Bulletin: 1. Margaret Thatcher remembered in Gyumri; 2. Film: Grandma's Tattoos‏

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Margaret Thatcher remembered at Lord Byron School in Gyumri

Play video A special memorial corner has been created by the students and staff of the Lord Byron School in Gyumri, Armenia in honour and in remembrance of the "Iron Lady". Prime Minister Thatcher visited… 00:03:01 Added on 12/04/2013

Margaret Thatcher remembered at Lord Byron School in Gyumri (video) A special memorial corner has been created by the students and staff of the Lord Byron School in Gyumri, Armenia in honour and in remembrance of the "Iron Lady".  Prime Minister Thatcher visited Soviet Armenia after the 1988 earthquake and was the guest of honour at the opening of the Lord Byron School on 10 June 1990. Some £8 million was provided by the British Government and the public to build the school in the earthquake recovery zone. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister David Cameron  in which he said: "We were deeply saddened by the news of demise of the former Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher. She left a remarkable impression not only as a Prime Minister which made a profound contribution to the empowerment of the United Kingdom but also as a state and political figure who held high repute on the international arena." Sargsyan noted especially: "In Armenia, we remember very well assistance provided to the people of Armenia on behalf of the United Kingdom and under her leadership in the wake of the devastating earthquake as well as her visit to the disaster zone."

FILM Grandma’s Tattoos Tuesday 16 April, 7:00pm in the Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film director Suzanne Khardalian and the producer PeÅ Holmquist In Grandma’s Tattoos, Suzanne Khardalian makes a journey into her own family history to investigate the story behind grandma Khanoum’s odd tattoos. This is a story of a brutal past, of war, sexual violence and slavery, a journey in search of the truth, a story never told before. It also tells the story of the fate of the women who endured unspeakable violence during the Armenian Genocide. Suzanne Khardalian, born in Beirut and living in Sweden since 1988, is an independent journalist and filmmaker. She studied journalism in Beirut and Paris, followed by an MA in International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She, with PeÅ Holmquist, is the co-director of the acclaimed documentaries Back to Ararat, Where Lies My Victory, and I Hate Dogs. PeÅ Holmquist, photographer and freelance documentary filmmaker, trained at the Swedish Television as a director of photography. His freelance filmmaker career started in 1975 in the Middle East and Europe. He is Professor of Documentary Film at SADA, Sweden’s national film school. He has directed and produced more than 60 documentary films, including On the Border, Boycott, The Battle of Jerusalem and Gaza Ghetto. Organised by The Programme of Armenian Studies & Friends of Armenia at SOAS.