ADLINGTON Library has an exhibition running until June 12 entitled ‘Heath Charnock's Green Men’ telling the story of the Spanish anti-fascist prisoners of war at the Hall o' th' Hill Camp.
On Friday June 5, at 7pm, there will be a talk by Dr Richard
Cleminson who is a reader in Hispanic Studies at the University of Leeds.
One of the contributors to the exhibition is Lisa Croft who
lives in Westhoughton. Her grandmother was a local journalist and wrote
articles about the men and had a local artist do sketches to illustrate the
stories.
Pedro Cuadrado died in 2010 aged 88.
His life story was recorded and stored at the Imperial War
Museum for future generations to learn more about what happened to him and
other Spanish men.
As a teenager, living in Barcelona, he was conscripted into
the Republican Army fighting General Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
The father-of-three, grandfather and great-grandfather was
among the survivors when a truck carrying soldiers was bombed at the battle of
Ebro.
His story was the kind read about in books or seen in films.
As Franco's grip tightened he fled across the Pyrenees to
France with thousands of others and in France was placed in a refugee camp. But
as the Germans invaded at the start of World War Two he fled towards
Switzerland, was caught and made a prisoner of war. During his time in the camps
this amazingly talented man learned to speak five languages.
He was put to work helping the Nazis build an underground
factory near Paris. An attempt to escape failed and he was recaptured.
As the Allies gained ground in the war he found his future
in the hands of the Americans and they passed him and his fellow Spaniards over
to the British who shipped their prisoners to England.
Pedro found himself interred in the camp near Adlington and
two years later became a spokesman for his comrades arguing for their release.
The men were freed and Pedro settled in Bolton.
He worked for a textile company in Manchester and married
Pauline. They had children Elena, Carlos
and Adrienne. Pedro became known for
his singing in the Casablanca Tavern in the town each evening. He loved
introducing people to the Spanish culture and this soon led to him setting up
his own bar, Pedro's Taverna.
This bar became a meeting place for everyone from soap stars
and footballers to ordinary local folk.
He was famous for his chilli con carne and sangria. Although he gave up running the taverna in the
1990s he still lived above the premises and his home remained a meeting place
for his many friends until his death.
In one of our photographs you can see the Spanish
anti-fascist prisoners standing at the entrance of the Hall o' th' Hill camp.
The authorities allowed them to erect a board so that they
would not be confused by the local population with German POWs.
To find out more about this fascinating piece of history pop
along to see the exhibition or book a seat for the talk by ringing 0300 123
6703 or email adlington.library@lancashire.gov.uk
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