Valerie Powels (1950-2011)

One thing leads to another. We have just posted a tribute to Eduardo Pons Prades by Manel Aisa Pampols. It was translated by Valery Powels [Valerie Powels] who, it turns out was a Birmingham anarchist who wound up in Barcelona. Nick Lloyd described her as ‘local activist, anarchist and historian who fought doggedly to save the 307 bomb shelter, today an essential visit in understanding Mussolini’s murderous bombing of city to help Franco’s war’ (this on the occasion of  a square in Poble-sec being named after her in 2023).

Let us hear from the woman herself:

‘I love Poble sec, the district I live in in Barcelona.
I love the narrow little streets and the park of Montjuïc behind.
I love its working class history, the sense of community.
Which survives.’

Her website is still live at http://refugi307.blogspot.com/ We should remember our history – and our historians!