The hawthorn is in full bloom in San Sebastián De Los Reyes

 

Hope springs eternal

 The title is  from Alexander Pope's  An Essay on Man written in 1733. Here is another extract.

'Two principles in human nature reign;

Self-love, to urge and reason, to restrain;

Nor this is a good, nor that a bad we call,

Each works its end, to move or govern all:

And to their proper operation still,

Ascribe all good; to their improper, ill.'

Maybe March and Mars the god of war go together. So disheartening to remember that the Iraq war was declared on  St Patrick's Day and March 2026 will be remembered too with a heavy heart.

But ¨Hope springs eternal in the  human breast: Man never is, but always To be blest.¨

St Patrick's Day Celebrations in Madrid

 

SEMANA  DE IRLANDA  EN MADRID 2026

Following the commemoration in 2025 of the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Spain, the Bloomsday Society will mark St Patrick’s Day through Literature.

8M

 

LIBRES  E  IGUALES

¡FELIZ  DÍA  DE L A  MUJER1

A woman’s place is …

In the law courts, in Parliament, in schools, and universities, in hospitals, in nursing homes, on a space shuttle, on the factory floor, on construction sites, on the football field, behind the wheel of the bus or  taxi , on the streets demonstrating, on the farm, building bridges, designing clothes, looking after animals, on the computer, in banking, conducting anorchestra, managing firms, making  films, writing, singing,  dancing, in sport and commerce , planting seeds of respect and equality and nurturing them with love  so that they will grow like flowers , unstoppable year after year to make  this world a safe and beautiful place for all humankind.

 

NEWS

 Our association had its general assembly in January.

We are very happy to welcome our new Treasurer, Mayca and our new Secretary, Ioana.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Jesús and Juan who occupied these positions since 2022 for their time and dedication.

Laura, who is doing a magnificent job, will continue as our President.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

It is February already. Buds are beginning to appear.

Beautiful blue skies and almond trees in blossom herald spring and it is hard to remember that it won’t be the first day of spring until March 20th.

Our get togethers are in full swing and we always learn something new, it seems. Every day is a  school day!

Belino has sent us this very informative link for tomorrow’s conversation.

https://youtu.be/hRJNnf-Q7XA?si=QZ3MZvVcdmUqzLMU

 Also Teresa has donated this fascinating book about the impact that Transcendental Meditation had on the generation of The Beatles. A wonderful addition to our collection. 

Join us and have your say.

Av Baunatal 18

First floor

Wednesdays 18:30h

Winter

 When icicles hang by the wall

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail

And Tom bears logs into the hall

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

Tu- whit;

Tu-who, A merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

More Shakespeare

An act of kindness goes a long way

International Migrants Day is celebrated  on December 18th. Our association received an invitation to an event held in the Marcelino Camacho Auditorium in San Sebastián De Los Reyes.The small gathering had representatives from four continents and was organised by El CEPI(Centro de Participación e Integración de Inmigrantes)

Local authorities were there to listen to real life testimonies of people who have crossed oceans to start a new life and build families but whose roots are very strong .With patience and perseverance their prospects improved and one lady expressed the feeling we all have, that the Spanish are noble people. El CEPI has been home from home for them.

Introductions were made and smiles shared and we came away with our names written in beautiful Arabic and Chinese script.

Our association extends a welcome too.

 

So This Is Christmas

Today we listened to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s beautiful Christmas song ‘ Happy Xmas (War Is Over)and learned that their son Sean continues to carry the torch for world peace.

The famous couple released their anthem Happy Xma s (War Is Over) in 1971 to the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and as part of their protest against this war which continued until 1975.  Sean Ono Lennon's short film War Is Over! won an Oscar in 2023.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sean-ono-lennon-war-is-over-animated-film-1235474507/

He is promoting a new picture book War Is Over! which aims to reach a younger audience and inspire us all with hope for a better and more peaceful world through empathy and understanding. ‘We hope this will be a topic of conversation among friends and family, ‘Sean said.

Well, this topic was suggested to us by Antonio for our Wednesday get-together on December 10th Human Rights Day and it led to a stimulating discussion

The United Nations General Assembly appointed this as the day of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1950. 

30th November

Today 125 years ago Oscar Wilde took his final breath.

His grave is in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris with the following lines From ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol.’ 

And alien tears will fill for him

Pity’s long-broken urn,

For his mourners are outcast men

And outcasts always mourn.

The following notes are taken from Collected Poems of Oscar Wilde, Wordsworth Poetry Library with notes by Dr Anne Varty, University of London.

Robert Ross, friend and literary executor worked hard to rehabilitate the reputation of his friend and to bring Wilde’s estate, bankrupt in 1895, back into credit for the benefits of his sons Cyril  born in 1885 and Vyvian born in 1886.

At the age of 28 Wilde lectured in America promoting Patience, an opera by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Wilde is rarely remembered as a poet, this aspect of his work has been eclipsed by his extraordinary life, stories and plays.

‘Requiescat’ ‘May she rest’ was a poem written by Wilde in 1874 in memory of his sister  Isola who died in 1867 shortly before her tenth birthday, when Wilde was twelve.

Tread lightly, she is near

Under the snow, 

Speak gently, she can hear

The daisies grow

This was the only poem by Wilde that Yeats chose to anthologise in his 1895 edition of A Book of Irish Verse.

 To commemorate the passing of Oscar Wilde on November 30th 1900 in Paris we are invited to attend a  well-deserved tribute that allows us to be the ones to doff our hats in respect, figuratively speaking.

The fame he achieved in his lifetime has only grown and his works speak for themselves.

We are very grateful to the Bloomsday Society for this opportunity to hear a selection of readings from the works of this well-loved author, playwright and poet.