This morning, I have been invited to give a talk to the Monday Get Together group at Shrewsbury House, our local community centre. The group is made up of mainly retired people, and it has a varied programme of events that include historical talks, yoga, exercise for those with mobility problems, meeting with local councillors, financial and legal advice etc.
My talk is entitled THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR AND WOOLWICH and is split into two parts ... mainly to enable the audience to have a comfort and coffee break in the middle of the ninety-minute session.
The first half of the talks covers:
- The rise and fall of the Spanish Empire.
- A 'new' empire in Morocco and the creation of the Army of Africa.
- Five myths about the Spanish Civil War.
- The immediate causes of the Spanish Civil War.
- The leaders of the coup.
- Getting Franco to Morocco.
- A brief history of the war.
The second half of the talks covers:
- Woolwich in 1936.
- Milk for Spain and the roles played by the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society.
- Children's homes for refugees and the Basque children's colony in Abbey Wood.
- Save Democratic Spain.
- People associated with Woolwich and their role in the Spanish Civil War:
- Jim Ruskin.
- Jock Mckissock.
- Kenneth Bond.
- Brian Griffin.
- Phillip Hunter.
- Captain Hugh Pollard.
If the talk – which is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation – goes well. I may well turn it into a couple of YouTube videos.
Hi Bob. I remember my dad saying that he had attended fundraising events for the Republicans with my grandad.This was in Peckham.My grandad was a staunch socialist , a trait passed on to my dad and myself
ReplyDeleteIan Callan,
DeleteThanks for sharing your story. My paternal grandfather was a staunch trade unionist (he was one of the leaders of the Tram Drivers in East London during the General Strike and member of the Labour Party. My father used to tell stories of visits to the family home by the local Labour MP during the late 1930s.
All the best,
Bob
That sounds very interesting Bob. I do hope you will turn it into a video. Great that you gave the local angle on it. No doubt some members of the audience have some family memories of these events like Ian. I think that helps make it more relevant for people.
ReplyDeleteNo pasaran!
Nundanket,
DeleteCheers! If I do make it into a YouTube video, I’ll have to split it into at least two parts.
Funnily enough, during the Q&A session afterwards brought forth a lot of memories, especially about the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) that the locals referred to as ‘the stores’.
All the best,
Bob
Sounds like we all missed an interesting story! Fascinating (as was your post about your first publication in a wargames journal - above). I have not checked in to your blog in a while, and it sounds like you have re-discovered your energy and drive, in terms of writing and presentation. All best Carl up Norff
ReplyDeleteCarl,
DeleteI hope to turn my talk and PowerPoint presentation into two or three YouTube videos. They might not get many viewers but it seems a waste not to do it.
All the best,
Bob