red rag READING'S ONLY NEWSPAPER * FORTNIGHTLY * FREE * FIFTH FEBRUARY News: 37 4532, 666681, 666324 Events: 868384 Going Out: 37 4532 Distribution: 665676 Send copy and donations to Red Rag, Box 79, Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St, Reading. Copy deadline for next issue: Thursday 16th Feb. Help for next issue: 37 4532 - - - RECLAIM THE NIGHT An open letter to the women of Reading... Dear sisters, I know this will probably upset most of you but there it goes. Where were you all? I know some of you couldn't come, but I was suprised that out of some 200 women on the contact list only 21 turned up for the reclaim the night march on Saturday. Doesn't anyone care that it's unsafe for us to walk the streets at night, that there have been 3 rapes in about the last 2 months & that's the ones I know of, no doubt there have been others, it's only by showing our strength together that we can fight this male threat. Male violence in this form is appalling & no one does anything, except sit down & moan. The only way to stop it is to stand up and show our strength & demand that more is done for our safety and not the wimpish twaddle that the police come out with about staying at home like good girls so the men can go and pounce on whoever dares to leave her home. We have a right to do as we please with our lives, to dress as we will without being abused by attackers & those that are supposed to protect us. Sitting on our backsides will do no more than give strength to those that oppose us, it's exactly what men want - to make us too frightened to leave our homes. This is one of the goals of their oppression of us. It's no good saying this is 1984 this is what we must expect. Why should we expect it? We must make a stand even if we don't think to succeed. Its better than being caught like a fox before the hounds. The only way we can ever hope to succeed is by standing together and saying a very loud no into the faces of those who seek to oppress us, whether they happen to be police, husbands, fathers, brothers, boyfriends or neighbours. Why should we sit back & let it happen? Let us show our anger together. The more of, us there are the harder it will be to turn a deaf ear to us. There are more things that can be done apart from marches. Write to your MP, tell them to get off their chauvinistic, imperialist backsides & demand more protection for their female constituents. Learn self defence, so if you are attacked you will be prepared. Form Rape Crisis centres & help those who have been attacked. If you have a car then band together & run a women only taxi service. Remember alone we are powerless. Together we are strong, in sisterhood. Elaine. - - - CITIZEN CAIN What Certain "Newspapers" Wouldn't Print (1) When Wates home owner Graham Morris knew Reading West M.P. Tony Durant was to visit him in his plight he invited the "Post" and "Chronicle" to be present. Both reporters heard the M.P. lay into Tory Housing Chairman Ron Jewitt for his discourteous behaviour in turning up to and trying to disrupt a meeting organised by the Labour Party for Wates home-owners and tenants in Southcote. Not a word appeared. Which is perhaps why Mr Jewitt turned up to the meeting the Labour Party organised in Whitley as well and endeared himself to the people of Whitley by calling them a "rabble". He'd used the same word the night before about the parents and children who packed the public gallery to watch amazed as the Tories cut the playscheme budget. So he must mean it. About the people over whom he wants to lord it as mayor. Terry Under Study And if he is mayor the man who hopes to step into his shoes as Chairman of the Housing Committee is young Terry Markham, the present Vice-Chairman, who's busy trying to prove he can out-nasty Jewitt himself. His boss having bashed the kids at Leisure Committee he decided to bash their grannies at Transportation Committee by cutting the budget for Readibus, Reading's popular and unique dial-a-ride service for those who find it difficult to use public transport - mainly the elderly. As he couldn't justify the cut on any rational basis he tried to excuse it by accusing Readibus of financial mismanagement, fiscal irresponsibility and all sorts (he is a member of the Readibus Management Committee where he has made none of these points). A pretty nasty piece of work, he may have spoilt his promotion chances by blurting out that the Tories are planning yet another rise in bus fares come the autumn! A Question of Age The man who seconded young Terry's attack on Readibus should surely have known better. He is Councillor Joe Slater, also a Berkshire County Councillor and member of the Oxford Regional Health Authority, and in his spare time director of Age Concern (Reading), which one would have thought would give him some concern for the aged users of Readibus. Apparently not. Battle Follies If he wants to save money he might do worse than look into what is happening at Battle Hospital in Reading, where the consultants have almost won a campaign to have £5500 spent on a special car park barrier so that they can use the Valentia Road entrance and not have to go all the way round to Portman Road! If they were willing to forego this then they could almost afford to resume a full X-ray service at Newbury General Hospital. Tom, Tom the Grammar's Son