RED RAG Reading's Only Newspaper/11-2-87 20p Fortnightly For the next issue: Coordinator 667060; Advertising 666354; Deadline 21/2/87 - - - MORE ACTIONS AT GREENHAM!! On the night of Saturday 24th January 1987, and on each successive night until Friday 30th, small groups of women cut down parts of the perimeter fence at Greenham Common. This is fact - despite Parliament being told recently that there were no women at Greenham, no fence had been cut, and so no money was necessary for repairs. The women taking part in the actions certainly do not wish to encourage repairing of the fence, but strongly object to MPs being misinformed about a situation they know to be real. Here are some of their impressions of that week: "On two occasions during the week, accompanied by a group of women friends, I set about cutting the fence at Greenham. We wanted to dispel any rumours that women were no longer active at Greenham and to show, yet once again, how comparatively easy it was to remove huge sections of the perimeter fence without detection. We were able to work uninterrupted at our own pace until we had removed approximately 70 feet of fencing, at which point we were able to walk into the base. These actions continued throughout the week, nightly, and none of the women involved were detected. Once again women have shown how, with their collective energy working together in a peaceful action, they can confront the military war machine in a positive protest." Anne (Monday & Thursday) "The decisions about practicalities - where to cut, where to hide vehicles whether to visit the women at the gates before or after - took over in my head. I didn't have time to anticipate arrest or even confrontation through the wire; only the busy evening traffic brought home the possibility of being challenged with doing something wrong. At first it felt like every driver must catch us in the headlight's glare. Soon the adrenalin takes over - each time the only brake is aching arms .Time and again we prove the futility of the fence, the insecurity of these weapons so many of us don't want - and the solidarity of women who continue to protest against them." Paula (Saturday & Tuesday) "Cutting the wire was so easy and so satisfying. It was great and a real incentive to see that the wire had been cut and repaired so many times - and to know that hundreds of other women had been through the same feelings & hopes that I was going through. Makes a mockery of the base because it was so easy and felt so right." Josie (Tuesday and Friday) "I cut a hole out of the militarist state and carried away a tangled square of democracy, the live cut ends of wire in my hand screaming for joy at being released from their oppressive task." Verity (Saturday) "I went three nights out of the seven. We cut lots and lots of fence. It was so easy. Eventually it becomes unreal. Get home from work, have a meal with husband and children, go out and commit hundreds of pounds worth of criminal damage, go home and chat about it. It's a good focus for my anger, the continual attack on the property of those who purport to speak for me, who allege that their obscene weapons protect me. I don't see our actions as pointless or futile - it costs them time and money, however they deny it. It means that the protest goes on, just as women at Greenham stay on. I won't stop as long as missiles remain." Sue (Monday, Thursday, Friday) "Saturday 24th Jan, 8.30pm - I get to be the first "watch"; the other two have the cutters. I'm jittery - maybe it's the cold. Not sure what I'm watching for and I'd rather be cutting. But there's not a squaddie in sight; no MOD either. We're along by a new gate, near Orange, well sheltered from the road. Then it's my turn - easy - clunk click and I'm dismantling a nightmare: I'm disobeying the criminally insane laws which allow men to prepare for genocide - I need to do this." Henny (Saturday) "Sunday - lost-heard voices, car door close, but no interruptions - cut down seven sections. Wednesday - cut down seven sections - no problem. Friday - crunchy frost, thought we could be heard a mile away - cautious - got very involved, unravelled some sections by hand - fine wire holding together what countless other women had cut before - poorly patched. Cut out 12 consecutive sections (about 120 feet of fence). Could have carried on but thought that 13 might bring us bad luck." Jezebel (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday) - - - LETTER 66 Great Russell St, Bradford, West Yorkshire 30 January 1987. Dear Red Rag, I won't repeat the points made by Mark in reply to C. Hanger - but please, don't let the euthanasia lobby win! Being in Bradford now, the listings aren't what keep me looking forward to the Rag; it's things like Morgaine's article, which sadly wouldn't find space in many other publications. And the Rag regularly gives a perspective on the antics of DHSS and RBC planners that is just a bit different from the "legit" press. Of course, if people would prefer to take their listings with a large dose of crap about double-glazing and brave vicars and big-hearted policepersons and football... So, I hope the Rag keeps on and on, and that you'll still find a way of getting it to Yorkshire when the wall gets built.