Billy Bragg at International Brigade memorial ceremony
Billy Bragg was in Jubilee Gardens on Saturday to lead the singing at the annual wreath-laying at the Spanish Civil War International Brigade Memorial.
The singer, whose father-in-law was a Spanish Civil War refugee, sang Jarama Valley and his own version of the Internationale.
The large crowd was welcomed by Jack Jones, former TGWU union leader and president of the International Brigade Memorial Trust.
Among those laying a wreath was Bernardo Fernandez, counseller at the Spanish Embassy.
Geoff Cowling, former British Consul-General in Barcelona, expressed hope that next year British politicians would be present.
After the names of volunteers who had recently died had been read out it was recalled that Ian Walters, sculptor of the monument (responsible for the nearby sculpture of Nelson Mandela), had also died in the last year.
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