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History society

AT the September meeting, Hywel Davies, author of Fleeing Franco, shared his research into child refugees from the Spanish Civil war.

Public opinion was so outraged by the bombing of Guernica that when the same fate threatened the population of Bilbao, the British government finally agreed to offer 4,000 children temporary shelter.

The ship sent by the Basque government arrived at Southampton in 1937.

The children were sent to colonies all over Britain.

Mr Davies described the varied experiences of children in the four colonies in Wales, at Brechfa, Old Colwyn, Sketty Park and Cambrian House at Caerleon.

The original intention was for the children to stay for just a few weeks but when Bilbao fell, the children learned that they would not be going home any time soon - some of them never.

Stephen Williams will speak about Suffragettes at the next meeting in the Reading Room at 7.30pm on Monday, 1 October.

Visitors are welcome.

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