Our Activities

News & Events 2021


Refugees in Cumbria

Refugees in Cumbria

Those of you who have been interested in the two recently published articles on the Brampton colony [here … and here …] may be interested to read Dr R. David's book:


"A County of Refuge:
Refugees in Cumbria 1933-1941"
.

More details here …


Desde BCA'37UK-Euskadi / From BCA'37UK-Euskadi

The meeting between Lehendakari and BCA’37UK-Euskadi

Octubre 26
El Lehendakari recibe a miembros de la asociación de menores evacuados desde Euskadi al Reino Unido durante la Guerra Civil - Gobierno Vasco - Euskadi.eus

www.euskadi.eus/gobierno-vasco/-/noticia …

October 26
The Lehendakari received members of the BCA’37UK-Euskadi

www.euskadi.eus/gobierno-vasco/-/noticia …



octubre 27
Entrevista de radio

www.eitb.eus/es/radio/radio-euskadi/programas …

Lehendakari Radio Interview

Saint Jean de Luz, Francia
En el cementerio de Aice Errota, Gaizka Garamendi Gurimusen en nombre de nuestras dos asociaciones, puso flores en la tumba de Lehendakari Aguirre.

Saint Jean de Luz, France
In the cemetery 'Aice Errota', Gaizka Garamendi Gurimusen, in the name of our two associations, lays flowers on the tomb of Lehendakari Aguirre.

Tomb of Lehendakari Aguirre

The Age of Mass Child Removal in Spain

The Age of Mass Child Removal in Spain

Peter Anderson has just sent us these links to an event on 9th December for the launching of his new book.

All are invited to attend on Zoom through Eventbrite. Register here …

More details on Peter's book can be found here …


Success for Jan Carr!

Thanks to all who responded to Jan Carr's Twitter appeal for funding for her books on Kickstarter!

Jan Carr, a Southampton writer, has successfully raised funds to print copies of her latest novel for young people, set against the backdrop of Southampton's Basque children's refugee camps.

The books can be bought/ordered here.


Bradford Peace Museum

Museums Change Lives logo

Our friends at the Bradford Peace Museum have been short listed for the Museums Change Live Awards 2021, in the category Best Small Museum Project. We wish them every success!

We would also remind you that their Bombs…Away! exhibition is still on line. It has a section on the Basque children. See more details below …


Modern Records Centre at Warwick University

Warwick logo

We would like to draw your attention to this very informative archive of documents charting some of the major events in the history of the Basque Children's evacuation in 1937.

View it here …


The Experience of Basque refugee children in Swansea in the 1930s

By David Morris, Archivist, West Glamorgan Archive Service

Read it here … on the web site of Archifau Cymru/Archives Wales

… and see also this YouTube presentation …


PRESS:

Spanish Civil War refugee urges Cumbria to support Afghans

Carmen Cid, 92, lives in Carlisle and left Spain when she was eight years old to come to the UK. She called for more help to be given to Afghan asylum seekers …

Read the full article here …


Talk by Carmen Kilner at the IBMT AGM

Open talk by Carmen Kilner 'The Basque Children of 1937', which will be followed by Q & A.

October 9th, 4.30 - 6pm. Southampton Civic Centre, Civic Centre Road, SO14 7LY. Comms room 3 & 4. This will be part of IBMT AGM but all are welcome to attend the talk.

Full details ….


The Nutmeg Podcast: "From Blitzkrieg to the Bernabeu"

Daniel Gray tells the incredible tale of the Basque refugee children exiled to Britain during the Spanish Civil War who became professional footballers.

Listen here ….


Sponsored walk on 18 September 2021

This walk, organised by Pauline Fraser (IBMT), is in the Brighton and Hove area. Amongst places associated with International Brigaders, the walk will visit the sites of the Basque colonies at Girton House and Aylesbury House. Full details ….


Refugee Week 2021: Talking to Chelmsford Amnesty International about the Basque Refugee Children

Amnesty International logo

Read the report here by Edward Packard

It contains links to the video-talk and Havens East project.

[See also the next item about the National Archives film for Refugee Week 2021.]


