First cobbles made for Spanish Civil War memorial

2 hours ago

Pamela BilalovaNorth East and Cumbria

News image — More cobbles for the monument will be made at events later in the year

Rob MacDonald A group of about dozen men and women make blocks for the monument in a workshop. Brushes and carving tools are scattered on the wooden tables. The people are holding up their cobbles as sunlight streams in through the workshop windows. — More cobbles for the monument will be made at events later in the year

Dozens of volunteers have helped make the first cobbles for a monument to those who fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War.

The artwork aims to honour about 20 people from Roker, Millfield, Southwick and other parts of Sunderland who travelled to Spain to fight against the right-wing nationalists in the 1930s.

Artist Rob MacDonald said the community made 18 blocks for the memorial at an event in Roker on Saturday and more workshops would take place throughout the city later in the year.

Nicola Andrews, whose grandfather crossed the blockade several times to get humanitarian supplies into Spain, said it was a "real privilege" to make a contribution to the artwork.

"I'm really pleased that the group is being galvanised to create this memorial and have a permanent record and a place to recognise the sacrifices here," the 44-year-old said.

Rob MacDonald Nicola Andrews is smiling as she holds a white rectangle cobble she made for the monument's base. She has glasses and a grey hoodie. Her straight brown hair is tied in a ponytail and she has a fringe. The design on the cobble includes a triangular shape and the union jack flag. — Nicola Andrews said she was honoured to pay tribute to her grandfather and the other volunteers

The Spanish Civil War was fought between 1936 and 1939 between General Franco's nationalists and left-wing republicans.

Andrews' grandfather, Captain Joseph Andrews, was in charge of the SS Thorpehall which became first ship to break the nationalist blockade and get supplies to Bilbao in April 1937.

The ship, which was built in Sunderland in 1910, was struck and sunk in an air raid just outside Valencia in May 1938.

Captain Andrews survived and returned to Sunderland.

His granddaughter said she would love to see the monument somewhere central.

"It can be a real feature of the city and remind everybody about the many people who sacrificed to help fight against the fascism."

Rob MacDonald Two rows of 18 white rectangular cobbles which were made at the event. They have stars, hearts, flowers and sun rays carved on them. — The first 18 blocks for the artwork were made at the weekend

Saul Cotton, 22, who also made a block for the artwork, said: "Being part of a memorial, also being part of history, I thought that would be cool.

"It's a nice reminder for the people who have served in that war to be remembered by and it's also nice to be able to see that as a thing you can go to."

The campaign to build a memorial to the civil war volunteers has been under way for about a year.

The project is linked to a "living monument" MacDonald made in Spain in 2016.

While there is no official design or planning application submitted for the Sunderland monument yet, MacDonald said the idea had "flourished" in the city and he hoped at least 100 cobbles for its base would be made by the end of the year.

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