( Didn't you know? 0nce the election's safely won they're planning to come clean and solve unemployment by putting all the idle scroungers to work on a wall to protect the Home Counties from the crisp-eating hordes.) 0K, I won't ramble on - with luck you will have loads to squeeze into the next issue. Shine on, Ian - - - Majestic, Caversham Rd Reading. 586093 Big Brute "Indie Stuff" All gigs & Indie Tim Wed 25th Feb: THE WEDDING PRESENT & Close Lobsters & Warhol's Babies Big Brute Rock: Tues 24th Feb "It Bites", Tues March 17th Vow-Wow, Tues 24th March Xmal Deutschland. Advance tickets for all gigs available from: Indie Tim & Listen Records, Reading & Majestic (or on the door). - - - FILM AND VIDEO fri 13 feb * Otello (PG) SHP 7.45 US 1986 dir. Franco Zeffireli, 126min. Verdi's opera lovingly transferred to film. * Video Course RCU. 2-4 pm free to unwaged, find out about video production. sat 14 * Otello also 10.30pm sun 15 * Otello mon 16 * 0tello tues 17 * Otello wed 18 * 0tello * Starman (PG) RFT 8pm US 1984 dir John Carpenter 115min. A humane sci-fi about an alien who visits Wisconsin. thur 19 * Video screening SHP 7.45 'the media' * Queen Kelly (PG) RFT 8pm US 1931/85 dir Erich von Stroheim. b&w w/ musical score 100min. The original incomplete version of this melodramatic film set in a Ruritanian principality has been extended with rediscovered footage. Definitely worth a look. fri 20 * Video course RCU free 2-4 * Day of the dead (18) SHP 7.45 US 1985 dir George Romero's gruesome end to the dead trilogy. The few remaining living are holed up in an underground bunker. Apparently according to a reliable source I know there's a strong statement about the relationship between science & the army, better dead than red. sat 21 * Day of the dead 7.45 & 10.30 * Advanced video editing course SHP for those with some expierience already. 10-5.30 £40 (cones avail.) sun 22 * Advanced editing as sat * Day of the dead 7.45 only mon 23 * Bambi (U) SHP 2pm & 7pm US 1942 Walt Disney 72min. Hard line, animalploitation film. Very good though. tues 24 * Bambi wed 25 * Bambi * Hannah and her sisters(15) RFT 8pm US 1986 dir Woody Allen 107min. A brilliant & sympathetic examination of middle class values witty frantic & superbly scripted & acted. thur 26 * Bambi * Hannah and her sisters fri 27 * Bambi * Video course RCU sat 28 * Bambi sun 1 mar * Bambi key RCU. Reading centre for unwaged 4-6 East st RFT. Reading film theatre. University Palmer building, Whiteknights park. Tickets £1:90 (concs £1:20) SHP. South Hill Park arts centre. Birch hill, Bracknell. box office (91) 484123 courses (91) 427272 concs normally 1/2 price films £2:50, screenings free Cinemas in Reading for details:- The Odeon Cheapside 507887 Canon, Friar st 53907 The Granby Cemetary Junction RIP much missed. Not strictly a film, well a play actually (but the Rag hasn't got a theatre correspondent yet, want a job?) The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan SHP 17-21 feb 18 century comedy at its best. details of listings for next issue to clive on 475909 by fri 20 feb. - - - ARTISTS FOR ANIMALS Artists for animals is an organisation which seeks to promote animal rights through music, theatre and other art forms. Anyone interested please contact Artists For Animals (South), Box 7, Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham Street, Reading. - - - BLURT IN PARADISE!! The popular indie band Blurt will be playing the Paradise Club, 112 London Street, on Weds 25th February. The Conspiracy are promoting the gig, and the date is part of Blurt's current British tour. Frontman Ted Milton formed the band over six years ago, and since then they have released five albums and numerous singles and EPs. Flanked by stark guitar and white funk drumming and his own ferocious sax honking, Milton spits out the band's manic lyrics. Previous titles include the brilliant single: "My Mother Was A Friend Of The Enemy Of The People". "I don't sit down to write a piece which everyone can get something out of. I do it to discharge something horrendous inside of me," says Milton of the band's lyrics. As a live act, Blurt are second to none, incorporating Ted's performance art antics and some of the most danceable rhythms this side of the Atlantic. Here is how one music critic reacted to seeing them: "Milton is a cracked actor of the first degree, each one of his 1,000 personalities fighting to reach expression on the surface of his face as he fleshes out the bare bones of the splattered rhythms into songs." On stage he marches manically from microphone to microphone, each set at different heights, presumably to match his varying pitches. In an interview, Milton once observed of course the world's flat - or at least it will be when I've finished with it!" Tickets for the evening are on sale at Acorn Bookshop, Listen Records and Pop Records, priced at £2:50. Admission on the night is £3:00. - - - CONSERVATION!... Are you free on Wednesdays? For just the morning, afternoon, or even all day? If so, why not come out with C.R.0.W.,(or Conserve Reading On