RED RAG BIGGEST EVER ISSUE! APRIL 18 TO MAY 2 FREE VOL 4 NO 9 == READING'S ONLY NEWSPAPER == Inside: Cycling in Reading / BANC & CND Greenham Common / Queen / Burghfield Common Events Guide Malvinas latest How to make coffee the hard way Peace Week Police volunteers / CND demo Six pages of letters about Women's Centre Going out Guide Story of a goldfinch Mayday NB: Next Rag: A meeting to discuss Mayday issue 7.30, 22 April, 31A Hamilton Road, Rdg 61257 Plus: Please return Mayday raffle stubs & money & unsold tickets to address on tickets Getting in touch with RED RAG: NEWS - Red 666681 662302 861841 INFO for EVENTS - 666681 473205 INFO for GOING OUT - 663083 DISTRIBUTION - 61257 666681 or write c/o 31B Milman Rd or Acorn Bookshop. Deadline for next issue Wed 29 for events to May 17. - - - CYCLEWAYS FOR READING? How often have you been carved up on Reading's highways by motorists who either fail to see cyclists or refuse to acknowledge their existence? Do you object to making long detours because of one-way systems designed to speed up traffic flow? How frequently do you suffer from a buckled wheel because of poorly maintained road surfaces? Friends of the Earth held a meeting last month to consider these problems and to discuss ways of overcoming them. Very few towns have purpose-built facilities for cyclists, partly because of the high cost of construction and also because of low levels of cycling. With the boom in cycle sales over the last few years and rising costs of motorised travel, cycling has considerably in many parts of the country. Several towns have now shown that cheap but effective facilities can be provided to give cyclists a safer and more attractive journey. These include cycle routes through back streets, shared use of footways {where there are few pedestrians), cycle lanes marked on the carriageway and special traffic signals for cyclists at junctions. Berkshire County Council now intends to spend over £l50,000 a year on cycling and pedestrian facilities around the county. Cyclists in Reading can provide their local knowledge to help improve facilities. Your campaigning should also ensure that any future public spending cuts are not applied to expenditure on cycling. The Cycling Group is meeting again on 22 April to put forward ideas on how this money could be spent. Why don't you come along to the meeting room at the Crown at 8 o'clock and discuss your proposals for helping cyclists? We need your local knowledge. Friends of the Earth / Reading Cycle Group - - - SOME ATOMS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS? Strange things have been happening within Berkshire Anti-Nuclear Campaign (BANC). First for no adequately explained reason they decide to amalgamate with Reading CND. Then their Central Committee debates whether or not to disaffiliate from the national ANC (on grounds of 'economy', BANC's turnover last year was £4,500 incidentally). Finally a BANC representative addressing Reading Trades Council receives some hostile comments in favour of nuclear power and replies by saying that that isn't an important issue anymore. Those among us who are hardened cynics might think that these are symptoms of an attempt to push the organisation away from opposition to nuclear technology in all its forms and towards opposition to only nuclear weapons. Purely coincidentally this happens to be the current position of the Labour Party. Obviously there is no connection between these events and the fact that BANC's previously vociferously anti-CND chairman (or was it person - I forget the decision) has recently been elected to CND's national council. How that came about is another story. - - - I WON'T FIGHT FOR COALITE (*) Funny how the media cease to ignore the massive demonstrations recently over Britain's military adventures in the South Atlantic. After all they must have been happening everywhere but Reading. It stands to reason with the great interest in peace these days that thousands must have been on the streets protesting about an imminent war. Still remember as you watch all the glorious action, brought to you live by satellites as it happens: old sailors never die, only young ones. * Title courtesy of Kieran - - - GREENHAM TRIALS Last Wednesday the majority of the women arrested at Greenham Common on March 21st were tried at the magistrates court in Newbury. They were charged with obstruction (only - since it was a military base they could have bean really heavied) and fined (only) £15 each with £10 costs. Some if not all are not going to pay. The two Buddhist nuns one of whom the police had beaten up on the grounds that she looked like a punk - were only fined £1 on their not having things like money. Curious logic ... The remaining 14 come up on 21st April. See Events. Reading Greenham Common Support Group can be reached through Liz on 690793. - - - ANARCHISTS BOYCOTT ROYAL VISIT SENSATION ... But a Chronic reporter was there. "Berkshire's new Shire Hall stood gleaming white in the spring sunshine on its big day etc etc". It must be tough being monarch. Having to admire architects' models of Shire Hall, and Shire Hall too. Then: "The Queen waited while leading personalities were presented to her. They included Berkshire's High Sheriff, Sir David Hill-Wood, the county council's Chief Executive, Mr Bob Gash, Thames Valley Chief Constable Mr Peter Imbert, and the council chairman, Nr Lewis Moss." Poor Queen. Meanwhile they had bussed 5,000 children in to do some waiting of their own: "The coach came to school at 1.45 and the Queen came at 3 o'clock... Mrs Smith gave us all a flag. A big fat boy kept killing worms on the grass. A man said after you have seen the Queen wait until a man comes and tells you your coach is ready. When the coach came we got on it and went home." - - - RAG Badges ------ We have two stupendous Red Rag badges, in red black and white. They cost 20p each, 10p of that is profit for us!! Laura's got them at the minute (ring 666681 if you want one - but hurry!). Acorn ----- "What's the connection between Acorn and Red Rag?" someone asked recently. The last few issues