New plaques for West London memorial

IBMT Chair Jim Jump reports…

The ‘Echoes of Spain’ mosaic in London’s Portobello Road now has two plaques explaining the significance and origins of the memorial.

Located under the Westway flyover in the heart of the famous street market, the mural depicts the links between the Spanish Civil War and the Notting Hill area of West London. Several local volunteers joined the International Brigades and many Spanish Republican exiles settled in the neighbourhood.

One of the plaques is a key, indicating the various people and events that appear in the mosaic. A second plaque records that it was unveiled on 18 October 2005 by Spanish ambassador Carlos Miranda and International Brigade veteran and IBMT President Jack Jones.

The new plaques have been funded by the Westway Trust, which has worked with a group of local activists who help look after the memorial. One of them, Manuel Moreno, son of local Republican refugees, says the group has plans to add three further plaques and a QR code linking to more information. 

‘We want to give details about the International Brigades, the Basque refugee children and the Spanish Republicans who fought in the British Army in the Second World War, many of whom made this part of London their home.’

He added: ‘We also want to remember Eddie Adams, a prominent local progressive activist, who was the driving force behind the memorial.’

Manuel Moreno: plans for additional plaques.

Titled ‘They shall not pass – Echoes of Spain – 1936-1939 – Ecos de España – No pasarán’ and measuring five metres in length and more than two metres high, the mosaic pictures Portobello Road itself, on which are ‘Aid Spain’ campaigners and a red flag with the hammer and sickle, while the road disappears into a horizon of Basque mountains. 

In the centre is the Gernikako Arbola (Tree of Gernika), with bombs raining down on it and, further right, the Habana, with a refugee children crammed on the deck. 

Elsewhere are some of the volunteers in the International Brigades from North Kensington, which includes Notting Hill, historically a working-class area, but now one with extensive pockets of expensive housing. 

Also in the foreground is Mari Pepa Colomer (full name María Josep Colomer i Luque), among the first Spanish women to qualify as a pilot. She served with the Spanish Republic’s airforce during the Spanish Civil War and chose to live in England after the war.

The mosaic was created by students of Kensington and Chelsea College under the direction of artists Maureen Pepper and Barbara Gorton. Its dedication reads: ‘This mosaic commemorates the Spanish refugees who fled fascist Spain and those men and women from Kensington who fought in the International Brigade and supported the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 against Franco and his fascist allies.’