Wednesdays). Just turn up at the main entrance of Reading railway station at 10 am or 1.30 pm, and look for a grey minibus with muddy go-slower stripes and Berks Conservation Volunteers stickers. We will whisk you away to some countrified part of Reading (oh yeah?!), where you can wreak havoc and destruction, all for a good cause. This Wednesday (18th Feb) we are going to create a Wildlife Garden at Dinton Pastures Country Park, and the following task is on Weds 4th March at Ufton Court, where we will be coppicing. - - - MUSIC FOR FOLK There's a wide range of stuff for you this time, people. Have we decided what folk music is yet??? Thurs 12: It can be very good, James Vada is a singer of his own songs, as is, amongst many other things, Mark T. Both are playing at the Pressgang Club 2nite, at the Cap & Gown, Kings Rd, for £1 pre-9.30, £1:50 after. Mark will probably have some kind of mega band with him, the missing of which will blight your week. Maidenhead's club at the Rose in King St have Roger Wilson. Fri 13: no more Comrades Club on Fridays. A possibility of informal Sat nights at the Eagle, Baker St. Sat 14: In case you wanted reminding, Bracknell's club at South Hill Park are having a Valentine's night. Sun 15: Readifolk host guitar virtuoso Adrian Legg. I believe he's the kind that makes everyone else feel like giving up - don't let him! Mon 16: John Kirkpatrick of the magical melodeon is at the Bull, Nettlebed. It'll be very good & very crowded. Tues l7: Turk's Bottom at the Cap & Gown. "Bring your left over love songs from Valentine's Day" it sez 'ere. Whatever happened to troo luv... At Fleet they've got the Portway Pedlars, local duo, enthusiastic + good. Wed 18: At Aldershot which is a really nasty kind of a military exercise backdrop town there's a very worthwhile arts centre such as what people think we should have round here (only more grandiose, of course} The West End Centre in Aldershot, though, is a nifty place and amongst other things they have free music in the bar there Wed nights and Sat lunchtimes. Tonight it's Inside Out who play "middle-of-the-road folk-rock". So. Thurs 19: You could go to Oxford and find the Radcliffe Arms (you realise I'm leaving room for initiative here?) and see the Easy Club who are very interesting with a unique brand of Scottish swing and at least one lovely voice. It'd cost you £3:50. Or you could go to the Pressgang Club and see Michelle Shocked from Texas who's a Big Star, and I'm not utterly convinced that her self-penned songs and guitar style warrant it, but I understand that she's really OK about the whole star thing, and radical and this is a scoop for Reading you understand?? Never again will you be able to see her for £2:50 (in advance from Pop Records or the 3 local clubs) or even £3 on the door, & she's a woman too! This is getting really longwinded. Sharpen up here! Fri 20: Oh but this is another special not-to-be-missed. In the Wilde Theatre at South Hill Park there's going to be the most insane combination of the kind of performers that we all need from time to time to make us laugh at ourselves and think about the world and, well, everything. Tony Allen and Roy Hutchins are comedians (remember their Acorn Bookshop benefit?), but the best. Rory McLeod is an unclassifiable singer and songwriter and guitarist and harmonica player who writes songs about riots and birdsong. Go! Sat 21: Aldershot again: The Easy Club. See above. oo Bracknell: Artisan. A newish but polished harmony trio, 2 ++ & a o/ (my typewriter doesn't do men) Sun 22: At Readifolk is a duo Dave Home & Steve Moffatt; voices & guitars. Mon 23: Nettlebed: The Journeymen, Phil Andrews and Richard Holland, a Reading pair who are getting more interesting every time. Tues 24: Bent Penny, a stylish trio, are playing the Turk's Bottom. Thurs 26: Maidenhead have got Robin Gray. I should've found out for you who he is and what he does and all that. I mean, I've missed loads of good people because I didn't know who they were so I thought I mightn't like them. You know? Less risky and nearer home is a Pressgang club night with Jim Jiminy: "skiffley type stuff". Sat 28: Bracknell: Ralph Jordan who plays a mean concertina with Jo & Fi Frazer who play whistles, I think. The entertainment end of the spectrum but the good bit. Aldershot: a raucous blues night with Blue Murder, Blues Intrusion and residents Sonny Blacks Blues Band. £3. 8pm. Sun 1st March: If you can't wait till they come to Readifolk on April 5th, June Tabor & Martin Simpson of the glorious voice and dazzling guitar are at Farnham Waitings along with Attaooo Decente, a new zingy trio with hammer dulcimer & I know not what else. And at Readifolk there's a Singers' Night. That's at the George, Broad St corner. Forthcomings are Terry Clarke sometime at the Turks Bottom, Jim Couza on Hammered dulcimer at Readifolk Sun Mar 8th, Lowell Fulsom the blues giant at Aldershot Mar 14th, Michelle Shocked also there Mar 7th with Maggie Holland. Please send details of one-off events to the Rag! The folk grapevine works well, but the Rag does reach other people too, given a little notice. Next copy date Sat 21st Feb for events 26th Feb - 18th March. Send to the Folk Sub-Committee, Box 79, 17, Chatham St, Reading. Or ring Liz on 53437. Non-folk fixtures at the West End Centre, Queen's Rd, Aldershot Fri 13th Ian Hamer Quintet. Post-bop £4. 