have all been printed and collated upstairs in Acorn. (It's getting to be a long job with 750 copies - and 18 pages). We're very grateful as always for their materials and equipment and for them putting up with us and our mess. Incidentally they wouldn't be too unhappy in Acorn if people went there more often (and spent more money!). Even if it weren't the cultural centre of Reading it'd be worth going for the baker and delicatessen next door... Chatham St, right? Pretty well opposite the Butts Centre. Money ----- Expensive ish this, so cough up please. Cheques to "Red Rag" to our treasurer at 181, Shinfield Road. Or use the box now in Acorn. - - - THE BURGHFIELD PEACE CAMP On 24th April, a peace camp committed to opposing all forms of violence will be established to draw attention to R.O.F. Burghfield (nuclear weapons factory associated with AWRE Aldermaston). People prepared to help with the launch should contact: Box 17, Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham Street, Reading - before 24th April. We will also need help in the form of firewood, food, some camp equipment, placards, paints, boards etc (and money ...) Hope to see you all over the next few weeks. NVDA is good for you. - - - EVENTS DIARY Mon 19 April Anarchist group. For venue ring James on 473205 see * Reading Tree Club. Walk on London Rd site. Meet 18.45 below outside University Library in the Cloisters Wokingham Peace Group. First meeting. Wok'm Town Hall, 8pm. BRIAN Revell, BANC Chair, will talk (!) Tues 20. Lecture. 'Steam Ploughing & Steam' Engines', by C. Tyler. 7.30 at Museum of Rural Life, Reading University, Whiteknights. Women's Centre. Open 10.30 - 3.30. Old Shire Hall Basement, Abbey Street, Reading. Wed 21 Earley B.A.N.C. Neighbourhood Group meeting. 5, Aldbourne Avenue, Earley. 8pm. S.W.P. meeting. Red Lion, Southampton St, Reading at 8pm. Demonstration outside Newbury Magistrates' Court. Supporters of those arrested should meet at 9am outside the Courts. 'Talk on Alternative Economic Strategy. 7:30 AUEW Hall; Speakers: Brian Revell and others! Thursday 22 Labour Party Young Socialists meet at AEUW Hall, Oxford Rd. 8:00 Friday 23 Women's Centre Social and tape of a Suffragette, 8:00 Washington to Moscow March passes Burghfield Common, Evening. On Saturday 24 they walk via the Burghfield Ordinance Factory to Bracknell. The exact route is not yet known but anyone interested in walking or in offering food, etc., contact Marissa -- 22824, or leave food at 107 Waverley Rd. Women's Centre Old Shire Hall, Open from 10:30; Self Defence workshop from 2:00 - 4:00 Mon 26 Anarchists - El Salvador speaker and Slide Show at the Crown Pub, Crown Street, 8:00 Tues 27 Women's Centre open 10:30 - 3:30 World Disarmement Campaign Mass Lobby of Parliament to press government for positive action at U.N. special session on disarmament in June. Details - U.N. Association 89B Broad St. Rdg 53583 Coley Neighbourhood Group Meeting 21 Castle. St. 8:00. Wed 28 Reading Tree Club 18:30 near St Barnabas Church for walk - crab apples in Emmer Green S.W.P. meet at 8:00 Red Lion Pub, Southampton St/ Friends of the Earth Speaker: Steve Billcliffe , Director, F.O.E. U.K., on the 2nd decade of campaigns, Crown Inn, Crown St., 8:00 BNAC Committee Meeting, Jury Room, Old Shire Hall, Rdg. 8:00 Tilehurst Neighbourhood Group - Leafleting, Meet in Tilehurst Co-op car park, 7:00 Thurs 29 L.P.Y.S. at AEUW Hall, Oxford Rd Sat MAY 1 MAY DAY EVENTS -- See separate sheet Sun 2 Youth CND meet AUEW Hall, Oxford Rd., 3:00 Mon 3 Labour & Trade Union Anti-nuke Working Gp Meeting, 56 Hamilton Rd 8:00 Women's Centre - Combined meeting for 1st of the month and Women's Centre policy open meeting, all women welcome 7:30 Anarchists - Meeting, all welcome, ring James - 473205 (*) Mon Apr 19 Ecology Party: - Meet to discuss leafleting for local elections, John Stannard, 16 Lund Farm Close, Woodley, 8:00 - - - MALVINAS LATEST Junta's Shock Announcement "Islands Are British". As the crisis in the South Atlantic deepened last night a startling statement by the extreme right wing junta declared that the question of sovereignty had been resolved. General Costa Monetarisma Thatchierti stated that in a plebiscite the island's inhabitants voted by 4,692,781 to 1,522 in favour of Britain regaining control of the disputed territory even it this meant nuclear war. Gen. Thatcherti announced that over 85% of sheep supported a British invasion and over 90% of penguins favoured the use of atomic weapons. The human minority in the islands was largely opposed to these measures. Gen. Thatcherti said she would seek to support the islanders' wishes, but that human rights would be upheld. "If they need reassurance of our commitment to the rights of minorities they need look no further than Brixton or Belfast." Later in her speech she announced that the Queen Mary, the Isle of Wight ferry and several small rowing boats would join the British task force as soon as they had been fitted with tactical nuclear weapons. Privately Government sources admit that the growing hysteria of the junta's statement can be traced back to growing opposition to its disastrous economic policies. Our South American correspondent adds 'In Buenos Aires a government spokesman said 'Arge'. This is generally interpreted as a sign that Argentina does not accept the plebiscite, and that he had electrodes strapped to his genitals. Meanwhile the Chilean government which has for many years opposed the Argentinian 'soft' stand on human rights - they prefer to stamp - declare its support for General Thatcher's policies. Washington. President Bonzo said at a press conference 'Where are the Falkland Islands?' An aide explained that the President meant that 'geo-political factors were being evaluated before a definite statement of the administration's preferential ally-alignment policy was formulated.' Meanwhile the Secretary of State, Raving B. Psychopath said on a T.V Quiz show 'Nuke the goddam commies. We have proof that those penguins were trained in Cuba and have Soviet-made beaks.' His deputy, Whopper Buffaloburger declared 'We