| The Oaks, Carshalton - 11 |
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| The Oaks, Carshalton |
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| The house was demolished between 1956 and 1960, leaving only the bake-house and a few outbuildings. The site of thehouse is still visible as a slight platform to the east of the outbuildings. |
| A very pleasing picture. Children of The Oaks playing, what appears to be, a game of rounders? |
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| 1. Carmen Diaz (auxilliary), 2. Ana Maria Gonzalez (teacher), 3. Pilar Perlado, 4. Park-keeper's wife, 5. Park-keeper's daughter, 6. Mr. J. A. Hunter, 7. Celia Elduque, 8. Ma Teresa David, 9. Lucia Yaniz, 10. Felisa Riego, 11. Fernando Sancho, 12. Helvecia Garcia, 13. Enrique Sancho, 14. Jose Luis Sorozabal, 15. Eduardo Elduque, 16. Daily helper, 17. Delia Garcia, 18. Pablo Riego, 19. Tomas David, 20. Elvio Garcia, 21. Jose Luis de Castro, 22. Luis Sorozabal, 23. Jaime David, 24. Ricardo David, 25. Carlos Sancho, 26. Eusebia Yaniz. Our special thanks to Helvecia Hidalgo (Garcia) for supplying us with the names above. Thanks a lot,Helvecia! |
| In a local monthly journal entitled 'Wallington Topics', published locally in January 1938 there is a short reference to the Basque children staying at 'The Oaks' It tells us that there were 20 in number, nearly all from San Sebastian and are mostly related to one another. They were given English lessons and of a weekend were invited out to private homes so as to give them a better idea of what England and its people really like. Only three of the children knew the whereabouts of their parents and the Spanish teacher who accompanied them was convinced that some were already orphans. Locally, people donated money, indoor games and warm clothing to help support the refugees. They stayed for about three years. I believe there were also Basque families living for a short time in another house, 'Brandries Hill House' in Beddington. From an e-mail sent by Bev. Shew, Heritage Assistant of London Borough of Sutton 2 May 2003. |
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| Children of the colony in folkloric Basque costumes. |
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| A small happy group from The Oaks. |
| In August, 1937, five years ago, the Carshalton Basque Children's Committee began to work when it received twenty-two children from the central camp at Southampton. The Oaks, Banstead, was their first home and remained so for some three years. We should like to express our grateful thanks to the Carshalton Urban Council for allowing us to use first The Oaks, and later The Culvers; they have always been very kind to us in all our housing problems. The necessary equipment had been got together by the National Joint Committee and the Sutton Spanish Aid Committee, who had collected, crockery and kitchen equipment, etc., from house-to-house drive on the St. Helier estate. (The part played by Sutton Committee is dealt with under a separate heading.) Soon after the chilsren were established with Mr. Richardson as Warden, gifts of clothing, books, games and parcels of groceries and vegetables began to arrive, evidence of sym- pathy for these innocent victims of war. During the week-ends many visitors were welcomed, and they would take the children in groups to their homes for tea or a visit to the pictures. But it was not until six months after their arrival that any degree of financial security was established. This came as a result of supporting committees being set up in Banstead, Epsom, Wallington, and Mitcham. These committees sent in funds regularly, and were given representation on our committee. From this time on the little Spanish colony enjoyed a period of comparative contentment, with sufficient funds, and plenty of friends to relieve themonotony of colony life by their interest and attentions, and children, staff and committee had a very happy time until------ Just two years after their arrival at The Oaks, the children were en- joying a holiday at Hayling Island in a camp, when for the second time they be- came victims of inter- national Fascism, this time at the outbreak of the second world war. Victims at once, for immediately the ru- mour was spread that their home, The Oaks, was to be taken for war purposes and they would be stranded. We speculated how long it might be possible for them to remain under canvas while the committee scoured the district for suitable accommodation. Meanwhile members of the committee and friends (Article continued in the middle column) |
(A Short History of the Home - continued) were arranging for billets. Meanwhile all the equipment and gear was got ready for a sudden evacuation from The Oaks. However, the excitement subsided, the children returned and life went on much as before except that in a very short time the committee realised that money was not coming in as it used to do. Our income fell by about 40 per cent. Our reserves disappeared in a very short time, and the committee met in November to face the prospect of having to give up. Instead, however, a campaign for funds was undertaken by the first of our special appeals, and it was successful. Meanwhile we were solving educational problems, |
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and preparing the elder children for employment, also equipping children whose parents had applied for them to return to Spain. The committee at this time had to face its most unpleasant task; that of preparing the children for repatriation. We were very unhappy at the thought not only of losing our young friends, but in the knowledge that they were returning to con- ditions that were, and still are most unsatisfac- tory. We knew that very shortly after the first joy of reunion with their families that they would have to face conditions far worse than they would have experienc- ed here, even in war-time. Reluctantly and sadly we bade farewell, and returned to an almost empty Oaks, convinced that is was not in the best interests of the children to consent to a general repatriation. We had three children remaining in January,... Article taken from the Carshalton Basque Home News commemoration number, 1942. |
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| Milagros dressed up in a dancing costume. |
| Senorita Pili reading whilst relaxing on a deck chair in the grounds of The Oaks. |
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| Two happy young lady's. Helvecia Hidalgo (Garcia) with Delia. |
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| What a happy boy! -- Jaime David |
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| Orphan children |
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| Friends -- Felisa and Lucia. |
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| A Short History of the Home |
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| Sutton Spanish Aid Committee |
| No history of the Carshalton Basque Children's Committee would be complete without some mention of the part played by the Sutton Spanish Aid Committee. A former member of our committee, Chas. West, whose name is familiar to |
| many of our readers, records his impres- sions of the early struggles of the committee. These are his words:- May, 1937, was a red-letter month for some 4,000 refugee Spanish children, for during that month they left the battle-torn shores of Spain and arrived in an England... ...The first job was to place the Home on a sound financial basis... ...Valiant work was done by the Sutton S.A.C. Their speakers toured the whole area, and committees were st up in Banstead, Epsom, Mitcham, and many other places. All sorts of people from Communist to L.P., trade unions, religious bodies. co-operatives and clubs, all worked together to provide... Article taken from the Carshalton Basque Home commemoration number, 1942 |
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