8.30pm. Sat 14th Primal Scream. From the independent scene. £3:50. 8pm Fri 20th John Cooper Clarke. £3:50 Fri 27th Welfare State International present 'On the Perimeter', a weird sitcom. £3. 7.45pm. - - - RED RAG OUTLETS * Acorn Bookshop * Blue Moon Arts & Crafts (Emporium) * Reading Univ. SU (Ken's Shop) * Bulmershe S.U. * Harvest Wholefoods (Traders) * Pan Bookshop (Butts Centre) * Pop Records (Yield Hall Place) * UB Cycles (London Street) * Hargun Cash & Carry Radstock Road - - - SMALL ADS * Large furnished room available - £40 per week, (including bills), to working female. Telephone Angela 419774 / 411268. * Third person wanted to share a friendly household in West Reading. Good room. Central heating. All for a mere £110 pcm plus bills. Phone Stewart on 589223. - - - NEWS FROM THE WILDLIFE GARDEN The Wildlife Garden Group based at Reading Centre for the Unemployed wishes to spread the news of our activities, recent success and future plans. Ws meet every Tuesday from 1 - 3 pm at the RCU. The Garden is situated to the left of the Centre when approached from East St. The Garden has been developed on a piece of urban wasteland, a derelict plot, and has slowly taken shape since the idea sprang from a course at the Centre entitled "Unemployment, whose problem?" Work started on the site in September '85, and in August '86 we entered the Keep Berkshire Tidy Environmental Awards Competition. We thought carefully before entering our project, uneasy about the concept of tidiness implied in the competition's title - we felt very definitely that if we did enter, it should not put pressure on us to change our style, for it to become our main concern. With this in mind, Liz our co-ordinator finally worded our entry thus: "The Wildlife Garden in East Street isn't a "tidy" garden. It's been dismissed by some as a heap of rubble. We do have a heap of rubble (known as The Mountain) which is clothed in summer with brambles, nettles and buddleia, the mainstays of wildlife gardening. There was a danger that people might not see the point of what we were doing, trying to "manage" the site and introduce variety to it, without making it an ordinary garden. Over a year later, we're finding that people do appreciate it, as do the host of birds and insects who live there or pass through." We won first prize of £100: with money in our bank account, we feel it's time for a new lease of life. Plans for using our prize money are rife and we're organizing Tuesday activities in the hope of creating new interest and fresh input. (See Events) An exhibition, formed for the prize presentation, has been spruced up and added to and will be on display for all to see at the Centre for the Unemployed from Tuesday Feb 17th - Friday March 6th. "Being involved with the Garden has been very special for me - the people, the plants, the wildlife, noticing more and more as the year progressed, and trying to balance the "management" of a piece of land with letting things take their own course. It's a contradictory undertaking - wild land in the middle of a town, self-sown plants and birdsong a brick's throw from an eight-lane highway, pruning and weeding without disturbance. This is all part of its fascination for me. There have been problems to solve (where to site the birdtable so the local cat wouldn't get it, whether to try for funding, if so how, whether or not to put up signs, what to spend our meagre resources on, whether to enter the Keep Berkshire Tidy Competition and so on). The signs, painstakingly produced by one group member, have been our major ally against rubbish and litter. It's obvious, now, that someone cares about the place. That was very satisfying. But I suppose the greatest joy of the project for me is the "feel" of the garden. Somehow, out there in the encircled meadow is peace and safety, and a constantly therapeutic atmosphere. I've lost count of the number of times I've gone there, crabby and crochety, to be restored to some sense of sanity." Liz Hodgson. "A New Attitude to Green Bits" The day I began to appreciate why it is a good idea (and not cruel) to get rid of the odd sycamore sapling was the day I realised I'd started to learn something about this wildlife garden lark. Then again, the day I mistook a young Field Maple for a Sycamore was the day I realised I still had a lot to learn. I've been going to the Wildlife Garden on and off since about March, and although I'm still learning the basics, what I have gained can be illustrated by my attitude to plants. I used to think it a bit boring that nature's glory seemed to us a little heavily orientated on the green side in the plant department, perhaps not unconnected with this attitude is the fact that potted plants always died on me, so I'd given up bothering to cultivate green bits in my room. Now I have a dozen flourishing, healthy, dark green, light green, pink-edged, cream-patched, red-stalked, woody-stalked, smooth-leaved, fluffy-leaved, all