HISTORY
Organized social gatherings of British nationals in Barcelona can be traced back as far as 1906. As more and more British people came to Barcelona and to Catalunya, these gatherings became larger and more frequent, such that in 1921 the British Club was formed.
By the mid-1920s, The British Club had established itself in premises in Plaza Urquinaona, which soon became a focal point in Barcelona for Brits and friends of all ages due to its central location. The Club was a very spacious and comfortable place to be, and included a huge room with a full-size billiard table, a bar, several rooms for playing bridge, another huge room for parties, and a library giving way to a terrace which took up about a third of the interior patio of the block. In the 1960s, The British Club moved to new premises in Avenida República Argentina, which also boasted some comfortable facilities.
The only requirements for membership of The British Club were the ability to speak English, and not to be a citizen of a country at war with Britain. The aims of the club were essentially to welcome newcomers and to provide a meeting place for members of the British colony.
The leased premises of The British Club were lost in 1976, and in 1981 it was reinvented as The British Society of Catalunya.
In 1989, due to there being a significant number of members based in the Costa Brava, a branch of The British Society of Catalunya was formed. This, the British Society of Catalunya - Emporda Branch , is based in L'Escala, and has subsequently been split again with the formation of the British Society of Catalunya - Roses Branch.
OBJECTIVES
Although The British Society of Catalunya has less of a role in assisting new British residents of Catalunya than in the past, it still acts as a valuable focal point for both British and people of other nationalities to meet up in an English-speaking environment. Its ‘vision statement' has been redefined and is set out above.
NEW COMMITTEE ELECTED IN 2006
An entirely new committee was elected in May 2006, led by Brenda Wright as President. This committee has set about refreshing both the image of the British Society of Catalunya and its annual events calendar.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all and is not restricted to British nationals. For details on the benefits of membership and its cost, click here.
