Fairfield House news #3
Best-ever Adwa, plus: new Jamaica Friends, new University research network and a new Cultural Ambassador.
Adwa: Ethiopians rally again to celebrate their famous victory against colonialism 128 years ago
Hundreds of Ethiopians travelled to Bath Sat 2 March for the biggest celebration of the anti-colonial victory of Adwa that Fairfield House has yet seen. The three coach loads included young and old, and many who were travelling to Bath for the first time.
Ethiopians gather on the lawn at Fairfield House to celebrate the victory of Adwa.
Undaunted by several inches of snowfall and intermittent rain, the party gathered outside Bath Abbey for a rousing song. It then walked the three miles to Fairfield House where they enjoyed traditional Ethiopian lunch, dance and speeches. Guests heard the first performance on HIM’s pianola of our new arrangement of the Imperial anthem Ethiopia, Be Happy.
Thanks to the hard work of the organisers and to the energetic participation of all who came, the Ethiopian community enjoyed a memorable day out, raising awareness of this key historical event and also several thousand pounds for Fairfield House.
New Jamaica Friends of Fairfield House network
The recent Fairfield House Trustees’ visit to Jamaica has led to the formation of a new group the Jamaica Friends of Fairfield House.
Makonnen Blake-Hanna chairs the new Jamaica Friends of Fairfield House group.
"As the Rastafarian people in Jamaica, where the movement was born - it is imperative that we strengthen our ties to Fairfield House and recall the history of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I throughout that trying time of his life,” said Makonnen Blake-Hanna, who chairs the new group. “We have to recount the determination and resolve that he displayed which helped him endure and eventually triumph. This history is preserved to this day at Fairfield House by the Trustees, and those who lend their time and efforts to keep this amazing history alive."
The group aims to improve collaboration between Fairfield House and Jamaican people and institutions, and help ensure that visiting Jamaican academics, politicians and artists are well briefed and prepared.
Jamaica Friends of Fairfield House was formed at an end-of-trip meeting at Kerida McDonald’s Skyline restaurant, beautifully located high above Kingston.
The group endorsed Fairfield House’s support for Pinnacle, the site of the first Rastafari community. The Fairfield House Trustees see Pinnacle as important heritage at risk in much the same way as Fairfield House itself was until recently. They also recall the transformative effect of a small amount of “no strings attached” support Fairfield House received at that stage.
Universities form new Africa research network
Building on its cornerstone partnership with Bath Spa University, Fairfield House has become a founder member of the new South West & Wales African Research Network. This network brings together academics, postgraduate research students and other stakeholders with research interests and connections to Africa from across universities in the South West and Wales. It aims to develop collaborative research projects and doctoral supervision, with a focus on working across disciplines and developing ethical and equitable research relationships with African partners and universities.
Prof Shawn Sobers and chair William Heath represented Fairfield House at the first planning session of the new academic research network held at Bath Spa University.
Exeter University’s Prof Stacey Hynd said: “SWWARN is excited to work with Fairfield House to build a community for Africanist researchers, and for our members to learn about, and hopefully become involved with, Fairfield House’s heritage and activities.”
The first full meeting of the new network is planned to take place at Fairfield House in May.
Barbara Blake-Hannah is our first cultural ambassador
Fairfield House is delighted to announce Barbara Blake-Hannah as its first Cultural Ambassador. The first black British TV news presenter in Britain, Ms Blake-Hannah is a prolific author and film producer, and adviser to the Culture Minister of Jamaica.
Barbara Blake-Hannah (left) with Bemsca manager Pauline Swaby at Devon House in Kingston, Jamaica in Feb 2024.
“Fairfield House is the only place I would go back to England to visit,” she said. Referring to the racism she had experienced in Britain, she went on to say: “Fairfield House can be the throne on which the new attitude to black people will sit.”
Fairfield House plans a launch of Ms Blake-Hannah’s new book Through red, gold and green spectacles at Fairfield House in May - date and details to be announced.
Within days of her appointment Ms Blake-Hannah had already raised the profile of Fairfield House with a lengthy interview on Mutabaruka’s national radio show: you can hear it here.
Greetings Goldings: Fairfield Trustees meet Jamaican Senator and UNIA President
Fairfield House trustees Pauline and William also met Senator Sherene Golding-Campbell and her brother the academic, activist and UNIA president Steven Golding in Jamaica. The rendezvous was in an until recently abandoned part of downtown Kingston which is now rapidly becoming very stylish.
Steven Golding met Fairfield House Trustees in a rapidly improving part of downtown Kingston, Jamaica.
Pauline and William were invited to the UNIA mass meeting that week and spoke about Fairfield House.
Both Steven and his sister Sherene are very aware and supportive of Fairfield House, and shared strong views about how Britain’s relationship with Jamaica needs to evolve. Senator Golding-Campbell plans to visit Fairfield House in March. We hope also to receive Steven Golding in June, and to arrange a workshop exploring the positive aspects and the complexities of the relationship of Marcus Garvey and HIM.
New tunes for HIM’s pianola
Thanks to a grant from the Bath-based Joyce Fletcher Trust, Fairfield House now has three banging new tunes for HIM’s original pianola. This saves us using the undocumented rolls which came with the instrument, some of which might date from HIM’s time.
Arranged by Ross Hughes and manufactured by Julian Dyer Piano Rolls the three new tunes are:
The Imperial national anthem Ethiopia Be Happy (ኢትዮጵያ ሆይ ደስ ይበልሽ) written by Kevork Nalbandian in 1926 and performed at HIM’s coronation in 1930
Yèkèrmo Sèw, written by the father of EthioJazz Mulatu Astatke (and memorably featured in Jim Jarmusch’s film Broken Flowers)
War by Bob Marley (using lyrics by HIM and prominently featured in the new film One Love)
You can hear one of these performed as part of the historic tours most Sundays. Book here.
Upcoming events:
Sylvia Pankhurst Day Sat 9 March 1400
Unmuseum consultations Sat 16 March
Empress Menen Rastafari Sabbath Observance Sat 6 April
HIM community Table tennis tournament Sat 27 April