grown-from-cuttings (except the one from Marks & Sparks I couldn't resist!) beautiful green bits in my room. The garden itself has been a welcome refuge from Reading town's traffic and bustle, and on summer evenings I have often introduced friends to the garden, where softly-scented buddleia forms in arches overhead and the evening primrose enjoys its favourite time of day. In my opinion, part of the success of the Wildlife Garden is the effect it gives of an oasis in a desert of noise and concrete. The first time someone led me down the little alleyway from busy London Street to sit on a rickety chair surrounded by masses of green bits, bird song occasionally reaching ray surprised ear, I couldn't believe we were still in Reading. The effect is quite startling." Liz Keen Birds and the Garden The Wildlife Garden is a refuge, and for some species of bird a nesting site, which along with the rest of the flora and fauna found there has made the area a place of particular interest. In the spring one can see and hear, along with quite a variety of other species, song thrushes, robins and blackbirds. These are just 3 of the more common members of the thrush family but none-the-less beautiful to see and hear. I'm reminded of a flautist when I listen to the male blackbird's song, whereas the song thrush reminds me more of a jazz musician. The robin, howevar, gives a quiet, sad tune, almost too melancholy for spring when all is bursting into life. Wrens and dunnocks are another 2 species which skulk about the garden, often heard more than seen, with the wren giving penetrating and jubilant trills which is one part of its song. This sound gives one the impression that a much larger bird is responsible, but it is very appropriate for such a vivacious creature. I have not often seen a wren keep still, as they are almost constantly in a hyperactive state. This is enough to give a more placid bird like the dunnook a nervous breakdown. They are of gentler character, which is reflected in their song, being quieter without aggressive trills. Green- and goldfinch are also around, the sound of which I find soothing, especially that of the goldfinch which has a twinkling twitter rather like windbells. As the spring progresses into summer, swallows, housemartins and swifts can be seen over our little oasis, with the latter nesting nearby in a hole under the eaves of a building. One can observe them flying towards the entrance at what seems like a reckless speed only to make a safe landing when one is just about to think that they will dash themselves against the wall. When flying in a little group, as they so often do, swifts give out a screaming call which combined with their seemingly reckless flying gives me the impression that they are slightly mad. Swallows and housemartins are much quieter and along with swifts feed upon the varied insects which fly up from the garden. The spotted flycatcher does its insect feeding much closer to terra firma and can be seen darting out from a convenient bough or twig to live up to its name. As it does so one can often hear the snap of its bill. They are summer visitors and it seems amazing that they have flown all the way from Central Africa for some of them to visit an obscure piece of ground in Reading i.e. our garden. Once September has arrived, and the migratory birds such as the flycatcher, swifts, swallows and house martins are getting restless for warmer climes, our garden is producing berries which will help sustain the resident and winter-visiting birds. By November the ivy has formed its fruits and one can see woodpigeons gorging themselves on them. The ivy grows over the 2 walls on the garden perimeter and also helps provide good, roosting cover once the leaves have fallen from the other trees and shrubs. The winter food availability problem has been helped a little with the erection of a birdtable which is visited by quite a variety of birds. Blue and great tit are amongst them. They help to consume the nuts and other goodies which we provide. I find it fascinating to see these birds performing all sorts of acrobatics as they get the nuts from a suspended net bag. The tit family are very inquisitive creatures, and with food being their main motivator they have their beaks into all sorts of nooks and crannies looking for juicy morsels that will suit their palates. Whereas the tits look to be selective in their feeding habits, the starlings do not and are like waste disposal units. At times they try and swallow huge pieces of food which often have no chance of going down their gullets. There is so much more life in our garden which I could describe to you, and I hope that you will want to visit it to discover it for yourselves. Richard Pettett. Future Events: Every Tuesday 1 - 3pm at the Centre for the Unemployed, 4-6 East Street. * 24th Feb - an introduction to the project and the Garden itself. * 3rd March - Video screening: "Bluetits and Bumblebees - the Making of a Wildlife Garden", by Chris Baines. * 10th March - Spring clean of "Elephant Pit", a part of the Garden where rubbish is occasionally dumped. * 17th March - Path building, using bricks already on site. * 