will support the free world against communism. We just can't decide which side in this case is more communist.' In London it has been revealed why Britain was not prepared for the invasion. MI5 announced 'Our usual chap in South America was on his hols, his usual walking tour on public lavatories in Moscow, and his replacement wasn't too hot on geography. He got the Falklands and the Shetlands mixed up, so when we asked him if the dagoes were all getting on their boats to go to the Falklands he said: 'I don't think they'll go that far. Bit of a mix-up all round really.' It is expected that these disclosures will lead to the resignation of the Agriculture Minister. He will probably be replaced by a goldfish. (Reprinted courtesy of 'The Smut'. Also in 'The Smut', Jingo - your chance to win 50,000 penguins. - - - FOOD FOR RAG READERS Last issue some of the excellent specialist food shops in Reading were described on this page, space didn't allow me to finish the list ...so the story continues. Among the old fashioned sort of shops which you would expect to find in a market town, are a collection of rather comfortable middle class shops selling between them a vast range of beverages, sweetmeats, and delicacies in general. Cottles coffee shop sells more blends of coffee than would be healthy to try. The quality is very good and the price very reasonable (they've just had their first price rise in 3 years}. If you've always made your own coffee with a plastic spoon from a jar of brown powder + stray bits of sugar, brewing a cup of the real stuff is quite an eye-opener, and just to show that you don't have to spend a fortune on fussy gadgets to make coffee here is the English way to brew coffee. 1) Buy a quarter of course ground coffee, try Danish blend or the house blend for something tasty but not too strong, Mocha is also a good choice. 2) Boil a pint of water, sorry more than that because you'll need some to warm the pot or jug. 3) Warm two jugs each big enough to hold 1 pint. 4) Put 2-3 heaped table spoons of coffee in jug no.l. Pour on the boiling water, stir, leave for few minutes, preferably somewhere warm. 5) Strain through sieve into jug no.2. 6) Warm 1/2 pint of milk and serve. The main things to watch are to keep everything as hot as poss. and to make sure you don't let yourself get stingy with the coffee. They also sell a range of teas including a tea specially blended for the less than perfect Reading water. The High is an old-wave health food shop, it's aptly named for its prices at least. There's a better health food shop in the Butts of all places called Vitality. New-wave health food known as wholefood is found in Traders and on the market (near Tescos). County Delicacies 1s a deli-fiends dream come true, the Chinese stuff by the door smells a bit, but don't be put off. Don't go at busy times because the queue stretches right out of the shop, which is on the Kings Road. - - - PEACE WEEK - A MEMORIAL Just a few words about peace week, and the pitfalls of getting one together - or something similar!! 1. Firstly, have plenty of time to spare. We had around three weeks - as well as working, full-time. 2. Count your heads and their degree of committment, motivation and reliability. We were let down in a variety of ways, from non-production of posters, to the booking of a hall, which we discovered, on the night we were due to show the film 'The War Game', was not open for 'political' meetings! Since when has Peace been considered political? Luckily, we were able to take some of the crowd still around, off in a few cars, plus projector, and hightail it back to the local nurses' home! Thanks for the sanity of some folk! 3. When someone volunteers you to convene something, make sure they're around to give you a few pointers. 4. If you're new to C.N.D., and organising, don't take on too much at first. (It f_s you up, if you're not careful.) 5. Be independent of any conservative groups who may- put pressure on you, when things go wrong, or not - according to their particular values, and standards. 6. Don't give up, for without an attempt at producing Peace Week, nothing could have been achieved - everyone's got to learn sometime - even if it's whilst you're actually doing it. It's better to produce an imperfect something rather than to not produce at all - whilst aiming at perfection! In conclusion? my thanks for friends, who handwrote posters and fly-posted until 4a.m. on a Sunday morning; to Conservation Books, for their gift of re-cycled paper; to all those who did things, rather than- merely suggested things for others to do - Peace Week is not me or you, but all of us, and our collective responsibility. Thanks also to B.A.N.C., as a group, for their promise of money towards costs and many thanks also to Acorn, and staff, for re-assurance and practical help, before, during and after - Peace Week, 1982. Cheers, m'dears, 'P.H.P.' ActiveMember of CND, BANC, Action Research for the Crippled Child; Anti-foxhunting League; FoE, BUAV. *** - who must remain anonymous, due to fly-posting offences!! CARRIED OUT IN THE LINE OF DUTY...... Costings for peace week were:- - Time, energy, frustration, patience by Pogle, Ju, Kandy, Davem Andrew, Andy H & his mares, Stu, Mark, Liz, Mike, Windy - for enthusiasm & others...? 