On Saturday 12 May, around 150 people packed Saklatvala Hall in Southall, west London, for a spirited, militant and emotional memorial meeting, remembering and celebrating the life of Comrade Godfrey Cremer, foundation and Central Committee member of the CPGB-ML and lifelong revolutionary fighter for communism. (See the April issue of Proletarian and the May issue of Lalkar for obituaries and tributes to this remarkable comrade.)
It was testimony to the way that Godfrey touched the lives and inspired nearly all those with whom he came into contact that the crowd embraced people from numerous nationalities and walks of life, including his political comrades in the ranks of the party and beyond, his former work colleagues, family members and others.
Keynote speeches were given by Harpal Brar, CPGB-ML Chairman and Godfrey’s lifelong friend and comrade-in-arms, along with Godfrey’s wife and daughter, and fellow communist fighters, Iris and Katt.
Many other comrades paid their tributes, including on behalf of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan (MLKP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), the Indian Workers’ Association (IWA-GB) and the Stalin Society, as well as other comrades, family members and work colleagues.
A representative of the embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea attended the meeting and a message was sent from the Chinese embassy.
A varied cultural programme included items written specially in memory of Godfrey as well as many of his own poems, both political and those written to entertain his family and friends.
The entire evening was a poignant reminder of the immense contribution that Godfrey made to our party and to the working class movement as a whole – a contribution that will live forever.
