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'Aid
for Spain' Rally
The
National Tramway Museum, Crich
29th
and 30th July 2006 |
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Crich Tramway
Village (the wonderful restored period village of the National Tramway
museum) was the perfect setting for La Columna's first full weekend of
doing 'Aid for Spain'; that is an event set in the UK during the Spanish
Civil War.
Our main focus
for the two day event was a march on each day down the main street carrying
a coffin containing the 'body of Non-Intervention' and, from the back
of a wagon outside the museum pub, held an 'Aid for Spain' rally.
Our
friends from the 'Men of Britain' re-enactment group waiting for
the start of the demonstration
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Marchers
prepare to set off
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The head
of the demo, the banner reads 'National Joint Committee for Spanish
Relief'
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Marchers
with placards and Spanish Republican tricolour
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The coffin of 'Non intervention'
The pall reads 'BURY NON INTEVENTION LET SPAIN LIVE'
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Bob
riding the cart during the Aid for Spain march |
Marchers
listen to the Speeches with flags and placards |
James
takes on the role of a returning International Brigader to give
a speech about the importance of supporting democratic Spain |
Bob in
mid speech
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Fate plays it's part in binging
us a new friend....
During our
'demonstration' we were delighted to meet a very special new friend: Dolly
West Shaer.
Dolly is the
daughter of the International Brigader Fred West who went to Spain in
September 1937 and became Political Commissar of No.2 Company of the British
Battalion. He was captured during the Battle of the Ebro on the day the
International Brigades were withdrawn from the front line in September
1938. He spent the next seven months in some appalling fascist camps including
the notorious San Pedro de Cardena concentration camp (a former monastery).
He did not get back to the UK until April/May 1939. Frank was a member
of the Communist Party from the early 1930s and remained one all his life.
He died at home in January 1989.
Frank
West is pictured here (holding rifle with pendant on) with other
British Battalion members just before they crossed the Ebro in
July 1938.
Incidentally
the man holding the other end of the pendant is Edward John Flanagan
from Birmingham (he went by the name Andrew Flanagan in Spain).
Quick Link: His Granddaughter Olga Gascón Flanagan has
created an interesting web
page about his time in Spain.
Picture
courtesy Dolly West Shaer
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Dolly was
very moved by our display saying how she was transported back to her childhood
of being on 'Aid For Spain' rallies herself. It also reminded her of the
not so pleasant memory of Christmas 1938 when her family did not know
whether Frank was alive or dead. On a lighter note, when one of our group
producing a packet of 1930s Woodbines to smoke it made her laugh, saying
that her mother sent those very cigarettes out to Frank before his capture.
By the time they got to him though all the tobacco had shaken out of the
cigarettes and had to be scraped out of the parcel paper and used as rolling
tobacco instead.
What was perhaps
the most amazing part of our meeting was the fact that Dolly had no idea
that we were at the museum that day - she had come on an organised excursion
for the day from Woking in Surrey! It was surely meant for us to meet!
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| Daughter
of British Brigader Dolly West Shaer (holding The Republican Flag)
with members of La Columna after the Aid for Spain 'demo' |
Dolly
talking with La Columna |
General Strike 1926
It wasn't
all marching and speeches, La Columna members also took part in the brief
1926 General Strike scenario that occurred. We acted as Strikers and some
of even took on the roles of special Constables trying to break up the
workers that were blocking the trams. A few of the Museum drivers dressed
as 'Toffs' to drive the trams as volunteer drivers as happened in the
actual strike some 80 years previously.
Quick Link:
A
brief summary of the General Strike including some eye witness accounts
A
'Toff' tries to get on a tram whilst the workers blocking the
road are distracted
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An
irate Tram official tries to move the workers - to little affect
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Things
start to get ugly when a couple of armed 'Specials' arrive
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Finally
a union official arrives 'It's all off lads the union's given
in"
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More Pictures
of Crich 2006...
Sunday morning
parade: we decided to make the most of the extensive grounds around the
museum and spent Sunday morning drilling and marching in our International
Brigade guise... though why walk when you can catch a tram.
Of course there was a pub,
and marching and speeches make you thirsty.
© 2006 Text
and Pictures La Columna, unless otherwise stated in Alt tag
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