900,000 pounds - Petrol & phone calls too numerous to mention ... umpteen pounds - Posters & printing £12.50 Stickers £11.50 Projector £5.00 Sum total works out at the ridiculous price of £29.00! - Other non-events have had to be postponed & will be put on in the next few months. Watch walls for details... NB APOLOGIES TO ANYONE WHO WAS INCONVENIENCED AS A RESULT OF PEACE WEEK. IN ANY WAY. HOPEFULLY THE THOUGHTS CREATED OUTWEIGH THE HASSLES. - - - YOUNG MORONS WANTED FOR INTERESTING CAREER WITH A DIFFERENCE It seems that the local police force are blundering their way into another campaign for drumming up more social acceptance. The new gem is officially called the Volunteer Cadet Corps. This Youth Control League is going to be formed at an estimated cost of £10,000. From information that has been obtained, so far it looks like being one of those outdoor activity style organisations, with pro-police propaganda and police-style uniforms. This new move to regiment the young people of the Thames Valley will undoubtedly do more damage to relations between the police and the young people it is trying to restore good relations with than any previous so-called community orientated moves it has made after the summer of discontent. It must be quite obvious that this pseudo social project will only attract those who delight in being part of a highly disciplined group of mentally cramped authoritarian robots, and that isn't the kind of young people the police would be aiming at, would it? Chief constable Imbert is quoted in one of the national dailies as saying that "the youngsters who join will learn something about police services as well as doing things like canoeing." He also suggests that the cadets could patrol parks and housing estates where vandals were at work. Does this mean that these youths will be encouraged to inform on any illegal activity that they come into contact with? If that is so their middle-class Mummys and Daddys had better hurry up with their tax returns & paying up their TV licences before the Junior Youth League offspring denounce them. Better still, Mummies and Daddies, you could take away their sub-prefect badges and break the spell today. The reward stimulus will probably be somewhat like that found in the Guides or Scouting movement, so who knows, we may all have a part to play in earning somebody their bronze truncheon or step craft badge. See you at enrolment, John. - - - BE THERE. LONDON. JUNE 6 1982 Saturday 10th April was quite a day for Peace Campaigners all over the country. 30,000 people marched in Glasgow, 1,500 in Canterbury; in every town where there's any peace organisation at all, people were out on the streets. This magnificent co-ordination of expression must surely give us all the morale and sense of solidarity that will make June 6th in London the greatest gathering against aggression since Woodstock. No-one who reads Red Bag, Labour Weekly, Socialist Worker, New Statesman, Floating Anarchy Times or even the Guardian (bless its liberal cotton socks) has any business being anywhere except on the C.N.D. national demonstration on June 6th. IT MATTERS! Thursday's Child. (One born every minute - typist) - - - TONGUE TWISTER Try saying: "I want to read Red Rag regularly". Then phone Distribution on 666681 or 61257 and show off your skill. Then in future you will get a copy to your door... - - - WOMENS CENTRE REPLY 1 (Replying to A.J.Warner's article in the last issue) I read with confusion your "Platform" contribution by A.J. Warner, which claimed to be about the Women's Centre. My confusion started when she informed me that she had bought a newsletter which represented the policies and attitudes of the Women's Centre. The Women's Centre has never produced a newsletter. A regular one page information sheet is produced by a group of women who meet monthly. It is compiled at an open meeting, where any woman can feed in information of interest to women. This obviously includes input on events organised by the Women's Centre, such as the recent self-defence and racism awareness days, and input from autonomous groups who use the centre e.g, the Women's Information Service. It also includes information on activities not based at the Women's Centre, and events for men and women. It was decided some time ago that an occasional bumper edition should be produced, where women who wanted to express themselves through poetry, prose or drawings would have that space alongside straight informative pieces. It was to this bumper edition that Ms. Warner referred. My second point of confusion was in trying to work out whether the second section of the article was meant to be a poetry review, or a thinly disguised personal attack on a woman who contributed some poetry. As a piece of poetry criticism it was, at best, inept. I have a very different understanding of the poems mentioned, which is not to say that either of us is right. I do feel, however, that it is not valid to mention one aspect of a poem, out of context, and construct a whole criticism around it. There were images of strength and energy in the snowdrop poem, which were not even acknowledged. As for the "dishrag" poem, it did not purport to be about the author's total identity, but an aspect of it. Is Ms. Warner suggesting all feminists should bounce about with a fixed grin, never sharing our downs as well as our ups? Or is she saying that feminists are clones of Wonderwoman and don't have downs? It reassures me to know that someone whose energy and commitment I admire also feels exhausted, wrung out and strung out at times, just as I do when at a low ebb. I am sure the shared childcare group will express their own views of the attack on them. I would, however, like to comment on what seems to be the fundamental criticism of them, and the Women's Centre as a whole - that it is, for women only. This is not denying that sympathetic men exist, but there are numerous arenas where men and women can work together against sexism, in personal relationships, the workplace and mixed campaigns. Of the men I know who are truly sympathetic to women, not one has questioned the validity of a space that is for women only, or appeared to resent it. Similarly, I do not question or resent the right of black people to create the space they desire for themselves, in a society run by, and for the benefit of, the white population. Would Ms. Warner? It is stated in the article that male children are seen as a "problem" by feminists. I would like to expand that statement to say that for me having a child of either sex will present many problems. It is extremely difficult trying to raise a child in a non-sexist way to have non-sexist values, knowing it will be pressurised by schools, media and peers to conform to the stereotyped sexual roles. I feel the pressure is particularly cruel on small boys. If you are a non-aggressive and sensitive boy, you are likely to be