Supporters of comprehensive education all over Berkshire were astonished when the Liberals suddenly came out with their plan to merge Reading and Kendrick Schools on the Reading School site and so keep selective grammar school education for ever and a day. They are wondering how much this owes to Tilehurst County Councillor and Old Redingensian (former Reading School swot) Tom Heydeman, who ditched the Education Committee's first plan to close the two grammar schools by deserting his group and voting with the Tories. He's even carried his enthusiasm for "centres of excellence" as far as arguing for abolition of the quota system so that Reading School could be truly excellent (and draw almost all its pupils from Caversham). And he's convinced he's on a popular winner. He believed he would top the poll at the Borough elections in Tilehurst last year because of his support for grammar schools. Fact: Tom did worse than the other two Liberal candidates in Tilehurst and has now been elbowed aside so that Jim Day can come back onto the Borough Council in May. And he failed to be selected by the Liberals of Norcot and is said to be slogging it out with former Councillor George Ford for a very outside chance in Kentwood. Perhaps somebody should tell his fellow-Liberals on the County Council? Re-Selections Apart from scrabbling Tom, the only sitting Councillor who has not to be re-selected for May is Labour's Jack Price, who was asked to move aside for a younger man in Whitley. All the Tories are standing again, although Tory Leader Deryck Morton has been massaged out of Thames Ward into the slightly less plush seat of Minster by the wife of Council comedian Hanza ("They should put all the pop festival fans in cattle trucks") Fuad. Of the seven Tory Councillors who are standing again, incidentally, Deryck Morton is the only one to have recorded his interests (directorships, consultancies, etc.) in the Council's register of interests, though Redlands' Martin Lower has penned a curt "Not Applicable" for the information of curious citizens. Yesterday's Wet Katesgrove Tory candidate Steve Foley's attack in the "Evening Post" on former Tory leader Ted Heath for being "Yesterday's Man" has astonished opposition Councillors who remember his passing himself off as a sopping wet when he was on the Council last year, when hardly a word in praise of Mrs Finchley ever passed his lips. Son of a Glasgow socialist who is even now turning in his tenement at the company his son is keeping, Mr Foley just can't keep away from politics. The attack on his former hero must be the price he's had to pay to the new hard men of the Conservative Party to be allowed back into the ring. W(Olivers) The British Raj had a story about the cavalry officer who was so thick that all the others noticed. The Reading Tories have John Oliver, who some of them are bitterly regretting having made Leisure Chairman this year. His public blaming of the ice rink fiasco on fellow-Tory and planning chairman Brian Fowles may be the last straw. The Labour Party bothered to go to Companies House and get a copy of the annual report of the Maidenhead firm who were supposed to be building this massive project, which turned out to be a £100 company of which four shares had been taken up and obviously most unlikely to be able to raise the sort of capital required to build the first ice rink in the county (or explain why people who had started off going to a rink in Bracknell, say, wouldn't then come to one in Reading if it happened to be nearer). But then Oliver Radios (Reading) Ltd. is probably a £100 company itself. And then there was the playschemes fiasco, where John Oliver defended his enthusiasm for volunteers on the grounds that both his sons had been voluntary workers on play schemes in the past. Never mind that Simon Oliver (now grown up and a Councillor for Park Ward) had not been considered suitable for employment as a playscheme worker when they started having standards. Or that Simon's only speech since he was elected was to point out that the Council didn't have to repair the Thameside path because if it collapsed under somebody and they fell in the one who fell would be guilty of "contributory negligence" and couldn't sue the Council for it! His family's experience had convinced him volunteers were the thing and the Council should save £10,000 (0.1% of its budget) and ignore the demonstrators outside and the rabble (see above) in the gallery. And God Became Mammon The Salvation Army chapel on Kings Road is to be demolished and resurrected as a four-storey office block.... Citizen Cain - - - 'BROKEN TOILETS'- A Review This has been called 'the most nihilistic and hatefilled book ever written', it's certainly quite virulent (& entertaining because of this), but whether it succeeds in its political ambition to be a vicious and provocative satire is another matter. The problem is that it's dangerously ambiguous: although there are some wonderfully over the top pieces on the benefits of a nuclear holocaust and sex & violence, these are presented with quite coherent arguments and seem sometimes to have been done more for the shock value than to make a political point. That said, it's totally uncompromising and a rejection of mediocrity in all of its forms, presenting information about the limits of human behaviour, about pain, despair & fear, sex death sadomasochism & excrement. Anyone into weird science fiction, Burroughs, Ballard, etc will enjoy this. H PS: 'KCL' is a synonym for a group of three I.o.W. anarchists, who are behind this & the 'Orgasmic Death' tapes - one of which is currently at Acorn. 