PRESS:El Mundo. Mayo 23 2021

Flori Diaz
Flori Diaz

"How to evacuate 4000children in three weeks, under bombing in the Civil War with your government against it."
By Josean Izarra

"Como evacuar a 4000 niños en tres semanas, bajo bombardeo de la Guerra Civil y con tu gobierno en contra."
Por Josean Izarra.

Read the article here …


PRESS:When children fleeing the Spanish Civil War came to Caerleon

"Twenty years ago a woman from Caerleon, one of the last links between South Wales and the Spanish Civil War, died. Here we revisit her fascinating story as told on 22 May 2001 by then Argus writer Mike Buckingham."

From the South Wales Argus. Read it here …


Update on "Crowd Pledging"

Save the Children

Project for the publication in English of Gregorio Arrien’s ¡Salvad a Los Niños! / Save the children! The History of the Basque Exile to Great Britain 1937 - 1940.
More information …

"Thank you" to the people who have already made pledges to support this project. I am pleased to say that we are a quarter of the way there! Please consider making a pledge, the larger the better of course. In pledging a donation to fund this project you must not send money — just make a pledge by contacting me at simonmartinez1937@yahoo.com


ONLINE EXHIBITIONS

Bombs…Away!

Please visit the Peace Museum's new Bombs…Away! online exhibition.
We were pleased to help with the section on the Basque children.

Bombs…Away! explores the impact of aerial bombardment against civilians during World War Two and uses The Peace Museum's unique collection to examine how peace campaigns formed in response …

Visit the exhibition at: www.bombsawayexhibition.com

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. We were pleased to contribute to the research and development 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


Basque child refugees: untold stories from the National Archives

To mark Refugee Week 2021, the National Archives have produced a short film about the Basque children. It can be viewed on YouTube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zf80IP8x0c


BCA'37 UK & BCA'37UK-Euskadi.

Memorias Solo seran tres meses

BCA'37UK-Euskadi with the help of the Basque Government through Gogora the Institute for Memory, Coexistence and Human Rights, are pleased to present two important books that tell of and remember the evacuation and stay of the children in the UK. More information and how to get copies press …


BCA'37UK-Euskadi con la ayuda del Gobierno Vasco a través de Gogora el Instituto de Memoria, Convivencia y Derechos Humanos, se complace en presentar dos libros importantes que narran y recuerdan la evacuación y estancia de los niños en el Reino Unido expedición. Para obtener más información y cómo obtener sus copias presione aquí …


Refugee Week 2021: We Cannot Walk Alone

Online event: Haven's East: The Lost History of Basque Child Refugees in 1930s East Anglia

On Thursday 17th June 2021, Dr Jeannette Baxter (Anglia Ruskin University) and Dr Ed Packard (University of Suffolk) will tell the incredible but little known story of the child refugees who came to East Anglia during the Spanish Civil War …

More details here


Vicente Cañada
Vicente Cañada

PRESS:Conmemoración del / Commemoration of Gernika"

Domingo 25 de abril como parte de su conmemoración del bombardeo de Gernika, Deia publicó los siguientes dos artículos sobre la evacuación al Reino Unido. Léelo aquí

Sunday 25th April, as part of its commemoration of the bombing of Gernika the basque newspaper Deia published the following two articles about the evacuation to the UK.(In Spanish) Read it here


PRESS:Solo Serán Tres Meses

On Sunday 7th March El Correo published this article by Julio Arrieta on "Solo Serán Tres Meses", the Spanish Translation of Adrian Bell's "Only for Three Months". [Acknowledgements to El Correo for this article. More information above under Association Notices]


Picasso Presents Gernika

Special screening of a powerful new play Picasso Presents Gernika by Begoña Echeverria of the University of California.

Note, the times shown are Pacific Daylight Time! The UK times are 10.pm to midnight (10.00 to 11.15 for the play, followed by Q&A on Zoom)

If you would like to be sent the link please send an email to Begoña at bechever@stanfordalumni.org. More details here


Anniversary of the bombing of Gernika

Gernika Bombing


26th April 1937, the bombing of Gernika. We mark this grim anniversary with a short clip of Nick Rankin reading George Steer's article to The Times (London and New York) that galvanised the British public and led to the Government accepting the children. It is accompanied by very moving footage.

View it here ….

Nick Rankin is the author of the biography of George Steer entitled Telegram from Guernica, and is a stalwart supporter of our Association.