ridiculed, picked on and isolated. Is that not a matter of concern for a parent? In case you are wondering whether I an "anti-men" or feel "negative" about them, let me state that I feel very negative about men who batter, rape, abuse, put down or belittle women, or who treat a woman's experience of life as in some way inferior to their own. I don't feel too positive about the men who condone these actions by their silence, either. How many oppressed people love those that oppress then? That is not to say that I do not have good relationships with men who are trying not to fit into any of these categories. I welcome intelligent, well researched, positive criticism of women's movement/women's centre. Unfortunately Ms. Warner's article was not. Perhaps next time Red Rag produces something on this topic, at least their research will extend to the most basic level of talking to the women involved and they will not sink again to the distorted, sensationalist style used in their last issue. Lynne Jaquet - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 2 Who is A.J.Warner? This is the question. As a regular user of the women's centre, I am interested to note that no-one I know has met her there. Much of what she wrote about the centre, in an article which told us much more about A.J.Warner than the Women's Centre, must therefore be based on rumour and conjecture. She obviously should come down and talk to women who use the centre about what she thinks our current policy is. Have we in fact got one?, (Do we in fact need one?) This is another question! I do not intend, in this letter, to counter or question A.J.Warner's expertise as a poetry critic; nor at this stage am I going to launch into a political defence of feminism, though there is much in her article which demands comment as it suggests one-wall-eye-blindness - perhaps plenty-wax-deafness and thick-as-a-plankness on her part! But - to return to the ostensible subject of her article - the women's centre. Perhaps Red Rag readers, even if not A.J.Warner, would like to know a bit about the running of the women's centre. A collective of eight women attempts to ensure the centre's day-to-day running; the first of the month meeting (Next one May 3rd) enables all women who come to air views and disagreements, suggest courses and campaigns and make decisions. The centre's "policy" arises, from those meetings and is therefore a reflection of the people who bother to attend. The "dissenters" she mentions, or, at least A.J.Warner herself, should come and take part and maybe affect that policy. Until she has done this, her sweeping statements serve only to mislead or antagonise. To conclude, I must add that I cannot believe A.J.Warner has failed to understand the basic premise behind any women's centre. All women are entitled to one place where they can go and relax without fear of threat, abuse, takeover, interruption or "mere" overshadowing by men. I hope a lot of women who read Red Rag will now feel obliged to visit the women's centre on a Tuesday 10:30 - 3:30 or on a Saturday 10:30 - 2:30, if only to test out the validity of A.J.Warner's accusations. Jane Kightly - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 3 Dear Red Rag, In reply to A.J.Warner's Platform article: As a man who has been passionately interested in and positively active about the liberation of BOTH sexes for over ten years I fully identify and agree with A.J.Warner's analysis and sentiments concerning the current state of the Women's Movement and particular the local Women's Centre and Group. To answer her specific questions:- "Does it have to involve banning and disliking men?" YES, so long as ALL men are perceived as THE enemy, and until it is acknowledged that SOME women are equally to blame for current stereotypes and attitudes which only serve to maintain the status quo and perpetuate an economic and s social order which is, I feel, to the detriment of both sexes. "Does the Wonen's Centre want a popular base, or is it to become an exclusive club?" I posed a sinilar question in the form of an essay to the women's Area Conference for debate in Oct 1980. In view of the non-response I and my girlfriend got and subsequently received to numerous inquiries and challenges to "their' policy and views it would appear that such negative responses strongly suggests if not affirms - YES to an exclusive club and therefore by default NO to a popular base; in other words - conform to a minority view of "liberation" or get out and keep out!! In my estimation the Women's Centre is filling a local minority need but it is certainly NOT fulfilling the needs of the vast majority of women outside the' club', nor is it advancing harmony and understanding between the sexes by debate, nor seeking to establish the nature of liberation and freedom of choice by abstract principles which transcend gender. In conclusion, to enhance your appreciation of the problem, I can do no better than to quote from a letter on this very topic which appeared on the Guardian's Women's Page "Open Space" on 15/3/82. Margaret J. Farbes of Castleford, Yorks wrote, "Where I live, in the heart of mining country, women's lib seems to be regarded as an alien and distant notion. It seems that unless things go radically wrong, say in their marriage or work, women round here seem to be quite happy with their allotted roles, and so have little incentive to change. Many are transmitting the old unquestioned values to their children. Selfish and complacent perhaps, but which of us would fight an injustice we just didn't perceive?" My only comment to that is: APATHY RULES - OK! Yours sincerely, S.J.Harlow - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 4 Dear 'Red Rag' collective, I'd like to reply to A.J.Warner's article on the Women's Centre published in your last issue. I don't want to discuss the article point by point, which would take forever, I'd just like to answer the writer's main contention which was that men should be allowed to take part in the activities of the women's centre, and that the reason for their exclusion is that