Mendia called on everyone "to keep alive the flame of remembrance as we did recently in Gernika and as we are doing here today" This month marks three-quarters of a century since the Habana set sail from Santurce and docked in the port of Southampton. Specifically, it was Sunday 23 May 1937 when nearly 4,000 Basque children reached England as refugees, as they fled the horror of the Spanish Civil War. In 2002, the "Basque Children of 37 (BC37)" association was founded with two fundamental objectives: to ensure historical remembrance and provide a programme of social and cultural activities. It now has around 200 members around the world, many of whom did not want to miss this emotional ceremony that was held in Southampton.