'Broken Toilets' is also there ,and available from the Libertarian Group Bookstall (see regular events) price 75p. - - - STOP THE CITY 2 On September 29th. last year, about 1500 people took to London's 'city' streets talking to workers, peacefully picketing and blockading companies which profit from military sales, and generally trying to reclaim the area for people rather than 'blood money'. It was a major direct action against all wars and their finance. Most people thought it a success, particularly because people were able to organise themselves without being told what to do. The second "Stop The City" event on Thursday 29th. March 1984 (when profits for the year 1983/4 are reckoned up} will aim to publicise the role of finance, not only in the international trade in, weaponry, but also in the creation of poverty, ecological destruction, international repression, and in human and animal exploitation. This will be a marvellous opportunity for all movements to come together to point to a major source (profit) of the destructive decisions affecting us all. And in doing so we can create an indication of our living alternatives, through spreading ideas and our example. By creating a festive and happy atmosphere in London's 'Death Centre' and communicating positively, we can show that love and respect for each other and the planet on which we live are far more important than power and greed. The aim is for as many groups as possible to come together on the day and use their own initiatives, though there are one or two activities planned for everyone to join in. The possibilities are endless:- music, theatre, processions, discussions, picketing etc., etc. 'Organisation' will probably consist of back-up services - legal support, first aid and so on. The rest is up to everyone to organise themselves. To help publicise the event, similar activities will take place on March 22nd at other financial centres, such as Bristol and Manchester (and Reading?). A Southern region preparatory meeting will take place on Weds. 15th. February at 8.00pm. in the Fairview Community Centre, end of George St., Reading. Everyone is welcome - bring your ideas along. For more information about this meeting, contact :- Reading Peace Fledge Union, Box 10, Acorn Bookshop, or phone Bridget 17, Chatham Street, Pangbourne 4532 Reading. For general information contact London Greenpeace, Box STC, 6, Endsleigh Street, London WC1 Tel. 01 281 0719 The next countrywide meeting is on Saturday 3rd. March at 12.00pm. at the Old Ambulance Station, 306, Old Kent Rd, London SE1. - - - this is EVENTS (It's fun from end to end) Mon 6th High Wycombe defendants in Court, 10am. Support always appreciated. WWEA: Peace and disarmament issues. The arms trade: Great Britain's involvement and the effect on the third world. Speaker: Malcolm Harper Oxfam, 7.30 - 9. 30. Tel: Anne Harris Wokingham 791335 for details. The WEA Great Lunchtime debate 1pm, Vachell room. "Do ratepayers get their moneys worth?" Tue 7th University Public Lecture 3pm. G10 Palmer Building Whiteknights. "Estate Management" Mr R.R.Spinney. Free. Wed 8th Women As Workers: Continues with discussion: project ideas and planning investigations. Womens Centre, Basement of Old Shire Hall, Abbey St. 75p per session, free to unwaged. 7.30pm. For details phone Linda 61331 Anne 596639 Birth Centre Meeting Tel Electra 65643 For more details. Veggie Dining: Cooks Meeting. 7.30pm 19 George St. Enthusiasm, ideas and help always needed Dynamism: St James Piccadily. 6.30pm Lecture Series, Rt Hon Tony Benn on "making democracy work for us" Thu 9th WEA Creative Writing Workshop Course starts 1pm- 3pm. For 10 weeks. South Reading Community Centre, Northumberland Ave. Unwaged: free. Waged: £1.20 per session. Creche available. See information this issue. Contact Penny Henrion 873469 for details. Young Vegetarians Talk and Demonstration on Yoga and how it relates to vegetarianism. Come prepared for the physical bit. St Marys Centre. 3pm sharp. Picket outside Daws Hill USAF base 10am-4pm. Everybody welcome. Telephone Dot Clancy - High Wycombe 32335 18- 30 group Meets at the Bell, Oxford Road. 8pm. Group with no political or religious ties (their words not mine!!) debates, talks, discos, swimming, camping, holidays, etc, etc. Fri 10 Hope or Glory? Britain and the Atlee Government. A day school to be held at Woodley Hill House, Eastcourt Avenue, Earley. 10am. Cost: £6 50 (waged) £4.40 (unwaged). Tel 61621 for details. High Wycombe Court Hearing 10am Only 2 defendants. Veggie Dining 8pm Fairview Community Centre. Tickets in advance from Acorn Bookshop. Sat 11th Reading's first Animal Welfare Bazaar 1.30-5pm St Marys Centre, Chain St. A wide range of animal welfare groups will be represented, eg: ROAR, The Animal Sanctuary, Young Vegetarians, Vegans, RSPCA, cruelty-free cosmetics, Acorn Bookshop & more. Sun 12th Milton Keynes Peace Campaign: Love and peace day 10am-5pm Wroughton Campus. Many stalls, food and drink, live music, theatre. Stop Cruise meeting: BANC 2pm AUEW Hall, Oxford Road. Preparation for when the cruise missiles go out on the road. Womens Acting Group: Meeting at Womens Centre 2.30 pm. All interested welcome. Mon 13 Anarchists regular meeting. Box 19 Acorn Bookshop for details. Education Otherwise: Music day at Electra Colios, 20 Bulmershe Rd, Reading. 