| Langham (Colchester) - 2 |
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| Under the oak tree |
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| Langham (Colchester) |
The Peace Pledge Union is playing its part in the provision of homes for the innocent young victims of war in the Basque country who arrived at Southampton on Sunday. Between fifty and sixty of these tragic refugees are to be accomodated in a house which will be made available for the Union. A women's committee, on which the sponsors are represented by Miss Rose Macaulay, has been formed and is at work on the necessary arrangements. But this undertaking needs money-in particular it needs something like £2,000 and it needs it at once. Readers of PEACE NEWS have, we know, proved their generosity again and again but we are confident that the needs of these Spanish children in our own country will not go unfulfilled... Part of front page of number 50 of the PEACE NEWS, 29 May 1937. |
1. HOW IT BEGAN The Peace Pledge Union dates from the day when Dick Sheppard invited all men who felt as he did to write to him stating that they renounced war and would never again participate in one. The immediate response was overwhelming, and every day since then pledge cards have come in, the total having now reached some 123,000. At first the movement had been confined to men, but when the signatures of women were asked for there was once more an immediate response. By reason of its numerical and moral strength, this venture has become a national movement, and it is linked with the world movement by its affiliation to the War Resister's International... |
| 1. Srta Celia Echebarria (Senior Teacher/Matron), 2. M. Darling (In Charge), 3. Magdalena Garcia, 4. Natividad Garcia, 5. Marina Rodriguez, 6. Mari Luz Lopez, 7. Rosita Lano, 8. ? , 9. Maria Angeles Olozaga, 10. Martina Cruchaga, 11. Carito Rodriguez, 12. Carmen ? , 13. ? , 14. ? , 15. Pachica ? , 16. Laura Garcia, 17. Merches Gomez, 18. Rafaela Collado (Auxilliary, married a brother of of Felix Amat), 19. Srta. Amada (Teacher, married Theo Wills), 20. English Lady, may have been Mr. Darling's wife or fiancee), 21. ? , 22. ? , 23. Julia Pascual (settled in Nottingham. Deceased 2000), 24. Amparo Cruchaga, 25. Celia Olozaga, 26. Juanita Axnar, 27. Begona Ulles, 28. ? , 29. Teresa Amat, 30. Petra or Berta Martinez, 31. Pablo Valtierra, 32. Valeriana ? , 33. ? , 34. Asuncion Leceta, 35. Manolo Leceta, 36. Ernesta Bueno, 37. Paquito Diez, 38. Tomas Nunez, 39. Aurora Matinez, 40. Manolo Amat, 41. Luis Garcia, 42. Herminia Bueno, 43. Cesareo Bueno, 44. Bernardo ? , 45. Rodolfo Garcia, 46. Luis Pascual (Living in Nottingham), 47. Ernesto Cruchaga, 48. Antonio Pascual, 49. Edmundo Garcia, 50. Angel Diez, 51. Felix Amat, 52. Teresa Martinez, 53. Fermin Bacigalupe, 54. ? , 55. Chuchi Aznar, 56. Joaquin Ulles, 57. Bonifacio Gomez, 58. Eloy Valle, 59. ? , 60. Argentina Valle, 61. ? , 62. ? , 63. Vicente Rodriguez, and Luis Rivera who is missing from the photograph. Thanks to Felix Amat (Nottingham) for remembering so many names! |
| Senorita Peque (Cecilia Gurich) with two young boys from Langham colony. |
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| Five miles out of Colchester on the Ipswich Road a fine old oak in the middle of a grass triangle marks a turning on the left leading to the hamlet of Langham. This local landmark is known as the Langham Oak. Following the turning...for about a mile, the traveller comes on a solidly-built, comfortable-looking house of grey stone standing in finely-kept grounds and called "The Adelphi Centre." Here Middleton Murry's community for the study and practice of the new Socialism has been in action for a year.. Now the whole house is being surrendered to the family of 29 Basque girls and 24 Basque boys for which the P.P.U. has recently made itself responsible... Part of an article written on the 12 June 1937 by Dorothy Plowman (in Peace News). |
| Pacifists to provide homes for Basque children |
| WHAT DOES P.P.U. STAND FOR? |
| Two boys at Langham playing 'wheel-barrows' in the garden. In the barrow is Ernesto Cruchaga, being wheeled by Chuchi Aznar. |
| A small group of Basque young women with the youngest child in the Langham colony being held for the camera shoot. Do you know anything about this little girl? |
| The children always find an excuse to stop the progress of classes. Some of them are sure the English school children have at least two Whitsun holidays. They had the idea of uniting Whitsun holidays with the anniversary of their arrival at Basque House, which fell on Wednesday, June 8. Somebody asks: Could we have four days' holiday for Whitsun? They argue: The weather is getting slendid for swimming; others prefer to fish in the river or pools; the elder girls want to enjoy themselves...making their shorts. One of them says at last: "Senorita we assure you that if we have four days without classes, our minds will be cleared and rested enough; and afterwardwe shall be able to excel in any school subject." With all these good reasons and schemes who is able to say . . . No ! The is part of an article written in June 18 1938 by Cecilia Gurich who was a Spanish teacher at the Langham colony. She come with the children from Bilbao. |
| Senorita Cecilia Gurich was the mother of Natalia Benjamin who has provided all the material and is at present helping to register all names and address for the Association of Basque Children here in Britain. |
| "Happy days are here again..." |
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| Who is able to say...No! |
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| Felix Amat in Basque costume. |
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| Some more young women from the Langham colony. |
| The staff-room. Left to right: Theo Wills, Senorita Peque (Natalia's mother), Leonard Reed, Srta Berta Echevaria, Srta Deme Rosales (sister-in-law of Celia and Berta), Srta Celia Echevaria and Otto (the colony handiman). The little child on Otto's lap we don't recognise. |
| A group of boys and girls from The Oaks. |
| Mr. R. Hartley, and his wife, invited two of the children fron The Oaks on holiday during August 1938. He is shown here with a group of children. |