This morning I have been invited to give a talk the the Monday Get Together group at Shrewsbury House, our local community centre. The group is made up of mainly retired people, and it has a varied programme of events that include historical talks, yoga, exercise for those with mobility problems, meeting with local councillors, financial and legal advice etc.

My talk is entitled THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR AND WOOLWICH and is split into two parts … mainly to enable the audience to have a comfort and coffee break in the middle of the ninety minute session.

The first half of the talks covers:

• The rise and fall of the Spanish Empire.
• A ’new‘ empire in Morocco and the creation of the Army of Africa.
• Five myths about the Spanish Civil War.
• The immediate causes of the Spanish Civil War.
• The leaders of the coup.
• Getting Franco to Morocco.
• A brief history of the war.

The second half of the talks covers:

• Woolwich in 1936.
• Milk for Spain and the roles played by the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society.
• Children’s homes for refugees and the Basque children’s colony in Abbey Wood.
• Save Democratic Spain.
• People associated with Woolwich and their role in the Spanish Civil War:
• Jim Ruskin.
• Jock Mckissock.
• Kenneth Bond.
• Brian Griffin.
• Phillip Hunter.
• Captain Hugh Pollard.

If the talk – which is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation – goes well. I may well turn it into a couple of YouTube videos.