10.30am-4.30pm. Please bring own picnic lunch, equipment & ideas, experiences. High Wycombe Court Hearings 10am. Support always apppreciated. WEA: Peace and disarmament issues. Continues with Theories of nuclear deterence, unilateral and multilateral defence. Dr Barry Jones, Reading University. 7.30-9.30pm Tel: Anne Harris Wokingham 791335. Womens Media Workshop, First Meeting. 7.30pm. Ten Sessions, cost £12. It is concerned with video, sound and photographic media and will combine critical and practical activities. The weekly meetings will be a mixture of screenings, discussions, seminars with outside speakers. Training production sessions coordinated by experienced, freelance video worker and photographer Jini Rawlings. Phone Bracknell 427272 to enrol or for more details. Feminism & Anarchism - Open discussion of the links, etc. 1pm Palmer Building, Whiteknights Park. Tue 14 University Public Lecture 8pm Palmer Building Whiteknights. "The Corneille Tercentenery and the relevance of Mrs Whitehouse" Mr G.R.Strickland (French Studies) BANC AGM: More details contact Ed Wilson 594855. Wed 15 Stop The City Mark 2 Planning Meeting - Fairview Community centre 8pm. Ideas, enthusiasm needed. Everybody interested is welcome. Women As Workers WSA course continues with project work and progress review:- Womens centre 7.30pm: 75p/free. Thu 16 Womens Studies Course Starts at Womens Centre (sorry no more details) Dynamism: St James Piccadilly, 6.30pm. Workshop: Ronald Higgins (writer/former diplomat), Nick Heap (management Consultant) on "How to be politically effective" Red Rag Editorial meeting. Ring Bridget 374532 with offers of help. Copy Deadline: all material for next Rag should be in. Creative Writing Workshop 1pm-3pm South Reading Community Centre, Northumberland Ave. Creche available. Unwaged free, waged £1.20. Tel as before. Vegan Discussion Meeting "Does the bible support, condone or condemn veganism" 8pm 38 Long Barn Lane Tel: 366259 Fri 17 High Wycombe Court Hearing 10am. Only one defendant this morning. Sat 18 Red Rag production. For offers of help tel 666324 Sun 19 Red Rag Distribution offers of help 666324. Folding & labelling Tuesday February 21st Reading Health Watch monthly meeting, Reading Centre for the Unemployed, 5.30p.m. & Regular Stuff Photography: 2 sessions every Tuesday (lOam-12) (1pm-3) Reading centre for the Jobfree. Housing/Welfare Rights: Thursday evenings, Community House, 117 Cumberland Rd. Reading Gay Switchboard: Tuesday/Friday (8pm-10) 597269 Silkscreen Workshops: Fridays 10am-1pm. Newtown Community House, 117 Cumberland Rd. East Reading Rights Group: Sat 11am-Ipm. Stall outside church at Cemetary Junction. Mini-market: Stalls of handicrafts, fruit, veg, plants cakes, marmalade, flowers, etc. Thursdays 9am-1pm St Marys House (by the Church at the Butts) Libertarian Bookstall: Tuesday lunchtimes downstairs in the Students Union, Whiteknights. Anarchist/ Nihilist/ Ecological materials (term time only) Womens Centre: Opening Times- Tues 10am-2pm; Wed 10am-2pm; Sat 11am-3pm Women and children welcome. Tuesdays 7pm-9 free pregnancy testing. Bring urine sample from first pee of the day. "An incest survivors group" now meets regularly in Reading, write c/o Reading Rape Crisis Line, 17 Chatham St Reading for time, place etc. Peace Pledge Union Meets Fortnightly to discuss issues and plan pacifist actions, if interested contact Mike 538459 or Box 10, Acorn Bookshop. Ecology Party meets every 1st/3rd Monday of the Month at 25 DeBeauvoir Rd/33 Long Barn Lane respectively Tel: Maria 663195 Socialist Workers Party every Wednesday 8pm Red Lion Southampton St. Vegans Regular meeting first Sunday of the month, 2pm 11 Orrin Close, Tilehurst. Tel: Steve Shiner 21651 Anarchists: Meet every Monday. For venue contact Box 19, Acorn Bookshop (20th anniversary soon folks!) Womens Peace Group: First Monday of the month at the Womens Centre. Amnesty International: 2nd Tuesday of the month St Marys centre. Tel: Jean 472598 Reading Autonomists: contact via Reading Anarchists History of Reading Society: 3rd Tues of the month Abbey Gateway. - - - ADVANCE NOTICE Womens Conference 3rd-4th March, Reading Centre for the Unemployed, East St. "Something Slightly Relevant" Various workshops, vegetarian lunches, creche available. Disco on Saturday night. Please get tickets in advance - contact Jo or Michelle (24 Norwood Rd) £5 for the weekend. £3 per day, Tel: 666681 - - - PEACE PLEDGE UNION MEETING 25th. Jan. About a dozen people met last Wednesday for the 4th. Reading PPU meeting of the year. Paper was passed around and 15 items appeared for discussion, mostly concerning future actions and our benefit gig on 4th. Feb. Stop The City on March 29th. will be well attended (and fun) - there's a southern region meeting at Fairview Community Centre on Feb. 8th. (see Events) for all interested - see you there! We decided to go up to Daws Hill Peace Camp for one of their twice weekly (Thurs. & Sat.) pickets - soon. If you'd like to come give us a ring (Reading 868384). Daws Hill is our other local peace camp, let's