charge from the As the war developed, so did the estate. Near the main house there was systems of censorship change on both a swimming pool and the children were sides. Foreign correspondents were ac- Todas las guerras son condenables, allowed to use it when there were no tive in both the Nationalist and Repub- specialment las civiles..Esta biografía house guests. Lord Faringdon was very lican zones and we can read of widely novelada comienza en la Guerra Civil ecology conscious and didn’t allow differing experiences of censorship. It Española cuando el gobierno vasco hunting on his estate, so he was none was much more restrictive in the Na- envió a 4,000 niños a Inglaterra, entre too pleased when the boys raided birds’ tionalist areas where some thirty foreign ellos Blasín y sus hermanos, Pedro, nests for the eggs. journalists were expelled from Spain Marcelino y Ascensión. Los tres meses se convirtieron en mucho más. Aquí se Some of the older boys worked on the and several imprisoned for evading the estate, fruit picking, painting or on the censorship. narran sus peripecias en una Inglaterra que les recibió con cariño. chicken farm. There was a cook who In the Republican areas, war corre- was an anarchist and in the evenings he spondents enjoyed a greater freedom gave the boys political lectures, telling of movement and a high proportion of Obituaries them that Lord Faringdon had plenty of journalists supported the Republican money without having to make the boys cause. With a majority of the Press in We very much regret to work on the farm. So the next morning, democratic countries being owned by announce the deaths of the some of the boys refused to get up to right wing groups some reporters expe- following: work! I had to make peace with Lord Far- rienced problems in getting their articles l Emilio Frías ingdon, or rather the foreman and the published as written. l Mauri Nawara (Antolín) cook was subsequently sacked for being After the Government left Madrid l Tirso Martínez a bad influence on the boys! for Valencia many journalists also left, l Antonio Montero A Spanish señorita, Rosa, and her 8 believing that Franco’s forces would l Josefa (Pepi) Martínez year old daughter who had previously soon be occupying the capital and that l Wenceslau (Benny) Cabrera been at the Walsall colony, was sent to foreign war correspondents would be at l Luis Ruiz replace the cook. She was rather un- risk. This did not happen so that those l Merche Jarero happy at first. Then she fell in love with who remained suffered the same levels l Asten Belón one of the older Spanish boys, but not of hardship as the residents..The lack l Luis Lavilla before she had written to a friend in Bir- of food and heating, together with daily

9 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011 mingham asking her to come and rescue her from “this horrible place, where there Only For Three Months (Solo Por Tres Meses) are all men”. So this friend did come and (Music: J. Tejedor, Words:P McNamara) visit her. She was called Peggy Gibbins and she later became my wife! Na-mara (Rob García and Paul McNamara) have released their third album, The Bite, which contains the song: Only for Three Months.This recounts the story of Rob’s Early in 1939 we had to leave Buscot father and uncle who were evacuated from Bilbao in May 1937 after the criminal Park as the gatehouse was needed for bombing in Guernica. other refugees. We then went to St Mi- chael’s Home in nearby Shipton-under- Wychwood until October 1939. It was nineteen thirty seven, upon the twenty first of May, Peggy and her parents lived in a large That we boarded the Habana and from home we sailed away, house in Birmingham with a swimming “Solo por tres meses”, we heard our mothers say pool, and Peggy would invite many of And to England we were taken the children home for the weekends. And it’s there for many years we were destined to stay The Gibbins took a special interest in the How well do I remember those childhood days before the war large colony at Aldridge Lodge, Walsall. They were filled with peaceful pleasures, we thought they’d last forever more Peggy gave the girls sewing lessons and But Mola’s troops pressed harder, and loud the guns did roar took them on trips, for example, to Cad- And in silence we retreated bury’s at Bourneville. From the beginning Into the city, where we crowded on every floor of the war, the Gibbins’ house became an open house for all the Spaniards in Proud Bilbao was surrounded, blockaded from the sea the area and they would come most And with air raid sirens howling, to the refuge we would flee Sundays and at Christmas. Football As desperation mounted, rumours came to be matches were organised between Span- That a ship would sail for England ish teams from the Midlands against And through the night, our mothers queued to set us free teams from London. I lived for some time as a lodger in the At the station we assembled, and with tears said our goodbyes house, but in May 1940 I was interned And the rain it was our comfort for the bombers they could not fly as as “enemy alien”. I later joined the Pi- And Franco’s ships stayed silent, when Fearless they did espy oneer Corps. Peggy and I were married And to the stormy Bay of Biscay Basque children in their thousands sailed by in 1942 when I was stationed outside Stratford, and eventually I transferred to When we landed at Southampton, the Sally Army band did play the Royal Navy.I always kept up close Our exilio inglés, it began that very day contacts with many of the “children” who But when we heard that Bilbao had fallen, tears we could not stay remained in Britain. During the war, I Forlorn and broken hearted, found work for some at my father-in- It was clear, that in England we’d make our way. law’s crane factory in Birmingham, and It was nineteen thirty seven, upon the twenty first of May others worked at my brother-in-law’s That we boarded the Habana, and from home we sailed away, farm near St Neots, Huntingdon. “Solo por tres meses”, we heard our mothers say And to England we were taken And it’s there, for many years we were destined to stay

Lyrics for ‘Only For Three Months’ reproduced with kind permission. © na-mara. Lyrics may not be copied or reproduced without prior consent of the authors.

