Our Activities

News & Events 2020


BCA'37 UK & BCA'37UK-Euskadi.
Joint announcement by our two associations

We are delighted to announce that our three bids for grants made earlier this year to Gogora Instituto de la Memoria, la Convivencia y los Derechos Humanos Historica, have been successful. Details here …

BCA'37UK-Euskadi & BCA'37UK
Anuncio conjunto de nuestras dos asociaciones

Nos complace anunciar que nuestras tres solicitudes de subvenciones realizadas a principios de este año para Gogora Instituto de la Memoria, la Convivencia y los Derechos Humanos, se han resuelto positivamente. Detalles aquí …


Michael Portillo's 'Railway Journeys' in Spain

"1936 was a turbulent time in Spain, with political upheaval descending into a brutal civil war. Michael begins an emotional rail journey, which takes him deep into his family’s past and reveals the tentacles of the regime which forced his father into exile."

Available until around mid-September the BBC iPlayer [May not be available outside UK]

There is an article in the Guardian commenting on the programme.

There is also an interesting article about Michael Portillo, his programme and his father in El País.


Changes at Cañada Blanch

We have received this notice about recent changes at The Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies, London School of Economics - now being re-established with new direction and emphasis …


The memoirs of Frida Stewart

New article & publication

Firing a Shot for Freedom, the memoirs of Frida Stewart

with foreword and afterword by Angela Jackson, author of British Women and the Spanish Civil War

Frida Stewart played in important role in the care of the Niños de la Guerra, both in Spain and in the UK.
It was she who collected and edited the songbook "Songs of the Basque Children".

Angela has also provided this article, which is also to be found in our Articles Section

The book is published by Clapton Press at £9.99. More details here …


Fundraising call for soundtrack album of The Typist

The Typist

Now to end of August 2020

In 2015 we supported Kerieva McCormick with her Dance Theatre production "The Typist", which subsequently toured successfully with sell-out shows.

BCA'37 UK helped with research and background information, and several niños living in London gave their stories to Kerieva, contributing an important part to the narrative of the production. We now support Kerieva's crowdfunding for the production of the soundtrack album of "The Typist".

More information and details of the fundraising can be found here …

View a promotional video and find out how to donate at Kerieva's website and on Facebook

The story synopsis can be found here …


Fighting Basques - Call for participation

Fighting Basques project

Did one of your family members, who came on the Habana in 1937, go onto serve in the armed forces during World War 2?

If so, you are invited to join the Fighting Basques Project in collaboration with BCA'37 UK.

More details here …


June 12th Refugee Week 2020

An article in Spanish on the Havens East online exhibition was published recently (21 June 2020) in El Correo.
Read a copy here …

Havens East web site

The Havens East Project's new, online exhibition will be live from 12 June 2020 at www.havenseast.org

"Havens East uncovers the incredible stories of the Basque child refugees who came to Norfolk and Cambridge during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)."

Read the latest update here …


New online search tool for Navarra

Navarra logo

The government of Navarra, in agreement with several publishers, has released an online search tool focused on the events of 1936 in Navarre. The database in which the tool searches includes the Government archive and also all the books published about the topic.

You can search by name, last name, town, affiliation … The results include a capture of the book/article where that element is indicated, and a link to the Navarra's Public Library database.

Details at: https://pazyconvivencia.navarra.es/es/oroibidea


IHR Innovation and Human Rights

IHR Logo

The main project of Innovation and Human Rights is to compile an online central database of victims of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime. The database currently includes 700,000 records all supported with references to archives and/or research. It may be searched by name and surname. We publish everything in Spanish, Catalan and English. Click the logo for their web site.


View of the camp

"Expedición a Inglaterra" : The Basque Children in Britain

This blog item from the Asociación Innovación y Derechos Humanos is of particular relevance at this anniversary time.

Read it here …


Herminio Martínez

Herminio Martínez

In January we sadly announced the death of Herminio on 29th December 2019.

The family had planned to hold a memorial event in the spring of 2020, but due to prevailing circumstances this has not proved possible.

Maya, Herminio and Verena's daughter, has sent us the following article that appeared in Tiempo de Canarias. It was Herminio's last interview and was made on 15th December just two weeks before his death. The author Ángeles Arencibia is also a correspondent for El País. Read it here …

A Tribute to Herminio Martinez from the Association can be read here …


Spanish consulate to reopen in Manchester

In response to popular request from expats …

More details here …


Combatientes vascos en la Segunda Guerra Mundial

Combatientes vascos en la Segunda Guerra Mundial

The Niños de la Guerra and the Niños Vascos who found themselves in Britain … in 1939 onwards found themselves in the army, navy and airforce …

Details of this book by Guillermo Tabernilla and Ander González can be found here …

An extract from chapter 2, about Lucio Sauquillo, is copied here … (in Spanish and English).

From the same publishers, you can read an article about José María Irala here …
and an Enlish translation prepared by Lita Power here …
(Please refer to the original article on the web for the photographs)

See this call for participation in the project.


From the University of Southampton Special Collections

Travel label of Rafael Flores

"Telling their stories" Basque refugee collections resources webpage, which draws on oral histories, manuscript memoirs, other testimonies and writings to develop a series telling the stories of the individuals in their own voices …"

More details here …


Havens East: uncovering lost stories of refugees in East Anglia

National Lottery Heritage Fund supports research into Basque child refugees.

*** Read the latest update here on the Havens East project which describes the revised project outcomes in light of the current situation. Of immediate relevance is the plan to produce a digital exhibition for June 2020.