support it. There may be a car or two going to the Milton Keynes "Peace and Love Carnival" on March 12th. Ring us if you're going too, would like to go or can offer a lift. The stop cruise convoy idea was discussed - we'll be at the BANC meeting (Feb. 12th. - see Events). Up to five cars will be available to stop the cruise convoys - be at the meeting to help us fill them. The Moscow Trust Movement are helping to build trust across the 'divide' by exchanging photographs and letters. An exhibition this summer in Reading could be a good way of persuading the people of Reading that Russians are human too. This is just an idea at present. Help would be welcome - phone the above number or come to the next meeting on Feb. 29th. 6.00p.m. at 15, Stanley Crove, Reading. Everyone is invited. Andrew xxx - - - WHY DON'T ALL GROUPS in Reading (and the surrounding area) write up their meetings in the Rag? It is our tool for change. If we don't know what we are all doing we can't support each other. We know the oppressions is total and interconnected. If we all concentrate only on single issues our struggle will remain divided. Let's communicate - unite. Peace / animal liberation / feminism / ecology: it's the same - we can't have one without the others. So next time you have a meeting, why not stick the conclusions / actions on a bit of paper and drop it into the Rag, so that all those of us who agree with you and weren't at the meeting can get involved too. Andrew and Debbie - - - PARTY PROPAGANDA: "GIVE 'EM ENOUGH ROPE" A Campaign for Real Democracy - a personal viewpoint No-one listening to the news recently could have missed the many conflicts over "freedom and democracy issues"; the Police Bill; the Official Secrets Act; rate-capping; Murdoch's press empire etc., etc. Some of these have become issues between the main political parties, though it is not always easy to separate questions of principle from those of expediency or vested interest. In an attempt to widen the debate, the Ecology Party has put forward a ten-point programme for "Real Democracy" (sorry about its title). The party's view is that the proposals should be among the minimum demands of those people campaigning for more open, locally-based and participatory forms of democracy. The programme calls for: - Proportional representation for elections at all levels. - Plans are afoot to raise parliamentary election deposits to £1,000 so making politics the property of the very rich only. Deposits should be replaced by a requirement for a greater number of nomination signatures. - Party political broadcasts are currently allocated by a committee of M.P.'s (ie. by the two big parties), and the BBC. A more independent system is needed. - Ballot papers are always numbered and can be traced back to the voter. This means that if you put the wrong mark on the ballot paper big brother/sister can find out about it. Votes must be made secret and untraceable. - Individual candidates place limits on their own election spending, but political parties do not. Big spending means buying votes, which is hardly democratic. National election spending limits are needed. - Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act allows prosecution for leaking any information, sensitive or not. It should be repealed and replaced by a Freedom of Information Act. - A Bill of Rights is needed, to incorporate the European Convention on Human frights into UK law. - In the computer age, masses of information is filed about individuals who have no right to inspect or correct it. This right should be guaranteed by law. - Devolution to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions would counterbalance the in creasing concentration of power in London. - A charter for local democracy would protect and extend the powers of local councils. The most controversial proposals will be for proportional representation and for more local decision-making. In my own view, they are essential to a more participating democracy, bringing decisions down to a level where people can see what is going on, and breaking the monopoly of power currently shared between top politicians and big political parties, civil servants, business and union leaders, top journalists etc. As the prosperous and growing elements of the economy concentrate around London, so the impoverished regions are losing any control over their future; only decentralisation can reverse the trend. As the ecological crisis worsens, new ideas and political initiatives, and yes, new political movements are needed; P.R. is vital to this process. Most of all, P.R. and local autonomy will be needed to counteract the not unfounded view that "ordinary people" can do nothing to affect the crisis. I should stress that while the Ecology Party views the ten-point programme as the minimum necessary, we do not see it as being in itself sufficient. Far more will be needed to create true participation in government. But the programme would at least get rid of the straight jacket in which radical movements find themselves. Andrew Hardy - - - LIBRARY OF MARXIST LENINIST CLASSICS Morning Star: Britain's only Daily Socialist paper "The guiding star that shines brightly through the dawn of time" Thus we need such a guide in these times of intensifying political conflict when clear ideological understanding are