24th March - Focus on bats. 1986 was National Bat Year. Better late than never, an exploration of people's (too often) negative view of bats, using WATCH'S Bat Survey, and re-education and plans for encouraging bats to our garden. Don't forget the Exhibition on at RCU from Tuesday Feb 17th - Friday March 6th Details from Reading Centre for the Unemployed, 4-6 East Street, tel: 596639 or Liz 53437 or 665564. - - - The Wildlife Garden presents AN EXHIBITION at Reading Centre for the Unemployed from Tues 17th February Future Events Every Tues 1-3pm including * 24th Feb - intro & tour * 3rd March - video * 10th March - spring clean * 17th March - path building * 24th March - focus on bats - - - AFTER ALL THIS... * introduction of the availability for work test, with suspension of benefit if you restrict what jobs you'll accept; * hiring of Claimants Advisers, under contract to "persuade" claimants to sign off; * compulsory Restart interviews for anyone who's been on the dole for a year or more, with no benefit if you don't turn up & "chose" one of eight state schemes; * harsher Single Payments rules, cutting down on lumpsum grants for items which are really needed; * reduced benefit for 13 weeks if you leave work "without good reason"; * passing the Social Security Act, which will "reform" (chop) death & maternity benefits in April 87, and the whole Supplementary Benefit/Housing Benefit/Family Income Supplement system a year later, leaving most claimants worse off... After all this... The most blatantly pro-work ethic state policy since the workhouses... Now you'll have to work for your dole! In early April this year, the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) will announce the follow up to the Restart programme, to "deal with long term unemployment". Set against a policy background of hassling claimants and reducing benefits, the "Phase 2" looks like consisting of:- * Jobclub * Enterprise Allowance Scheme * Job Training Scheme. Jobclub is already with us as one of the 8 Restart options. Its motto is to force people to get the "best" possible job in the shortest possible time by using group pressure and free phones and stationery. It stinks. It also gets the dole figures down for the election. Enterprise Allowance is probably known to most people as £40/week if you sign off and start a small business. Job Training Scheme is a new one, and it hasn't received much attention so far. In the "Action For Jobs "booklet there is just empty waffle about "new skills". JTS is an adult form of the Youth Training Scheme (YTS). Employers get a lump sum backhander from the MSC for taking someone on as part of the Scheme and "training " them. Given the pitiful training suffered by most YTS conscripts, it's hard to have faith in the adult version... it's more than likely that bosses will exploit the cheap labour for a year, and then find another trainee to take over. JTS is a non starter for other reasons: like, why train people if there are no jobs around for them when they finish? Why have JTS when there is the Community Programme already (l year contracts for long term unemployed people, which are meant to be training)? Why is MSC money being moved away from Community Programme now? Well... JTS - like all the other government schemes - is Not there to help people. It's there to get the unemployment figures down for this year's election and that's already happening. At the cost of people having their money stopped, or being pushed into low-paid jobs they do not want, and which leave them no better off than they would be on the dole. Whilst employers make more profits because their wages bills are lower. The amount paid to JTS convicts shows that it is a cover up for low pay. It pays less than the YTS rate of £38 a week. After national insurance, travel to work costs, and meals, a JTS trainee takes home round about the dole rate (eg £29:80 for a single person, with virtually all rent paid too). In the U.S. of A., lonesome cowboy Ronnie has already got unemployed people working for their benefit, through the Workfare Scheme... If claimants don't chose that option, it's either intensive job seeking through JobClub, or getting off the books and onto £40 a week on the Enterprise Allowance... or just signing off and starving. The new policies don't look like they will include any lightly easier options like the Restart course or the Community Programme. * The rich will get richer * the unemployed will get hassled * the tories will get re-elected, (on a ticket of getting the nation back to work) * the labour lot will try and act like the tories * and the "right to work" (ha ha) will show itself for what it really is, an imposed social "duty", and the right to chose whether you want to sell your labour (to pay the bills) or not will be further eroded. Billy Whizz. - - - LIVE & DIRECT in a Reading town style, here we go again with live "entertainment" highlights and low-life for the coming weeks. All info most gratefully received... c/o Box 79, Acorn. Now settle and have fun, as the saying goes... First off, a message for all you players of instruments out there: Cartoons Wine Bar in Gun St wants to hear