In exciting news for BCA'37 UK, The Association for the UK Basque Children. Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £54,600 to investigate the lost histories of child refugees who sought sanctuary in East Anglia during the Spanish Civil War. More information …

Dr Edward Packard, a trustee of the Association, is helping the project’s research in Norfolk.


To Say Goodbye 2

'To say goodbye'


Animated film by Izaskun Arandia.

Watch this until 23 May on Vimeo at
https://vimeo.com/73203029


Museum Childhood Ireland

March in WARRENPOINT

 

18 July 2019 - July 2020 IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND
Museum of Childhood Ireland Project presents the 2nd exhibition in their series 'Children in War': The Basque Children of '37.

*** All further venues are currently now postponed ***

More dates and details will be posted here when available.


Herminio Martínez

Herminio Martínez

In January we sadly announced the death of Herminio on 29th December 2019.

The family had planned to hold a memorial event in the spring of 2020, but due to prevailing circumstances this has not proved possible.

Maya, Herminio and Verena's daughter, has sent us the following article that appeared in Tiempo de Canarias. It was Herminio's last interview and was made on 15th December just two weeks before his death. The author Ángeles Arencibia is also a correspondent for El País. Read it here …

A Tribute to Herminio Martinez from the Association can be read here …


In Our Time

Picasso Guernica

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Pablo Picasso's Guernica, which he painted in 1937 soon after the bombing of that Basque town in the Spanish Civil War, and its wider context.

Available on the BBC web site
[May not be available outside UK]


The Lockdown — keep fit Basque-style!

From San Loretzo Dantza Taldea, who came to dance last year at Thaxted. Watch it here on YouTube …


The Natalia Benjamin Conference on Basque Child Refugees

1 May, LONDON
Cancelled

Natalia Benjamin Conference London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, 13:30 – 16:30

Conference jointly organised by the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies and the BCA'37 UK.

More information here … and Reservation details here …


Humanitarianism and Politics in the Spanish Civil War

29 February, OXFORD

A study day at Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA, 9.45am - 5.00pm

Speakers include Prof Tom Buchanan, Dr Peter Anderson, Dr Suan Sheridan Breakwell and Dr Ed Packard


Suffolk and the Basque Refugee Children from the Spanish Civil War 1937-9

20 February 2020, BRAMFORD, Suffolk

Bramford Local History group, Church Room, Ship Lane, Bramford at 7.30pm. Talk by Ed Packard, BCA'37 UK Trustee. Visitors £3.00

More information …


Wherstead Park on 'Great British Railway Journeys'

Wednesday 22nd January on BBC2 at 6.30pm.

Watch this episode of 'Great British Railway Journeys' that visits Wherstead Park, Ipswich, and features Ed Packard, Paco Robles and Carmen Kilner. Available for a time on the BBC iPlayer [May not be available outside UK]


Mirella Primavera Santamaría Bonilla MBE

mpsbonilla

Mirella Primavera Santamaría Bonilla MBE, the daughter of niño Luis Santamaría, passed away on 5 October 2019.

Luis Ángel Santamaría's obituary and tribute to his sister can be read here …


Father Gregorio Arrien Berrojaetxebarria

Gregorio Arrien

It is with the greatest sadness that we announce the death of Father Gregorio Arrien Berrojaetxebarria aged 83 in Amorebieta-Etxano on December 13th.

More details here …


The 2019 Natalia Benjamin Prize

Has been awarded to: Joshua Burns of the University of Southampton

"The 'Basques' in Britain: An examination of refugee children's agency and identity formation through self-produced journals Amistad and Cambria House Journal"

Read the judges' comments here …   and the winning essay here …


Juanita Vaquer

jvaquer

We are sad to announce the death of Juanita Vaquer. We send our deepest condolences her family and friends.

She died peacefully on Jan. 3, 2020. She was 91.

The funeral will be held on Friday 24 January at 2.15pm at Breakspear Crematorium, Ruislip.

More details here …


Narciso Lobato

nlobato

We are saddened to report the death of Narciso Lobato and send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The funeral will be held on Monday 27th January at 1.45pm at Reading Crematorium. If you wish to attend, or for further details please contact Narciso's daughter, Ros, on 07801 323113.

More details here …


The Peace Museum of Gernika

Teaching Pack for Secondary Schools

The Peace Museum of Gernika, has published this resource, which could be of interest to Spanish teachers. More information here …


Exposición: Somos refugios Compromiso con el desafío

Octubre 2019 - octubre 2020, MADRID

Misión Salesianas. Calle Lisboa, 4 Moncloa-Aravaca, Madrid

Visitas se realizan de lunes a viernes previa cita, llamando al 914551720 o escribiendo a museo@misionessalesianas.org.

Leer mas …


19 January 2020 LEICESTER

Secular Hall, 75 Humblestone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WB at 18.30

Talk to Leicester Secular Society 'The Guernica Children - refugees from the Spanish Civil War' by Simon Martinez.


13 January 2020, LONDON

Las Rendijas de la Desmemoria King's College London, Nash Lecture Theatre (K.2.31), The Strand WC2R 2LS at 18:45

Paul Preston presentará el nuevo libro de Lala Isla 'Las Rendijas de la Desmemoria'

Regístrese aquí con Eventbrite (evento gratuito)

Although the niños de la guerra get only a brief mention, Lala Isla has always been one of our staunch supporters and so we think that this fascinating book and its launch (in Spanish) may be of interest to our readers. More details here …