Three months in Spain
The British Battalion at Madrigueras and Jarama

Saturday 7 August, 2pm
People’s History Museum
Left Bank
Spinningfields
Manchester M3 3ER

FREE ENTRY

Historian Dr. Richard Baxell lectures on the day-to-day experiences of the British and Irish volunteers in The Spanish Civil War, during the early part of 1937.

The lecture will include audio and video clips from some of the interviews with Brigaders and will cover the formation of the battalion, its baptism of fire at Jarama and its subsequent recovery and rebuilding before returning to action at the Battle of Brunete in July 1937.

As Baxell says: ‘The period of training – let alone combat – must have been an immense culture shock to the members of the battalion, almost all of whom spoke no Spanish and had rarely travelled, even within Britain. Factor in an unfamiliar diet, woefully insufficient and often sub-standard weaponry and a general lack of appropriate military experience and you begin to understand the scale of the appalling task facing the British Battalion in their first experience of combat.’

Richard Baxell, with Jim Jump and Angela Jackson, compiled the ANTIFASCISTAS exhibition for the International Brigade Memorial Trust (see below). He is also the author of British Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, the history of the British Battalion in the International Brigades.

More details of Richard’s work can be found at www.richardbaxell.info

In addition, Civil War songs will be performed by Manchester group The Maddonnas.

For more details of the event contact: Dolores Long: 0161 226 2013 or Hilary Jones: 0161 224 1747

To book a place, please telephone the People’s History Museum on 0161 838 9190 or email:info@phm.org.uk

ANTIFACISTAS

Antifascistas is the exhibition commissoned by the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT) on the British and Irish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War and will be at the People’s History Museum from 6-31st August.

For more information on the work of the International Brigade Memorial Trust
email: secretary@international-brigades.org.uk
tel: 020 8555 6674
web: www.international-brigades.org.uk

Other Events

ILP Weekend 2010

After the election, what next for the left?

ILP Round Table Seminar
Esplanade Hotel, Scarborough
Saturday 5th – 6th June 2010

Admission free – but advance registration necessary

Session 1: Saturday 5 June 2.30 – 5.30pm

Reflecting on the election: Introductory talk and round table discussion

  • What is our assessment of the results?
  • What are the challenges facing the Labour Party post-election?
  • And where does it leave the left project in general?

Session 2: Sunday 6 June 9.30am- 1.00pm

Implications for the ILP and the left: Introductory talk, towards an ILP perspective and round table discussion

  • Where does the election leave the ILP?
  • How do we reformulate our political views?
  • What forms of political activity does it imply for the left?

Attendance

Attendance is free but registration is necessary.

Accommodation is available at the Esplanade Hotel and can be booked via the ILP. The cost, for bed and breakfast, is £30 for the Saturday night. There are a limited number of places at the hotel, so please book early.

Coffee and biscuits will be served during each session. Lunchtime snacks can be purchased at the hotel bar and evening meals can be booked at the hotel restaurant.

Closing date for booking : Friday 14 May

Booking and further information

Write to:
David Connolly
1 Exeter Close
Great Lumley
Chester-le Street
Co Durham  DH3 4LJ

Email:
davidconnolly124@hotmail.co.uk
info@independentlabour.org.uk

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Compass Conference 2010

The Robin Cook Memorial Conference
A New Hope

Saturday 12 June 2010
Institute of Education, London
Ideas, campaigns and coalitions needed to create a progressive consensus for the 21st century

Speakers include

Neal Lawson, Chair, Compass; Jon Cruddas MP; Polly Toynbee, The Guardian; Mehdi Hassan, New Statesman; John Harris, The Guardian; Jon Trickett MP; Paul Mason, BBC Newsnight; Fiona Millar; and many more

Click here for more information.

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Leeds Soundings

The Soundings discussion group in Leeds has been hosting a series of public meetings on a range of topics from rebranding the Tories to climate change.

For details of forthcoming meetings go to www.takingsoundingsleeds.blogspot.com/

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ILP Weekend 2009
Crunch Times: Politics And The Crisis

ILP Round Table Seminar
Esplanade Hotel, Scarborough
13th-14th June 2009

To read a report of this event, click here.
To read Barry Winter’s paper, ‘Lies, Hubris and Neo-liberalism’, click here.
To read Will Brown’s talk, ‘How to let a good crisis go to waste’, click here.

For information on the ILP’s 2010 weekend seminar please email: info@independentlabour.org.uk
or phone: 07799 502937

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Spanish Civil War Commemoration
A celebration of the ILP volunteers

Saturday 30 May 2009, 2.00pm • Working Class Movement Library, Salford
More details

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No Turning Back
The 2009 Robin Cook Memorial Conference

Saturday 13 June 2009 • Institute of Education, London
Organised by Compass. More details

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Politics after crash
The fifth Soundings annual event

Saturday 20 June 2009 • 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3
Organised by Soundings. More details

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