Can You help? The Brighton Colony Does anyone have any information about the Brighton colony? It was called Girton House. What was the building like? Do you have any photographs? How did the niños get on with the local people? What sort of activities were there for the niños? What schooling did they have? Who was there? Do you know how long it existed? Who owned the property? A new member unfortunately has no Boys from Poppy Vulliamy’s colony on photographs or momentos of his stay Lord Faringdon’s estate.They lived in the in the Brighton colony and would be gate houses (background) and a number delighted if we could help him. If you Walter (‘Leon’) Leonard of garages put up to provide dormitories. have any information at all, do please let Natalia know.

10 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011

For Sale All goods are available from Tony Armolea: 85 Summerlease Road, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 8ER. Tel: 01628 781525; email: sales@ basquechildren.org. We have opened a branch of the shop in Spain, and if you live there you can order more easily from: [email protected]. Prices include p&p. Books

• “Recuerdos” edited by Natalia Benjamin, Basque Children of ’37 Association UK £17.50

Honorary President: Helvecia García Aldasoro Chair: Manuel Moreno • • “Leah Manning” Secretary: Natalia Benjamin, 8 Hernes Road, Oxford, OX2 7PU; tel: 01865 459 744 • • by Ron Bill & Stan email: [email protected] Newens, £8.00 • Membership Secretary: Ma Carmen Coupland; tel: 0131 2266078; email: [email protected] • Treasurer: Carmen Kilner; email: [email protected] • Other committee members: John Kilner and Herminio Martínez • “Only for Three How to support the Association Months” by Adrian Niños and their spouses/partners and widow/ers are honorary members. Annual Bell, £13.50 subscriptions (which are renewable in May) for other family members and supporters of the Association’s aims are: CDs & DVDs £10 for individuals £25 for institutions • • “The Guernica Contact Membership Secretary Ma Carmen Coupland for membership application form. • Children”, These may also be found on the website. Steve Bowles’ documentary film, Our aims now available in a 1. To reunite the niños of the Spanish Civil War who were exiled in Great Britain in 1937 bilingual English/ and who did not return to Spain or who returned later, that is, those who had the Spanish edition, £15. common experience of being evacuated. 2. To preserve for descendants and future generations, through the collection of oral • Southampton and written testimonies, the memory of the niños’ experience of the period and their anniversary event, 2007 £5.00. subsequent life in Britain. 3. To place the experience of the exile within its rightful historical context, so the niños should not be ”los olvidados“. • “Songs of the 4. To provide a forum for discussion and to promote dialogue between niños, Basque Children”, researchers and interested persons. songs from the book 5. To encourage the collection and preservation of archives (photographs, letters, used when the niños documents, films, songs, posters, oral testimonies, artwork etc.) to be used for were performing, educational and historical purposes, eventually to be deposited in the Special plus the reissue Collections Division of the Hartley Library at the University of Southampton. of the original 6. To locate commemorative plaques and to ensure their preservation and 1938 Parlophone maintenance; to organise the setting-up of other dedicated plaques to commemorate recording, £10.00. the experience. 7. To liaise and collaborate with related societies of niños vascos in other countries. • Danzaris at Southampton, 2007 £5.00 Montrose blue plaque, £6.50. 8. To facilitate and support research into the history of the evacuation of the niños • • CD-EP “Solo Por Tres Meses”, written and vascos who were sent to Britain. performed by Na-Mara, a duo composed 9. To inform members about new developments in the knowledge of the period of musician Roberto García (son of niño through publications, bibliographies, web pages etc. Fausto García) and Paul McNamara, £6. 10. To advance the education of the public, students and academics in the subject of the exile of1937. • Los Niños: Education Pack The Newsletter pack is free, but •The BC ’37AUK Newsletter is published twice a year and is sent free to all members. p&p will be £5.00 Back numbers can be downloaded from BC ’37AUK website: www.basquechildren • Editor: Natalia Benjamin

