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News, Events & Reports
New plaque in Langham
The 53 children and their teachers arrived at The Oaks on June 8, 1937, where they would stay for two years. The Oaks was renamed Basque House, after the spacious garden and grounds, and the open countryside of Langham made a lasting impression on the children. A plaque dedicated to Basque child refugees in Langham has recently been put up. For more details see this article from the Colchester Gazette.
Euskara Classes
We receive occasional requests about learning the Basque language, so we are happy to inform you
of this course from the London Basque Society.
New Articles
We have just uploaded two new articles - see panel on the right. The first is a report by Carmen Kilner on the exhibition Sea of Shadows, at the Instituto Cervantes Manchester. The second is a report by Rob David on the course A Welcome in the Hills featuring Basque children in Cumbria.
The Basque Child Refugees in the UK
This teaching/educational aid is a "Zine", produced by a group of undergraduate students at Leeds University in 2021, and which you can download here … The students came from different disciplines and worked under the guidance of Peter Anderson, Professor of Twentieth Century Spanish History. It is an example both of what can be produced by interested and talented students and also of a useful educational aid for schools investigating this topic. As is made clear on the introductory page this can be printed, copied and otherwise reproduced without needing further permissions.
Luis Santamaria
Luis Angel Santamaria has informed us of the sad death of his father Luis Santamaria on Thursday 4th July 2024 in Nuneaton. He was 97 years old. He was one of the niños. There will be a private cremation in Nuneaton attended only by his son and daughter. The coffin will be draped in the Republican flag. In the Autumn, probably in September, there will be a public funeral ceremony at the family plot in Golders Green where his remains will be buried and for which everyone will be welcome to attend. Details of the public ceremony and an obituary will be provided nearer the time. We send our condolences and deepest sympathies to all his family and friends.
From the Oak of Gernika to the Oaks of Langham
Basque refugee children in Langham 1937-9
On Friday 26 July a commemorative plaque in the Basque colours of red, green and white will be unveiled at the Langham Community Centre during the monthly Community Café. More details …
New to our Colonies pages. Sketty Park Home, Swansea
One of the five Welsh colonies. HELP US! On the new colony's page we have photos of the children and names - but not matched up. If anyone can help, please contact us. We and the archives at West Glamorgan, where the original photos are held, would be delighted. See the photos here and the complete colony information here.
Nuevo en nuestras páginas de Colonias. Hogar Sketty Park, Swansea
Una de las cinco colonias galesas. !AYUDANOS! En la página de la nueva colonia tenemos fotos de los niñ@s y nombres - pero no coinciden. Si alguien puede ayudar, por favor póngase en contacto con nosotros. Nosotros y los archivos de West Glamorgan, donde están las fotos originales, estaríamos encantados. Vea las fotos aquí y la información completa de la colonia aquí.
The Guernica Children documentary on our YouTube channel
The English Version can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/LSNe_BMPhDI La versión en español puede verse aquí: https://youtu.be/CuW_BAqZcTY
'Happy and Safe': The Basque Child Refugees in Cumberland and Westmorland 1937 - 1939
by Rob David
Rob has been studying, writing about, and lecturing on the experiences of refugees in Cumbria for many years. Now he turns his focus on the Basque Children who arrived in the North West in 1937. He has had full access to the archives of the Charles and Lady Cecilia Roberts who brought into existence a colony of 100 children in Brampton near Carlisle and a satellite for 25 children at Ambleside. Rob describes the lives of the children and the impressive range of people who stepped forward to support them both financially and with care and attention …
The book is now available in our shop.
For other recently posted and older notices, click here.
Welcome
In 1937, during the Spanish civil war, almost 4,000 children were evacuated to the UK from Bilbao. Read more …
At first they stayed in a camp at Stoneham and later in colonies throughout the UK. Read more …
We want to remember and preserve the story of these niños de la guerra in their rightful context. Read more …
Newsletter / Boletín
From the Archives
Newsletter 3, March 2005
Blue plaque for Caerleon
by Josefina Savery
Read the full article here …
… an article you may have missed:
The Basque Children's Colony, the Old Hospital, Park Lodge Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire by Simon Martinez Read the full article here …
From Another Archive:
Basque refugee children in Swansea 1937-1938 Swansea Council Archives Read the full article here …
Articles & Reviews
Report by Carmen Kilner
Report by Rob David on the course 'A Welcome in the Hills'
View more articles here …
View more event reports here …
Visit our YouTube channel
Exhibitions Live & Online
Bombs…Away!
The Peace Museum's Bombs…Away! explores the impact of aerial bombardment against civilians during World War Two and uses its unique collection to examine how peace campaigns formed in response … BCA'37 UK helped with the section on the Basque children.
Haven's East: The Lost History of Basque Child Refugees in 1930s East Anglia
A National Lottery funded project investigating the history of the Basque children at colonies in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. BCA'37 UK contributed to the R & D of this exhibition. Visit the exhibition at: www.havenseast.org, read about the background to the project here …, and read this Report on Refugee week 2021 by Ed Packard