from any local bands who fancy a gig. Payment is as a % of the bar takings, so you need to be able to draw those drinkers in... contact Simon on 509005. And in the red corner, local collective promoters The Conspiracy are also always pleased to hear from bands, to play benefit gigs, often with national headline bands. They pay you too. Tapes & info to Box 1, 17 Chatham Street, Reading. Right, now all that's out of the way: Thurs 12 Feb: * Cap & Gown - Pressgang Club. Fri 13 Feb: * friday the thirteenth! * Univ - a gig for the annual sponsored puke that is Rag week. Tickets in advance for us townies. * Cap & Gown - The Mudcats. Make it a date, take the bait, it sez. Very enjoyable garage blues band. * Paradise - Predatur (heavy metal) and Touch The Earth (new roots reggae from the Kaya Collective) £1:50 before 10.30/£2:50 after. Sat 14 Feb: * Lurve! * Fishermans Cottage, Kennetside - The Larkins (r'n'r covers) and Hook Line & Silverfish (soulful pop). Full of yuppies. * Univ - Rag week Valentine video disco. Groooo. Bet the Red Rag film & video correspondent will be miles away. * Cap & Gown - Bazooka Joe. MOR. Is that "More Old Rubbish". * West End Centre, Aldershot - This is what happens when you have an arts centre. Gigs. Fun. Culture. Never in Reading... tonight it's Primal Scream in concert, 8pm, £3:50. Tel. A.330040. * Centre For The Unemployed, 4/6 EAST St - Reading's Gay Collective disco, 9-late. More details from Acorn Books Sun 15 Feb: * nothing on. Mon 16 Feb: * Univ - Showaddywaddy!!! Words Fail Me . * Cap & Gown - Final Demand. Tues 17 Feb: * a load of old drivel, including: * Univ - Rag week variety evening. * Turks Head - trad jazz, 9pm * SHP - jazz in the Cellar Bar with Pete Allen, trad again. 8pm, £2:50/£l:50. * Out Of Town Club Bath Rd, Padworth Rock Night. A must for all macho-bores. * Cartoons - disco/glam drink promo Weds 18 Feb: * Studio Bistro - Jazz * Cartoons - Killing the Rose (M0R) * Univ - the middle class "intellectual" elite display their true colours with an all boys together Beer Festival. Pathetic. Thurs 19 Feb: * Cap & Gown - The Pressgang Club. Lots of surprises, worth a visit. * Univ - Rag weak jazz evening. * The Forbury - Pearls before Swine Promotions Present "The Art Treasures of Reading Town" in the Abbey Gateway Room at S.30, Tel 476018. Fri 20 Feb: * SHP - Rory McLeoud. One man and his guitar. And harmonica (he won the Texas harp championship whilst on tour there!) A troubadour of our times and No he doesn't sing down his nose. With alternative alternative comedians Tony Allen & Roy Hutchins. 8pm. £l:50/75p UB40. * Paradise - Pressgang (A new way of looking at folk music), La Tarriffe and Second Emotion. £1:50 before 10.30, otherwise £2:50. It looks like Friday and Saturday gigs are OK for the new look Paradise, although time will tell. * West End Centre, Aldershot - the bard of Salford etc etc, John Cooper Claaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarke. Patron saint of adenoidal poets. * Univ - Whew, rockan droll. Rag ball-Zoot and the Roots. There's lots of other things to do tonight. Sat 21 Feb: * Red Rag copy date - 6pm at Acorn please, and why not try writing? * Univ - scabby old Rags parade in the afternoon, as if Reading isn't vile enough on a Saturday afternoon. And a wacky student disco in the Evening * Cap & Gown - Strangers. * West End Centre, Aldershot - Scottish Rhythm and Swing(!) with the Easy Club. Why not in Reading??? Sun 22 Feb: * Hex - Chas'n'Dave 8pm. Offensive, and not just to children, especially at £7 and £6. Mon 23 Feb: * Red Rag pasteup. Help always needed. Tues 24 Feb: * Red Rag pasteup carries on... * Majestic - It Bites, who are famous, it seems. Crappy venue. * Turks Head - Jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz * SHP - jazz: Dave Quincey Quartet - 50's hard bop. 8pm. £2:50? * Cartoons - Cracking The Pain. Did they used to be Tinzeltown? (rock-ish) Weds 25 Feb: * New issue of Red Rag out. Hopefully * Paradise - The Conspiracy present Blurt, who are hard to describe. Um. Exciting stuff, to be sure, supported by the excellent Mayhem Quartet. Tickets from Acorn / Listen Records. * Cartoons - Home And Abroad - pop. * Majestic - The Wedding Present & Close Lobster. An indie evening, but the Paradise gig makes it look like Radio 2 on a Sunday morning. Thurs 26 Feb: * HEX - 0pry: Cinderella by Rossinni. 7.30 kickoff. * Cap & Gown - Pressgang Club: worth a visit. Recent acts include The Lost Weekend and The Tennessee Three. Fri 27 Feb: * Paradise military Surplus (roots reggae with style and fashion plus hard lyrics) and the layered music of The Particles. £1:50 before 10.30 and £2:50 after that. * Cap & Gown - Funktion at the Junktion smooth and soulful. * Hex - Rigoletto by Verdi. Now That's What I Call Culture! * Polish Club, London Rd, entry round the back of the Dom Polski, via Eldon Terrace. Beat Back Band-big and brassy soul. 8-11.30, £2. Sat 28 Feb: * HEX - Rossinni's Cinderella at 7.30pm * Cap & Gown - The Gathering: guitar based new rock. Recently supported Erasure. * That's the end of February! Info: * Paradise: Paradise Club 112 London St Reading, Tel 576847. Disabled access good