11 Basque Children of ’37 Association UK Newsletter: December 2011

the children, but little seemed to be remembers me, el pianista, and would The general public remem- known locally. However, a Mrs Wlliams like to make contact with any of the “chil- remembered that her parents had been dren” who may have stayed on. bers the Basque children on the committee which had supervised (by Roy Quinton, 02.11.09) Roof Tree, the name of the colony where the children had stayed. She recalled 1. In 1937, 4,000 Spanish children, playing in the garden while her parents refugees from the Spanish Civil War attended meetings, and when the colony Forthcoming Events stayed at a camp in Chestnut Avenue, was dispersed, her parents had one Eastleigh. My sister and I, aged ten, of the maestras to stay with them as 21 April The Basque Refugee Children volunteered to help out. There were big she had nowhere to go. Her name was in Britain, 1937-1939. A Day School triangular shaped tents, sleeping eight, Consuelo Vargas and she stayed for to be held at Rewley House, Oxford with the feet facing the middle. We two years. At last she left to rejoin her University Department for Continuing helped fill the paillasses with straw, and father who was in Venezuela, having Education, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford when the children actually arrived, it was fled Spain for political reasons. We never very exciting. We were all up there and heard any more about her. 12-13 May Celebration of the 75th apparently Gracie Fields visited them, (by Glenys Thomas) Anniversary of the arrival in Britain of though we didn’t see her. They were the niños, to be held at Southampton supposed to be in quarantine when they 4. In 1937 I was attending the then University first came, but the older ones used to nip Mitcham Secondary School for Boys and out and come through the woods. one day, two new boys arrived from Nazi 7 July IMBT Memorial Day. 12.00pm We communicated in sign language. I Germany. Although my family was not at the monument in Jubilee Gardens, remember taking a necklace to give to a Jewish, it was anti-fascist to the core and London, SE1 8NY little girl. It was quite something for East- I soon became a friend of both of them. Tube: Waterloo, Southwalk. leigh to have all these foreign children. Not long after I met them, they came Eventually they were officially allowed into contact with the Basque refugees 20 Oct BC’37A UK Annual Lecture at to wander round and would march down and introducced me to the children who 2.30pm given by Richard Baxell. Title the road singing La Cucaracha. We were lodged in an old mansion located tba. At the Kensington and Chelsea learned to sing along too. in Oaks Park, Carshalton. About 1938, Library Lecture Theatre, Phillimore Walk, They were moved to Rownhams all of if I recall correctly, they were relocated London W8 7RY. a sudden, so we went to try and find in an old house in Culvers Avenue. I Tube: High Street Kensington. them, altough we hadn’t a clue where became very good friends with them Rownhams was. We were walking along, and learned their jota dance music by where Asda is now when we were heart. They used to call me el pianista stopped by a policeman. He asked what because I would trot out the melodies for Odds and Ends we were doing. And we replied: “Go- the girls to dance to at the performances ing to Rownhams to see the Spanish they used to give to raise money for their Up to 20 December 2011, 4 niños have children”. He said: “ You better get off keep. The two big melodies were: Ya va recovered their Spanish nationality, 22 home!” So we did as we were told. la niña por agua a la fuente and De los children of niños and 28 grandchildren of (by Norah Gough, 2011) cuatro muleros ( which was updated to niños asked for Spanish nationality. De los cuatro generales after the four 2. I was so interested to read the article ( Source: Registro Civil, Spanish Consul- Republican generals who defended Ma- ate, London) about Pepe Estruch in your Newsletter. drid for so long against Franco.) It reminded me of how he taught me I remember the teachers that came over to swim in one lesson. I suppose I was with the children, Mari-Cruz and Amparo. Marcelino Guerrero, a niño who was at about 13 years old and I’d been try- I also remember that my mother took the Street colony, carried the torch at the ing to learn for years at school, with no care of another girl by the name of Ame- 1948 London Olympics. success. He came to see us in Ipswich lia after she broke her leg. and took me to the swimming pool. He When I was demobilised from Italy The Today Programme got me sitting on the bottom and doing at the end of the Italian campaign of On 14 December there was a short various things like that, and I enjoyed 1943-45, I discovered that one or two feature about the niños on the Today myself. Next time I went to the pool I just children still lived at the Culvers, but that Programme at 8.55, when John found I could swim! He’d given me the some had returned home, following the Humphreys talked to Juanita Vaquer confidence that I’d lacked. It was that disgusting attitude of the British govern- and Herminio Martínez about their special quality he had. ment which had given way to Franco’s experiences. (by Lydia Vulliamy, daughter of Chloë repeated demands for their return. Most Vulliamy, 17.4.08) of their parents, it was subsequently Membership Renewal 3. One day in 1937, in Colwyn Bay, learned, would have preferred their chil- A few subscriptions are still outstanding North Wales, I remember seeing a dren to stay in England until the Franco from May. The rate is £10 for individuals group of olive skinned somberly dressed government’s intentions had been and £25 for institutions. Niños, niñas children walking towards the beach. clarified. The dreams that had sustained and their spouses are exempt from the It was such a saddening sight that I my family and myself that, with the end subscription fee. Would anyone who has enquired who they were. “They are of Mussolini and Hitler, the Allies would not paid the subscription for the year Spanish orphans from the Civil War”, I then proceed to free the Spanish people 2012-2013 please send a cheque to was told. tragically came to naught. the Membership Secretary, Ma Carmen Years later, I tried to find out more about So I would like to know whether anybody Coupland. Thank you.

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