essential - particularly now. The Morning Star (previously the Daily Worker) was set up by the Communist Party in 1929, in order to give a lead to working people bound up in the class struggle, as it continues to do today. The paper is managed and run by a democratically elected management committee, representing the share-holders. This constitutes the People's Printing Press Society (PPPS), which was set up in 1947 when new printing presses were bought, and is open to all who wish to buy shares in it. This is its financial basis. The Morning Star is, therefore, not run for profits, and as such starkly contrasts with all the Capitalist based National Dailies. However, there are future plans for strengthening and expanding the paper, and you can hear the details of these plans, and help in their implementation, at a meeting to be held in Reading this month (see events for details). The way in which its financial base contrasts with the other dailies highlights its opposite class allegiance. The Daily Worker and Morning Star have always required additional financial support to keep going and it has been, one of the Communist Party's major priorities to give it this support. In effect, it has been working people from all over the U.K. who, year in year out, have slaved and sweated to raise this money. The Morning Star is a people's paper and should be read by all people in struggle, and supported far more widely than it is. Without this working class involvement and support, the paper is in danger of being no more. - - - ACORN'S BIT ("We haven't got a chance. That's a Masonic handshake") The Right To Read 1984 Books for Burning Taken from right to read leaflet available from Acorn or Knockabout comics, 249 Kensal Rd, London W10 0l-969-2945. It's now 16 months since the first raids on establishments selling literature relating to drugs. Since July 1982 the officers of the obscene publications branch of the Metropolitan Police have carried out themselves, or advised local police, on 24 visits to bookshops & suppliers throughout the country. There are charges in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and a forfeiture case in Reading under the obscene publications act. The police still hold over 20,000 books & comics of some 250 different titles. These include Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas", Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool Aid Acid Test", William Burroughs "Junky" as well as "Fat Freddy's Cat" & "Freak Brothers" comics which have sold several million copies since the late 60's. The main cases, against Knockabout Comics & Airlift Books will be heard at the Old Bailey later this year. First court appearance will be May 5th. The Director of Public Prosecutions has stated that he considers this to be a test case under the act & is using the charges to define the law in the central criminal court. Knockabout & Airlift are charged under section 2 of the act & can expect prison sentences and fines of up to £1000 per title if they lose, as well as opening up the scope of the act, which was written to clarify the various anti-pornography laws. This could mean the extension of the act to cover other areas of literature and reference books not related to sexual matters at all (peace, anarchist, trade union) as well as gay or feminist literature. The prosecution in the cases of Knockabout & Airlift have recently added new charges to the existing ones. These are charges of conspiring to contravene sections 5 & 6 of the misuse of drugs act 1971 by causing persons to obtain cannabis, cocaine & psilocybin. Perhaps those late additions are because the DPP thinks the case under the Obscene publications act is unlikely to succeed in front of an Old Bailey jury, as information & education about drugs and their use helps to prevent abuse. This is a test case. If it is lost it will be impossible, or at least inadvisable, to publish anything on drugs. Knockabout & Airlift need help - money and expert witnesses. Contact Knockabout if you can help. On Fri 27th Jan there was a benefit in aid of the Right to Read, in London. Tony Allen, Aharon Landau, John Hegley, John Dowie & Benjamin Zephamia, with the greatest show on legs, raised £1000, a lot of laughs & a lot of consciousness. There's to be something similar in Reading around Easter - watch this space & Acorn's Noticeboard. - - - STOP PRESS On Saturday 25th Feb. Berkshire County Council will be meeting at Shire Hall to discuss the Greenham Common Peace Camp and the future of the wimmen there. A demo is planned, to start at 9.15am, at Shire Hall. Frequent buses run from the town centre. Bring placards, songs and ideas. See you there. - - - STAFF ARRIVING FOR WORK at Newbury Magistrates' Court today were faced with a really sticky problem - all the doors were firmly glued shut. Court usher Mr Norman Chapman, managed to get one small side door open to allow magistrates, defendants, press and public into the building. But the five main doors remained firmly stuck. Police stood guard outside the courthouse as workmen tried to free the entrances. (Evening Post - Friday 3rd Feb ... Better than sniffing the stuff, eh?) - - - READ RED RAG THE MOST RED RAG IN READING Colour in the inner bit, cut out the lot and take it into Acorn to get it made into a badge. - - - LAST YEAR 18 MILLION CHILDREN DIED OF STARVATION If only we had the money to buy food for them... Last year Britain Spent £11200 Million on Armaments That's more than £600 for each of the children who died Shouldn't we spend that money on helping children to live? - - - THE VERY FAMOUS GUIDE TO GOING OUT 6-22 February Sunday 5 - The Lone Wolf + serial + shorts. South Hill Park. 12.15, 80p - Grand Musical Jumble Sale. South Hill Park. 3pm - Nick Gordon-Smith: performance. South Hill Park. 7pm, free - Fanny And Alexander. South Hill Park. 7-30, £2 + concessions - Glen Ballard + Andrew Wilkinson: fund-raising piano concert. South Hill Park. 8pm, £2/£2.25 - Jive Dive at Treats, Kings Road - Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Hexagon. 