members of the women's group are anti-men. Women desperately need time to be alone together if the women's movement is to progress at all. The writer obviously believes that certain men are ready to participate in the movement, and to listen to feminist criticism. There are, I admit, a very small number of men who genuinely try not to be at all sexist, but they are few and far between. Men have been conditioned to assume superiority over women, and to dominate them. Even these 'anti-sexist' men do it. At the University recently we held an open meeting of the women's group. It was dominated by two or three very loud-mouthed men who supposedly held anti-sexist ideas and yet who wouldn't listen, or give serious consideration to a thing we were saying. If men were allowed to participate in the activities of the women's centre they would tend to assume command. Sexism is so deep-rooted in our society that women need to be alone to discuss their feelings and to "raise consciousness". They need, just for a while, to escape from sexist attitudes, which can drive even the most strong and capable of women to despair, and to. gain comfort and strength from their sisters. Excluding men from groups does not mean that feminists are anti-men (I particularly resent the suggestion that lesbians are women who hate men). There are men whom I love and who are sympathetic to our cause and yet they are still far from ready to participate in the women's movement, and we are still not ready to have them take part. The best way to raise the consciousness of men is in individual relationships and in other groups, particularly political ones, to which we belong. I agree that the women's centre is too exclusive - white bourgeois, etc - but I have never been involved in any sort of political involvement which isn't. I hope that A.J.Warner gives consideration to my views, though from the tone of the original article I consider this unlikely. It was obviously written by someone who has been greatly influenced by the ideas of the male-dominated society in which we live. Yours, Carol Brown - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 5 I am a feminist and agree with Alison Warner about how feminism is represented in Reading Women's Centre and the newsletter. I find it especially ironic that men taking an "Women's" roles are not allowed to 'cross the threshold - non-feminists won't see the joke - it will only confirm their belief in the sexism practised by such centres. If the centre was also a rape-crisis centre or a battered wives centre then of course men would be unwelcome but most of the women using it live, work and converse with men. I would like to challenge the notion that the men who are likely to enter the centre (delivering jumble from the students union, taking a child to the child care group) will intimidate the women there with their macho views and egoism, it was necessary when women were developing their views in the early 70's for men to be absent - but now most newcomers are more likely to be intimidated by calls of "quorum" and "countermotion" from other women. In my opinion many of the sidebeliefs attached to most women's groups are going off the rails of the basic feminist quest, what I want to see is a world where both sexes can be sex-objects if they want to, and the sex of your partner is your own affair, when people are free to remain celibate as long as they want without pressure from others, when both men and women dress how they want to and wear as much or as little make-up as they want to, when jokes go as much against men as against women, when men and women have the same educational opportunities, wages and status, when women are allowed to enter all male strongholds and men are allowed to deliver jumble or take a child to the women's centre. I want to see legal, social and economic equality of the sexes and I don't feel represented by this Reading contingent of today's women's movement. Chris Levin - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 6 Criticism is a healthy thing and perhaps the Women's Centre has escaped it for too long, but I cannot agree with Alison's analysis of the problems of the Women's Centre. The fact that the Women's Centre does not run a creche service for men (why don't all these liberated men Alison mentions start up a weekly creche?) does not mean that the women involved in the childshare group see childcare as their only function. It just means that some women are freed from childcare for a time to do other things. The Women' Centre is not "anti-man" - rather it is "pro-women"; it is a space for women to do with as they wish. Most of the women I've met there live with men anyway. Communication with men is not a problem at all; the fact that the Women's Centre is in danger of becoming a middle-class clique certainly is. At the moment, the Women's Centre is a space for committed feminists, which is great in that it serves for a starting point for projects like the Rape Crisis Centre; but it must he said that not nearly enough women use the centre. Why? This is exactly the sort of question Alison could have brought up at. a Women's Centre meeting. There is a danger that certain aspects of feminist "culture" as embodied in the "bumper issue" newsletter which Alison quotes might put off some women who cannot identify with it. But the problem is more complicated than that - the centre suffers from lack of money, poor publicity, and restricted use of its premises. The Women's Centre does not have exclusive access/rights to the premises; no public gatherings or entertainments may be put on there; and there is also the problem that the centre is awkwardly situated in a badly lit backstreet.. (For those of you who do not know) it is in the basement of the Old Shire Hall in Abbey St off King's Rd). The Women's Centre rightly prioritises the needs of women but it is not reaching women and for various reasons is inadequate to meet any of those needs. Perhaps women living in Reading should be asked why they are not making use of it? It would be very enlightening, and I suspect that