Spanish Civil War event in Wakefield

Subject: Spanish Civil War meeting at Red Shed

 

Thirty six people packed into the Red Shed meeting room in Wakefield last Saturday (11 March) to discuss the Spanish Civil War and to remember those who so bravely fought against fascism.

The first speaker was the author and campaigner Granville Williams.  Granville noted that the Soviet Union, through the Comintern, was urging young workers to go to Spain.  However between 1936 and 1938 there were massive purges in the Soviet Union.  This "terror in the Soviet Union was projected into Spain" with the "persecution and extermination of Trotskyists."

Granville paid particular tribute to POUM which had "brilliant leaders" and activists who had led struggles including mass strikes.

The second speaker was Bob Mitchell, a former councillor and former Mayor of Wakefield.  He said the "democrats of Spain were defending an elected Government" and "defending reforms against a fascist and military coup."  All wars generated poetry, he said, but the Spanish Civil War in particular spawned an "immense body of work."  Bob then read a moving selection of poetry by John Cornford, Frank Ryan, Frank Edwards and others.

The final speaker was the environmental campaigner Tim Padmore.  Tim spoke in particular about a new production of the play, "Dare Devil Rides to Jamara", which tells the story of two volunteers Clem Beckett and Chris Caldwell who went to fight with the International Brigades in Spain.

The event was organised by the Wakefield Socialist History Group.  The Group's next event is on Saturday 1 April 1pm, again at the Red Shed, when Dr Martin Crick and Paul Bennett will speak at a meeting on "British Socialism and World War One." Fraternally

Alan Stewart

Convenor, Wakefield Socialist History Group

07931927451

Radical Women at Working Class Library

RADICAL WOMEN:  1880-1914 CONFERENCE Saturday 17 September  9.30am-4pm This one-day conference will celebrate the battles and achievements of working-class women in the drive to achieve a fairer and more balanced society. The decades spanning the turn of the twentieth century saw an upsurge in female activism as women began to organise themselves into trade unions, take part in the socialist debates on social and economic change, and demand the vote. Radical women not only battled against the gender- conservative males within their family or community but also those who claimed to be fighting for equality. There will be keynote addresses by Professor Sheila Rowbotham, University of Manchester and Professor Karen Hunt, Keele University. Papers include the Cabin Restaurant waitresses strike of 1908; the life of Crewe tailoress, campaigner, activitist and author Ada Neild Chew; the forgotten history of domestic servants in women’s suffrage; radical women and the bicycle; suffragette Constance Lytton # and the cause of prison reform; plus many more. Full programme details:  http://www.wcml.org.uk/whats-on/events/radical-women-18801914/. Tickets: £20 (£7.50 unwaged) including lunch and refreshments Book in advance from trustees@wcml.org.uk Saturday Library Opening  Don't forget we're open on the first Saturday of most months - the next one is Saturday 6 August 2016,  10am to 4pm. FREE TALK Wednesday 14th September 2pm  Pit Props: music, international solidarity and the 1984/85 miners' strike A new book from the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, edited by Granville Williams, marks the end of an era in coal mining in the UK and highlights how the year-long struggle by the miners in defence of jobs and communities still resonates today. Details here. This free talk is part of our autumn Invisible Histories series. All welcome.   EXHIBITION 'We Only Want the Earth' 28 September - early 2017 On the centenary of the Easter Rising an exhibition exploring the life of one of its leaders, James Connolly, will be on display here at the Library.    No Power on Earth - Living History performance Based on the true story of Salford man, James Hudson, this monologue tells the story of an ordinary school teacher at the start of the First World War who finds himself at odds with the popular mood. The story, written by Sue Reddish, celebrates his courage to stay true to his beliefs despite considerable pressure, and asks the audience to consider what they would do in such a circumstance. This was performed at both the Library and in local schools earlier this year. The script is now available for download from this page on our website. Although the copyright is ours, we would be delighted if others use it and put on their own performances; just let us know so we can help publicise it.   CALLS FOR PAPERS  Radical Footnotes Radical Footnotes is an independent typographic space committed to bring forward the printed expression of the Working Class. Call for proposals: submit a short discourse addressing problems, analyzing developments, points of contention, methodologies, approaches and insights concerning: ‘DAS KAPITAL’ the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its publication Deadline: December 2016 Details here http://www.socialhistoryportal.org/news/articles/308422 The Women and Girls of Crewe, the North of England, and Beyond 1880-2016 One Day Conference - Wednesday 7th, December 2016 Manchester Metropolitan University, Crewe  Proposals are invited for this free one day interdisciplinary conference inspired by the life and works of the suffragist, author and labour rights campaigner Ada Nield Chew and the forthcoming centenary of the Representation of the People Act. Deadline: 7 August 2016 Details here: http://www.localyouthengagement.org/uncategorized/call-for-papers/

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