7.30, £4-£7 - Sudden Impact(1); Trading Places(2); Never Say Never Again(3). ABC, Friar St. See papers for details. Till 9th - American Gigolo(1); Gorky Park(2). Odeon, Cheapside. See papers for details. Till 9th - Live Jazz. Butler, Chatham Street. Free Monday 6 - Olivia: free film. South Hill Park. 7.30 - Table Manners (Ayckbourn). Hexagon. 7-30, £3-4 - Man + support. Silks, Thatcham. 8-1am, £3.50 on the door or £2.50 in advance from Listen Records, Butts Tuesday 7 - L'argent (Swit/France, 83). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + concessions - Bill Brunskill's JAZZMEN. South Hill Park. 8pm, £2/£2.20 - Table Manners. As 6th - The Slammer: nightclub opening. 2 Bridge St, Caversham. Licensed till 2am - Gay Disco. Tudor Arms. Free Wednesday 8 - Fanny And Alexander (Sweden, 82). Reading Film Theatre. 7.30, £1.60/£1 - L'argent. As 7th - Table Manners. As 6th - The Hermit Club, Upper Deck, Duke Street. Every Wednesday at 7.30: I know nothing about it. Thursday 9 - Fanny And Alexander. As 8th - The Bee Man of Orn. Three Monkeys Theatre Co. (Puppets, acrobats, magic & mime). Progress Theatre. £1.50/£2 - Piano Recital (Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninov & Faure). Great Hall, Reading University, London Road. 8pm - Sisters, or, The Balance of Happiness (West Germany, 79). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + conc - Twelfth Night. Angies, Wokingham. 8-12, £1/£2 - Geneva. Target, Butts. £1, pub times - Tim Laycock. Reading Folk Club, Horse & Barge, Duke Street. 8.15-10.45, 50p singers, £1.50 others - Table Manners. As 6th - Guillermo Fierens: guitar. Hexagon. 12.45, free - Live Music. Sportsman, Shinfield Road Friday 10 - Chevalier Brothers is cancelled. Assume disco. Paradise Club (formerly the Caribbean), London Street - The Bee Man of Orn. As 9th - Hard Up. Angies, Wokingham. 8-12. £1/£2. Good brass section - Alan Hull from Lindisfarne. South Hill Park, Underground. £3/3.25 in advance, £3.25/3.50 on door - Sweet Harmony: rare 18th century music. South Hill Park. £2.95/3.20 - Pericles: Shakespeare, by Cheek by Jowl. South Hill Park. 7.45, £2.25/2.50 - Yol (The Way) (Turkey/Swit, 82). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + concessions - The Long Good Friday (GB, 79). South Hill Park. 11pm, £2 + concessions - Table Manners. As 6th - Reading Male Voice Choir. St Nicholas Church, Hurst, Twyford. 8pm - Gary Glitter: Reading University Rag Week Glam Night - beware. 8-1 (last entry 10.30) Students Union Hall, Whiteknights. £3.50 from Union - Racing. Newbury. All afternoon - Gay Disco. Tudor Arms. Free Saturday 11 - The Ondine Ensemble: chamber music. Chiltern Edge School, Sonning Common. 7.30. Part of subscription series so phone (72) 2284 first - Pericles. As 10th - The Bee Man of Ohn. As 9th - Yol. As 10th - The Long Good Friday. As 10th - Table Manners. As 6th but performances at 5 and 8 - Racing. Newbury. All afternoon Sunday 12 - Jive Dive. Treats, Kings Road - Yol. As 10th - Red Beans and Rice. Angies, Wokingham. 8-12, £l/£2 - Live Jazz. Butler, Chatham Street. Free Monday 13 - Local Bands Day. University Rag, with Geisha Girls, Creed of Bliss, Tirana, etc, etc. Students Union lounge bar, 11.30-3, free; 7-12 £1 - A War Story (Canada, 81). South Hill Park, Bracknell Film Society. 7.30, £? Tuesday 14 - St Valentines Day Gig to promote love peace and happiness! UK Warrior, Chocolate Teapot, Kaya, at Silks, Bath Road, Thatcham. £2 - Rhythm + Reeds: St Valentines Day special with live jazz and bar till 1am. South Hill Park. £2.20/2.40 - Campus Concert: viola and soprano. Reading University Palmer Building, G10. 1.10pm - Dolls Eye (GB, 83). South Hill Park. 7-30, £2 + conc - Spear of Destiny. University Rag do. Students Union Hall, Whiteknights. 8-1 (last entry 10.30), £3 from - Fair Exchange. Target, Butts. Pub times - Professional Snooker League: Tony Knowles v Dennis Taylor; Jimmy White v Bill Werbeniuk. Hexagon. 2-30 and 7-30, £3-6 - The Slammer. As 7th - Gay Disco. Tudor Arms. Free Wednesday 15 - Wild Strawberries (Sweden, 57) and The Virgin Spring (Sweden, 59). RFT. 7.30, £1/£1.60 - Dolls Eye. As 14th - Snooker: John Spencer v Eddie Charlton; Alex Higgins v Kirk Stevens. Hexagon as 14th - Die Bleisoldaten: German Dept Drama Production. University Letters Theatre, Whiteknights. 7.30, £1/80p - The Hermit Club. As 8th Thursday 16 - Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (USA, 82). RFT. 8.00, £1/£1.60 - Germany Pale Mother (W Germany, 80). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + concessions - Keith James in concert. Hexagon. 7.30, £2.50/3.50 - Ruthless Blues. Angles, Wokingham. 