the factors outlined above will be seen to be a large part of the problem. The Women's Centre needs a lot more work put into it to make it a marvellous facility for some (50% of the population of Reading). It means sacrificing time to do it, but I think it's worth it. Laura Necchi-Ghiri - - - WOMEN'S CENTRE REPLY 7 SHARED CHILDCARE AT THE WOMEN'S CENTRE As the women involved in the shared childcare group we feel we must protest at AJW's misrepresentation of our attitudes. We have always made it clear that we are in favour of men being involved in childcare. In fact the man concerned approached us about joining the group and the matter was even put to an open meeting of the Women's Centre collective. Everyone at that meeting agreed that we wanted to support a man looking after a child. However women did feel that if we involved a man it would be inappropriate to have the sessions at the WOMEN'S Centre. Obviously the nature of a Women's Centre is that it is for women only (FOR women - not anti-men). We thought the man concerned understood this very basic principle. Obviously Alison doesn't. It was then left to decide whether we wanted to move elsewhere and include this man or stay where we were and find more women to participate. After a lot of discussion, the women concerned decided that we wanted to remain at the Women's Centre. The childcare groups was in a sense born here, it was geographically convenient for us personally and we wanted to attract more women and spread the idea. After all, it is WOMEN who have for generations been isolated in the home with children and mostly women who need that kind of support. It also ought to be pointed out that this particular man has been incredibly well supported by women from the women's centre in the care of his child; even to the extent of one woman (herself childless) volunteering to bring his child to the childcare group, so that the baby could continue to benefit from and enjoy the scheme, at the same time giving him some time off. Several of us have done childcare 'swaps' with hum outside the childcare group. We have not even dismissed the idea of including him in the future - he has always been given our full consideration and will continue to do so - how supported can you get?!! As for Alison's absurd ramblings about male children - this is complete nonsense. Male babies and children have always been made welcome at the centre. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that as far as any of us know, Alison has never been anywhere near the women's Centre. Maybe she ought to come down and see for herself how much we love our sons - or is she only interested in talking about women and not to them? Sue Beesley, Penny Henrion, Sue Hallett, Carole Seymour - - - RED RAG AND DEBATE Red Rag exists both to inform (about news and events and issues) and to provide a platform for debate on issues which concern people locally. Most of most issues of the Rag (and the vast majority of this one) consists of opinions not necessarily shared by the Bag collective. The stuff we do claim is reliable, or at least researched, is headed 'NEWS' or 'REVIEW' if it is longer. Stuff that is ether polemic or not produced under our particular rules of collective responsibility (ie can be checked and if necessary rewritten by others) is headed PLATFORM or LETTERS. These items are either reproduced exactly as submitted or not printed at all (v. rare). So send us stuff. But don't start claiming (as does one of the letters above) that 'Red Rag has got it wrong' - we never make mistakes. - - - BUSINESS NEWS All this free debate costs money. We are broke (again). Please send money (cheques made out to 'Red Rag') to Sue Clarke, treasurer, Red Bag, 181 Shinfield Road, Reading. Or the Rag will not appear. - - - GOING OUT GUIDE Sun 18th Hexagon: Gladys Knight and the Pips, 6.l5 and 9 p.m, £3.50 to £8.50. Fives: Varooka Bros (blues) at lunchtime, free. The Eagle, Baker Street-Jazz, 8p.m. Free. Reading Cinema Club - The Forbin Project, 7.45, 80p. (must be members). South Hill Park Bracknell - Robin Williamson (poetry), 8p.m, £3.00. S Hill Park - Dr. Strangelove and Morgan A Suitable Case for Treatment, 7.30 £1.75, concessions available. Horseshoe Theatre Basingstoke - The Unexpected Guest. Till April 24th. Angie's Milton Road Wokingham, jazz and rock club - Elevation (jazz/ rock) 9ish p.m £1-2.50. Has bands every Thu, Fri, Sat and Sun. Mon 19 Hex - The Cure 7.30 p.m £3-£3.50 S Hill Park - Films as Sunday Oxford Playhouse - Travesties (Tom Stoppard) 7.30 p.m £3.90 and concessions. Till 24th April. Oxford Museum of Modern Art - Exhib Mayakowsky and early Soviet Photographers 80p. Till 1st May Reading Art Gallery - Silver Studio Collection 1880-1963 free. Tue 20 Hex - Wrestlinig Spectacular 7.30 £2-£2.50. S Hill Park - Ken Colyers Jazzmen £2-£2.30 8 p.m. S Hill Park-Memoirs of a Survivor,(film) 7.30 p.m £1.75 + conc. Till 24th April. Tudor Arms - gay disco free. The Pheasant ,Winnersh-Jazz free, 8 p.m. Wed 21 Hex - Orchestra of St. John's Smith Square 7.30 £3-£6. Oxford Museum of Modern Art-Russian film season continues - Road to Life (1931) 1st Soviet sound film. Evening showing. Thurs 22 Cap and Gown - singers night (folk) free. Central Club - Roots Rock Reggae and another film 8 p.m £1, 50p kids. Prince of Wales, Prospect Street Caversham - Jazz 8 p.m free. Fri 23 Tudor Arms - gay disco free. S Hill Park - Locrian String Quartet 8 p.m £2.50 and £2.80. S Hill Park - Bed Sitting Room (film) 11 p.m £1.85 + conc also om Sat Wokingham Theatre Norreys Ave - Wild Goose Chase 7.45 £1-£1.50 till 1st May . Sat 24 lunchtime Hex - Kennet Jazzband free. Hex - Dramatis (G.Numan's backing band) 7.30 £2.50. Central - battle of sound systems, Quantro from Nottingham versus Marcus 9 p.m £2. Merry Maiden - Mainstreet (band) 8.30 80 p. Target - Predatur 50p. S Hill Park - folk, Muckram Wakes 8 p.m £1 and £1.20. Sun 25 Rank - The Fall and The Birthday Party 8 p.m £3 (well worth it, really wonderful) Fives - jazz swing band 12 noon free. St. Lawrence Hall - Record Fair 12-4 30p entrance. The Eagle, Baker Street - jazz 8 p.m S Hill Park-On the Beach (film) 7.30 p.m £1.75 + cone. Mon 26 Hex - Half a Sixpence 7.15 p.m £2-£3 awful musical till 1st May Hex - Exhibition of landscapes - till May 8. S Hill Park - French Lieutenant's Woman 7.30 £1.75 till lst May. University - jazz 8 p.m free Lounge Bar. Oxford Playhouse - Goose Pimples 8 p.m £3.10 To 1st May. Tue 27 University-Name band but as yet unconfirmed see posters for details Tudor Arms-gay disco The Pheasant Winnersh - see last week. S Hill Park - Don Rendell and Lennie Best Quartet 8 p.m £1.50 and £1.80. Oxford Apollo Theatre - Welsh National Opera The Bartered Bride 7.15 £4-£12. Wed 28 Horseshoe, Basingstoke - A Touch of Sprin (play) till May 15. Oxford Apollo - opera I Puritani details as above. 