"Voyages of the Heart"

Premiere performance this weekend of the musical composition "Voyages of the Heart" by Tunde Jegede.

The composer has put together a musical masterpiece which features stories of refuge and migration in Southampton. He was inspired by the Basque Collection held by the University of Southampton and one number is specifically about that journey. More information about the piece …

Tickets are available for as little as £1 and the following link will be live between 23rd April and 3rd May so you can watch at your own leisure.

Tickets from: http://www.turnersims.co.uk/events/mayflower400-voyages-of-the-heart/


Database Available

Gogora have informed us that you can now consult the database of victims killed during the civil war in Euskadi on their website. www.gogora.euskadi.eus

Gogora nos ha informado que desde ahora podrá consultar en su web la base de datos de Víctimas mortales de la guerra civil en Euskadi. www.gogora.euskadi.eus


History of the Second World War Podcast

History of the Second World War

History of the Second World War is a history podcast that tells the story of the Second World War chronologically in the form of weekly episodes.

Basque Children with Dr. Ed Packard

On this episode of our Spanish Civil War Interview Series I was joined by Ed Packard from the Basque Children Association. We discussed the story of the 4000 children that were brought to Britain in 1937 …

You can listen to it here …


Exhibition at the Museo Salesiana

Exhibition at the Museo Salesiana in Madrid

A short report by Mariano García Borreguero
(in English and Spanish) can be read here …


Prestigious Award for Natalia Benjamin

Natalia Benjamin We are delighted that Natalia Benjamin, one of the founders of our association in the UK in 2002 and current Honorary President of our association, will receive a well deserved Honorary Doctorate from Oxford Brookes University.

This is in recognition of her exemplary commitment to her important work on the testimony and historical memory of refugees, which is recognized as of international importance.

We will give more details as they become available.

The Trustees send their heartfelt congratulations to Natalia on this prestigious award.


*** Price reduction ***The Spanish Civil War in the Basque town of Barakaldo
Eleven Months of Resistance

Barakaldo book

This book is specifically a history of the Spanish Civil War centred in an interesting industrial area of the Basque Country and beyond. It is the background of many of the nearly 4,000 children who came to England as refugees in May 1937 …

More details & how to purchase: visit our shop here …


Simon Martinez's request for "Crowd Pledging"

Save the Children

Save the Children!
The history of the Basque Exile in Greta Britain 1937 – 1940
Gregorio Arrien

Gregorio Arrien has published three books based on his research about the children. Gregorio died in 2019 and, until now, his work has only been published in Spanish. Simon Martinez, with the BCA and other partners, is making an English edition happen.
More information …


Solo Serán Tres Meses

On Sunday 7th March El Correo published this article by Julio Arrieta on "Solo Serán Tres Meses", the Spanish Translation of Adrian Bell's "Only for Three Months". [Acknowledgements to El Correo for this article. More information below under Association Notices]


Memorias

BCA'37 UK & BCA'37UK-Euskadi.

BCA'37UK-Euskadi with the help of the Basque Government through Gogora the Institute for Memory, Coexistence and Human Rights, are pleased to present two important books that tell of and remember the evacuation and stay of the children in the UK.
More information and how to get copies press …



Solo seran tres meses

BCA'37UK-Euskadi con la ayuda del Gobierno Vasco a través de Gogora el Instituto de Memoria, Convivencia y Derechos Humanos, se complace en presentar dos libros importantes que narran y recuerdan la evacuación y estancia de los niños en el Reino Unido expedición. Para obtener más información y cómo obtener sus copias presione aquí …


Database Available

Gogora have informed us that you can now consult the database of victims killed during the civil war in Euskadi on their website. www.gogora.euskadi.eus

Gogora nos ha informado que desde ahora podrá consultar en su web la base de datos de Víctimas mortales de la guerra civil en Euskadi. www.gogora.euskadi.eus


History of the Second World War Podcast

History of the Second World War

History of the Second World War is a history podcast that tells the story of the Second World War chronologically in the form of weekly episodes.

Basque Children with Dr. Ed Packard

On this episode of our Spanish Civil War Interview Series I was joined by Ed Packard from the Basque Children Association. We discussed the story of the 4000 children that were brought to Britain in 1937 …

You can listen to it here …