except for 2 steps down into the bar. * Majestic: Majestic, Caveraham Rd, Reading. Tel 586093. Be careful of the door staff. Loony dress restrictions at times. * Cap & Gown: King's Road, Reading, tel 586006. Gigs are downstairs, which makes access for disabled people very bad. * SHP: South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell; tel 0344 484123. Gigs are in the Cellar Bar, so disabled access is not good. But there may be a side entrance. * University: Students Union, tel 860222, aak for Ents Office for Info. Good disabled access as there is a ranp from one level to the next. Can town people get in? * HEX - Hexagon, Queens Walk, Reading tel 591591. Good access for disabled via basement level car park. Very bad from the main entrance. - - - BLURT Paradise Club 112 London St Wed 25th Feb 9pm till late £3/£2:50 advance tickets : Acorn Listen Records & Pop Records - - - ORIGINAL ROCKERS Well, sorry to say that the Pablo Posse haven't come up with their listing this week, but they send a big "One Love" to each and everyone in the area and say the Twinkle Brothers and Jah Shaka session at the Central Club is cancelled... but don't feel away, Shaka is booked for the Paradise Club, 112 London Street, for Thursday 5th March... everyone who went to the Shaka session last week is raving about it... so don't miss out!! xxx Love and Unity. - - - VEGGIE DINING STRIKES BACK! In their relentless pursuit of gastronomic excellence (or just a decent meal once a fortnight), members of Veggie Dining, surely Reading's loosest collective, met to plan their next assault on Reading's stomachs. Veggie Dining are a motley group of ad-hoc gastro-gnomes who between themselves and whoever happens to be in the way at the time, somehow manage to produce a three course extravaganza with music and a few candles. We have had more comebacks than I care to remember, had our cutlery stolen and been banned from most of the suitable venues in Reading. However, we are not quite flogging the dead lentils yet and completely undaunted we announce... * Veggie Dining Rides Again!! * Three Course Vegan Scrunge at the Centre For The Jobfree Thursday 26 February at 8pm Be There Or Be Hungry! Tickets from Acorn £2:0/£2 (UB40) Veggie Dining Cutlery Benefit There will be a cooks' meeting on Monday 23 February for those who are having problems with the bit about the money, or are simply overflowing with enthusiasm. Cooks get a free meal and so do performers/musicians. 19, George Street is the place to be, 8pm. Otherwise, salve your conscience and bring your stomach along to the R.C.U., Easy Street on 26th. See you there! Love, Simon P.S. Thanks to Mike for the cake! - - - ADVERTISING RATES 3 for 10 by 6cm £6 for 10 by 12cm 'Small ads' are still free. 4 ads in consecutive issues are £2:50 / £5 each. For more details: Simon on Reading 666354. - - - EVENTS Wed 1lth Feb * PnD Housing coop meeting 37 Cholmeley Road 8pm. * Womens Dance, at the Central Club London St 10am. All women welcome, every Wednesday, tel.596639 Thur 12th Feb * Red Rag Collective Meeting!! ALL welcome, come along and help put out Reading's only newspaper. 56 Hamilton Rd 8pm. * Free courses for the unemployed; "Confidence building for women" every Thursday 10am. Centre for the Unemployed East st. Fri 13th Feb * "Women, race and immigration" meeting at the Surma Community Centre Robert St NW I 7.30pm. * Free courses for the unemployed; "Video Production" every Friday 2pm Centre for the Unemployed East st. Sat 14th Feb * Valentines Day - Aahh! special Berkshire Antinuclear Campaign stall outside St Mary's Centre "Love is... giving away peace badges." * Reading's Gay Collective disco at Reading Centre for the Unemployed 9pm. Is this the last one? Mon 16th Feb * Free courses for the unemployed; "Graphic Design" every Monday 2pm R.C.U. * Lesbian and Gay Youth Group meeting 8pm Wine Bar Students Union Building, University. All welcome not just for students, every Monday during term. Tue 17th Feb * Free courses for the unemployed; "Written and Spoken English for office use." every Tuesday 12.00 R.C.U. * "Man and Woman" one of a series of talks based on Rudolf Steiner's ideas entitled life and education 7.45pm St Mary's Centre. Wed 18th Feb * Conserve Reading On Wednesdays need helpers to build a wildlife garden Dinton Pastures, tel: Sue 668636 * Berkshire Anti Nuclear Campaign planning meeting 8pm Friends Meeting House, Church St. Fri 20th Feb * Reading's Gay Collective meeting 7.45 putting out the paper etc; c/o Box 150 Acorn for details. Tue 24 Feb * Reading Nicaragua Solidarity Group; meeting 76 Donnington Rd 8pm. details tel. 860594 Coming soon... Sat 14th March * Free Mandela Demonstration! to Trafalgar Sq London Assemble 1pm Archway tube. 2nd-6th March * Lesbian and Gay awareness week at the University - look out for details That's it! @ Erik. - - - RISING SAP A drama weekend for Spring March 13th-15th Fun and games, improvisation, performance, voice workshop Low cost / Wholefood / Fun Residential - Lower Shaw Farm, near Swindon Details: Rising Sap, 37 Cholmeley Road, Reading tel: 665564# - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1987/1987-02-10.txt#3 $