Raising the flag for the Russian revolution!

Tony Nicolaides bringing greetings from his father

By New Worker correspondent

THE GREAT OCTOBER Russian Revolution is commemorated all around the world and every year the 1917 Bolshevik revolution that established the first workers’ and peasants’ state is celebrated by communists and progressive working people all around the world.

            And for many years friends and comrades have gathered at the New Communist Party Centre to take part in the Party’s traditional celebration of the greatest event of the 20^th century. Guests included comrades from the Socialist Labour Party, Second Wave Publications and, as usual, the old print shop was transformed into a bar and buffet for the event.   

NCP chairperson Alex Kempshall kicked off the formal part of the evening of tributes to the achievements and sacrifice of the Soviet people throughout the 20^th century by reading a message from the RCPB (ML).

             This was followed by Tony Nicolaides, who read out a message that came, along with a very generous donation to the collection, from his father – a retired founder member of the party who now lives in a former Soviet Baltic republic. Tony briefly worked at the Centre in 1979 when his father, Nick, was the leading Soviet Weekly organiser in London.

Then John McCloud of the Socialist Labour Party spoke about the relevance of socialism in the 21^st century and  Kumar Sarkar of Second Wave Publications  recalled the heady events of the past year at home and internationally.

Finally NCP leader Andy Brooks paid tribute to the sacrifices of the past, the need for struggle today and the certainty of victory tomorrow. Naturally, no NCP event can ever take place without a collection for the fighting fund. This year we marked the occasion by also producing a special NCP 2012 calendar for sale on the night as an added fund-raiser for the monthly appeal. That, together with the rousing appeal from NCP Treasurer Dolly Shaer and the commitment of all our friends and comrades, raised over £732 for the fighting fund!

• We still have some 2012 calendars in stock at £3.50 post free from NCP Lit, PO Box 73, London SW11 2PQ.  Every month is illustrated with labour movement shots taken by our own photographers over the past year.