Rety, John

I arrived in this country from Hungary in 1947 to three feet of snow in London and very little electricity.

The scars of war everywhere, bombed buildings, unheated rooms, horses and carts, very few cars, but a very efficient transport service, on buses and underground. The sounds around me were chirpy cockney, now rarely heard in London.

I had to register my movements and was issued with an identity card and a ration book for essential items. Books were…

Transition towns are a new and fast spreading initiative on how our communities can cope with climate change and the decline of oil supplies. One important aspect is that of local finance.

Lewes, birth-place of Thomas Paine (1737-1809), author of the Rights of Man, a popular text book of republican principles, has issued its own currency, the “Lewes Pound”.
The money can be exchanged at issuing points round the town including the Farmers’ Market and the Town Hall. Over a…

This picture by Milein Cosman, Flight, shows her concern for peace. The refugee: the universal victim; her uptilted chin shows the determination to overcome her plight and to retain dignity. This drawing was chosen by the artist for Peace News, coinciding with Refugee Week. She herself came to England in 1939 from Germany.
There is a chance to see the works of one of our best emigre painters, exhibited at Burgh House, London (until 29 June). They show two things, firstly this is what…