Plaque at historic hall highlights Lancashire's Spanish Civil War links

Robbie MacDonald reports from Nelson…

People from Lancashire who fought fascism in the 1930s Spanish Civil War have been remembered with a new plaque (below) at a historic building in Nelson.

The plaque was unveiled on Friday, September 4, at Nelson's Unity Hall on Vernon Street. The venue was first opened in 1908 by the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and today is home to a political archive and reading room, exhibitions and event spaces.

This year is the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, often seen as the 'first battle of the Second World War'. It began after Spanish General Francisco Franco led a coup against Spain's democratic government. Franco was backed by Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s fascist Italy.

In response, volunteers from around the world joined the International Brigade to defend Spain's government. In Lancashire, volunteers from the Pendle area included George Buck, James Bridge and John Jolly, all from Nelson; Jack Howley from Colne and David Hartley King from Salterforth, who were all commemorated.

Humanitarian aid, volunteer nurses and doctors also went to Spain and Lancashire towns such as Nelson and Burnley had Spanish aid committees.

In Nelson, Unity Hall supporters and trade union members have worked to get a Spanish Civil War plaque installed, supported by Burnley's branch of Unite the Union.

Speakers on September 4 included Chris Keene and Mick Rowan, both from Unite, and Lewis Ashworth (pictured above; photo: Lisa Croft), from Barrowford. Lewis studied history at university in Preston and researched Lancashire links to the Spanish Civil War. He organised a display (below; photo: Lisa Croft) for the September event.

Visitors can also see Unity Hall's other collections, including material about suffragette Selina Cooper (below; photo: Lisa Croft), the ILP and the Clarion movement, which included a newspaper, choirs and cycling clubs.

Today, a Clarion House outdoor centre still operates nearby at Newchurch.

Unity Hall archive volunteers Gary Webb (left) and Lewis Ashworth (right) in front of the reproduction ILP stained glass windows and a 'Socialism Our Hope' banner, showing the Clarion House outdoor centre at Newchurch, near Pendle Hill. Unity Hall's original pair of ILP stained glass windows are now displayed at Clarion House and the People's History Museum in Manchester.