BCA'37 eNotices #26

Welcome to our 26th Newsletter.

Dear Readers

We recently commemorated the arrival 82 years ago of the SS Habana to Southampton docks. Amongst its cargo - some of you, and many of our parents or grandparents. It is timely then that due to efforts by Gerald Hoare we can show some "new" photos of North Stoneham. We have been given permission to use these by TopFoto who have kindly waived their fees. We will be showcasing the photos in the coming months in the section "From Our Archives".

We are very proud to announce an important new initiative — The BCA'37 UK Undergraduate Essay Prizes — which we hope will foster interest and research into the Basque Children and all the surrounding people and events. See full announcement below.

In March Dr Peter Anderson gave an excellent talk at the Instituto Cervantes and we are delighted to be able to present a transcript on our website. See here …

From 15 June, for a month in Islington you can visit a collaborative exhibition/events by Islington Museum, Marx Memorial Library and BCA'37 UK. See here …

Another collaboration, this time with the Museum of Childhood Ireland (MCI) Project, has led to a planned year-long tour of Ireland for our exhibition, starting in July in Dublin. See here …

At somewhat short notice we will be joining The Thaxted Morris Men in commemorating 80 years since some Basque boys from Theydon Bois danced at the Morris Men's annual event.
See here …

For other current items and reports, please read our "News" and the "From the Archives" sections whose contents are usually changed every month.

With best wishes to you all.
Carmen Kilner
BCA'37 UK
carmen@basquechildren.org

INAUGURATION OF THE BCA'37 UK UNDERGRADUATE ESSAY PRIZES

Following on from an idea by Dr Peter Anderson, a generous donation by Prof. and Mrs Tom Buchanan, and collaboration with Profs. Luis Mári Naya and Paulí Dávila of the University of the Basque Country, we are delighted to announce that we are setting up two prizes for undergraduate essays on any topic around the evacuation of the Basque children.

The prizes are slightly different according to preferences expressed by the two adjudicating teams of academics. The prize for English speakers will be known as The Natalia Benjamin Prize in recognition of Natalia's contribution to the BCA'37 UK both as founder and for her magnificent work as Honorary Secretary for so many years. The second prize, El Premio BCA’37 UK, will be for Spanish and Basque speakers. Any queries contact carmen@basquechildren.org

EVENTS IN JUNE - JULY

Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June THAXTED ESSEX
Several local venues.

To mark the 80th anniversary a group of Basque Dancers from Berriz are attending the weekend. There will be an exhibition by BCA'37 UK on display at the Church.

More details here …

[We thank the Thaxted Morris Men for permission to use the photo of Basque boys dancing at Saffron Walden in 1939.]

Tuesday 18 June 2019, Mill Road, CAMBRIDGE
Mill Road History Society, St Barnabas Centre, Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2BD, 7:30-10:00pm
Through words and music the folk du Na-Mara will tell the story of the "Basque children".
Tickets are £8 in advance here or £10 on the door (if available). Details here …

15 June to 16 July LONDON
Islington Museum, 245 St John Street, London EC1 4NB
Exhibition and events for adults and children: The Basque Children — the story of the Child Refugees from the Spanish Civil War. Full details here …

July 18th, European Commission DUBLIN.
Europe House, 12-14 Mount Street Lower, Dublin D02 W710
The Museum of Childhood Ireland (MCI) Project presents: The Basque Children of '37 Exhibition. Exhibition launch event and panel discussion at 6.30pm (will include Adrian Bell, Stewart Reddin and Carmen Kilner).

Thursday 18 July 2019 - September 2020
The Museum of Childhood Ireland (MCI) Project presents: The Basque Children of '37 Exhibition.
This is the 2nd in the series of MCI traveling exhibitions on Children in War.
The tour will start: Thursday 18 July - mid August, European Commission, DUBLIN
Saturday 17 August - mid September, CORK City Library (inc. Heritage Week 2019)
Tuesday 17 September - mid October, GALWAY City Library
This will be followed by a month each at other city libraries including: Co. Mayo, Co. Leitrim, and Derry and Belfast Central Libraries in January and February 2020.
Other venues, dates and details will be announced on the web and in the eNotices when available.

RECENT ARTICLES

"The Basque Children - The End of the Spanish Civil War and the Beginning of Exile for the Niños" by Dr Peter Anderson, University of Leeds. Read it here …

RECENT NEWS AND REPORTS

A translation into English has been appended to Gregorio Arrien's article "Las ültimas andereños del exilio inglés". See here …

Flyer for 1937 Spain and Culture - concert at the Royal Albert Hall on the 24 June 1937
Sent to us by Terry Caven whose grandmother attended the concert 'Spain and Culture'
Click here for image. See another report of the same event, with sketch and attendee list.

La historia de 'The niños vascos', los refugiados de la Guerra Civil en Inglaterra
Link to a recent item of interest in a Spanish publication

"Commemorative events held in Guernica / Gernika for the eighty second anniversary of its bombing on 26 April 1937". Report by Barbara Coombs. See here …

FROM THE ARCHIVES

From newsletter 1, August 2003, p8 back page
Weston Manor Revisited.
Read the full article here …

… an article you may have missed:
"Politics and Humanitarian Aid: Basque Refugees in the North East and Cumbria during the Spanish Civil War" — by Don Watson.
Read the full article here …

… a photo from June 1937:

Some Basque refugee children at their camp at North Stoneham, Hampshire, where they have regular lessons.

[Shown with kind permission of TopFoto — www.topfoto.co.uk]

FROM OTHER ARCHIVES

This fascinating report from Basque Children's Committee document dated 9 June 1937:
Child refugees from Bilbao and Basque camp at North Stoneham, near Southampton

The original four page document is very faint, but below there is a "Transcript" button.
Archives and copyright of the Trades Union Congress and Labour Party.
Archive folder: Basque Children's Committee: Minutes and Documents 1937-1939.
Document reference: 292/946/39/102 — https://cdm21047.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/scw/id/13772

Bienvenido a nuestro 26º Boletín.

Queridos lectores

Recientemente conmemoramos la llegada hace 82 años de SS Habana a los muelles de Southampton. Entre su cargamento, algunos de vosotros y muchos de nuestros padres o abuelos. Ello es motivo para que, gracias a la colaboración de Gerald Hoare, podamos mostrar algunas fotos "nuevas" de North Stoneham. TopFoto nos ha dado permiso para usarlos y ha renunciado a sus tarifas. Estaremos mostrando las fotos en los próximos meses en la sección "De nuestros archivos".

Estamos muy orgullosos de anunciar una nueva e importante iniciativa — los Premios de Ensayos de Pregrado BCA'37 UK — que esperamos fomenten el interés y la investigación sobre los niños vascos y todas las personas y eventos que los rodean. Ved anuncio completo a continuación.