29 Thur Cap and Gown - folk evening free. Hex - lunchtime flute and harp recital, free. Central - Dread. Beat and Blood and a Jimi Hendrix, film. £l, kids 50p 8 p.m. S Hill Park - Heliopolis (jazz/funk) 8p.m £2.30-£2.50 Oxford Apollo - see Tues. Tudor Arms - gay disco. Fri 30 University-disco 8-1 a.m less than a quid but difficult to get in. S Hill Park - The Magus (film) 11 p.m £1.75 till May 1st. S Hill Park - Susan Drake (harp) 8 p.m £2-£2.20. Oxford Apollo - opera La Forza del Destino. Details as earlier. Sat May 1 May Day festivities all day, see separate notice. Hex - lunchtime Espionage (band) free. University - Lorelei, Agents, The Stills and The Waltons 8p.m £1.25 in advance £1.75 on door. Oxford Apollo - Opera Fidelio. Sun 2 Fives - Against the Grain (H.M) lunchtime free. Hex - Philharmonia Orchestra 7.30 £3.50-£8.00. Jack of Both Sides, London Road - The Cookies 8.30ish free. (could be the start of a regular venue) Mon 3 Rank-Shakatak 7.30 pm £3.25,£3.50 on door (v. mellow) Hex - Jelly Roll Morton lives again, 7.30 pm £2.50-£4.50 (Actually he's dead but people are playing his music - famous 20s blues). Hex - exhibition 'Promoting the Crafts'. Tue 4 Hex- Mike Harding 7.30 pm (all seats sold out but probably standing tickets. So if you're desperate....) Tudor Arms - gay disco. Cinema details to Sat 24 . ABC Friar Street phone 53931 Raiders of the Lost Ark plus support, Evil Under the Sun plus support, and Reds. ABC London Road phone, 61465 Sharky's Machine. Odeon Cheapside phone 57887 Chariots of Fire and Gregory's Girl (a) trendy and (b) dreamy, pius Visiting Hours plus Escape from New York. ABC Bracknell phone 20072 Dragonslayer plus support. Chariots of Fire and Gregory's Girl Also book now for Apollo Theatre Oxford, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, 'Dances of love and Death', 26-29 May. Phone (0865) 44544/5 - - - RED RAG OUTLETS You can pick up the Rag at:- Central Library (Balgrave St) - it's displayed among the free leaflets as you go in. "It's going very well" we were told. Apparently they send some round to the branch libraries. Why not go and ask Pop Records in King's Road The Unemployment Centre in East Street Reading Wholefoods take a few (Traders and London Rd) Acorn Bookshop in Chatham St - last but most - - - IN MEMORY OF A GOLDFINCH This time last year three was a deserted site in Reading used as a free car park. You may know it - the area between Watlington Street, Kennet Side and Kings Road. A dozen years ago it held Greenslades works but since then someone cleared the buildings, leaving some rough hard standing. Nature took over the edges with greenery, hawthorns, and great clumps of wild lilac bushes. Late last spring I saw a goldfinch there. This tiny bundle of deep gold, red and black fluff clearly felt in urgent need of a bath and was determined to have one in one of the many potholes. It didn't care that I wanted to drive over the pothole and park. So I waited. Finally, satisfied that every square millimetre was spotless, it flitted off into the lilac. It was probably nesting there and living on seed and insects from round the edges of the site. Somehow it made my day. Late last summer, "they" looked the entrance to the site, brought in a couple of bulldozers and "cleared up" the whole site. All the growing things were uprooted and they spent a whole afternoon having a massive bonfire. I suppose the goldfinch joined the ranks of the homeless - along with its mate end any offspring still around. Since then absolutely nothing has been done with the site - though the surrounding hoarding is now sporting one of those notices advertising an Application for Planning Permission. Site clearance could have been left until someone was ready to build on it. Nature could have been left to soften the edges for a while longer. And my goldfinch could have been nesting there again this year and enjoying his health still. Goldfinch, it was good to know you were around, I miss you, I hope you and your children have found homes safe from licensed vandalism and where you can still give unexpected pleasure. Chris B - - - FIRST OF MAY PRODUCTIONS PRESENT:- * 7-piece, all-women reggae band AMAZULU * Reading's hottest new band The Brothers of Beat (formerly 'Cheyenne Social Club') * Cabaret with Foot & Mouth * Theatre & Comedy with Mr. Spratt's 21st Century Pop Motet * Film - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest BAR ALL THIS FOR ONLY £2 BAR DON'T MISS IT! £2 UB40s/OAPs/skoolkidz £1 MAYDAY -- Old Town Hall 7.30pm Tickets from Acorn Bookshop + Pop Records + on door - - - MAY DAY 82 Events in Reading on Saturday 1 May organised by Reading Trades Union Council MARCH & RALLY Bring your banners! Assemble at noon outside Old Shire Hall March around town accompanied by band + street theatre Rally in King's Meadow at approx. 12.50pm MAY DAY FAIR Old Town Hall, doors open at 1.30pm Stalls and entertainment around the theme 'Our Future' Creche facilities, food, tea ENTERTAINMENT Old Town Hall 7.30pm 'til midnight Cabaret from FOOT AND MOUTH Comedy from MR SPRATT'S 21st CENTURY POP MOTET Music from CHEYENNE SOCIAL CLUB & AMAZULU BAR plus full-length feature film ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Tickets £2.00 waged; £1.00 unwaged, OAPs, school students. - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1982/1982-04-18.txt#4 $