8-12, £l/£2 - Die Bleisoldaten, as 15th - Berlin. Target, Butts. Pub times, £1 - Jim Mageean. Reading Folk Club, Horse& Barge, Duke Street. 8.15-10.45. 50p singers, £1.50 others - Jazz Festival: University Rag week again. All day in Coffee Lounge + bar, Students Union, Whiteknights. 11.30-4 free; 8-12, £1 - Live music. Sportsman, Shinfield Road Friday 17 - Roddy Radiation & the Tear Jerkers + Howlin' Horrors. Paradise Club (formerly the Caribbean), London St. 9-2, £2 - Jake Thackeray. South Hill Park Underground. £2.50/2.75 in advance; £2.75/3.00 on door - Danton (France/Poland, 82). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + concessions - Dr Strangelove (GB, 63). South Hill Park. 11.00, £2 + concessions - The Reactors. Angies, Wokingham. 8-12, £l/£2 - Die Bleisoldaten. As 15th - Music at the Park: representatives from SHP music courses. South Hill Park. Silver collection - Gay Disco. Tudor Arms. Free Saturday 18 - Jazz Trinity: first performance of complete Canadians Suite by Oscar Peterson. South Hill Park. £2.25/2.50 - Danton. As 17th - Dr Strangelove. As 17th - The Vetoes. Angies, Wokingham. 8-12, £1/£2 - Bitter End. Target, Butts. Pub times, 50p - Free Music. Hexagon. 12.15pm - Racing. Windsor. All afternoon Sunday 19 - Jive Dive. Treats, Kings Road - Danton. As 17th - Fast Buck: with ex-Procol Harum guitarist! Angies, Wokingham. 8-12, £l/£2 Monday 20 - La Traviata (Verdi). Hexagon. 7.30, £3-5 Tuesday 21 - Cuff Billett & the New Europa. Jazz at South Hill Park. £2.20/2.40 Breathless (USA, 83). South Hill Park. 7.30, £2 + concessions Cosi Fan Tutte (Mozart). Hexagon. 7.30. £3-5 Gay Disco. Tudor Arms. Free Wednesday 22 La Traviata. As 20th The Smiths + support + disco. Reading University Students Union, Whiteknights. 8-1(10.30 last entry), £3 from S.U., Pop Records, Listen, Music Market. Over 18s only El Nido (The Nest) (Spain, 80). RFT. 8.00, £1/1.60 Key to venues: Hex: the Hexagon, Queen's Walk. Box office: 591591. Target; by Tescos, Butts Centre. 585887. Tudor Arms: Greyfriars Road. Caribbean Club: 112 London Street. 51312. SHP: South Hill Park arts centre, near A322 Bagshot roundabout, Bracknell. Tel 91 427272. Angie's: Milton Road, Wokingham. Tel 789912. Progress Theatre: The Mount, Christchurch Ed. Bookings: 874230. - - - HIGH WYCOMBE COURT CASES About 30 people arrested at the blockade of Daws Hill in December were in court last Monday - about 1/2 pleaded guilty and were fined £20 with £25 costs - ie: the same as before. The rest will come to court on March 28th. See events for other dates. - - - HEALTH WATCH Reading Health Watch has produced a leaflet "What is happening to your National Health Service?" to set out the facts behind the Health Authorities' propaganda about "more money for the NHS", "exciting new strategies" and "care in the community". The facts are that there are more people and less money, that the new strategies put a burden on local authorities that the Government won't let them meet, and that care in the community means more women having to stay at home to look after their parents and in-laws. The leaflet is available at Acorn, from Reading Health Watch at 38 Caversham Road (Tel: 54123) and is being distributed as widely as possible in hospitals and clinics and through community groups, trade unions and voluntary organisations. Read it and be warned! We see this as the first shot in a spring campaign to bring home to the people in the West Berkshire Health District what is happening to the NHS on which they are relying. We're anxious to talk with as many groups as possible about the NHS, so if you'd like someone to come to you please get in touch. Better still, come and join our campaign yourself: the next meeting is on Tuesday February 21st at 5.30p.m. at Reading Centre for the Unemployed. Let's all act now before it's too late. Pete Ruhemann - - - SMALL ADS (FREE) 4th person wanted to share house in East Reading with 3 Adults & a 2 year old. £25 per wk. Sharing gardening, log chopping, cooking, hens & other interests (peace, feminism, anti-racism, kids). Ring 65648. "An incest survivors support group" now meets regularly in Reading. Write c/o Reading Rape Crisis Line, 17 Chatham St, Reading for time, place etc. To the men in my life: Help wanted running a creche for the women's conference on 3rd and 4th of March. Mainly men will run the creche so women can go to the conference. Write to John Hoggett, 63 Blenheim Rd if you want to help. Also needed: paper, glue, paint, string, old colour supplements, toys, games etc. Free to anyone who wants it - a mottled green once-shagpile carpet. 10 feet by 12 feet. Phone 666033 evenings. - - - RE-EVALUATION COUNSELLING Every human being is born with tremendous intelligence, zest and lovingness, qualities which largely get blocked and obscured by accumulated distress experiences, many of them systematically imposed by the oppressive society. Re-evaluation counselling is a process whereby people can learn to effectively help one another to discharge their distresses by means of tears, yawns, laughter etc, and thus regain their full humanness - the ability to think and act create ively and powerfully all the time. There are a few places left - men especially - as I'm hoping for a roughly equal balance of sexes. Contact Greg a.s.a.p. Home: Rdg 5-30137, Work: Rdg 536141. - - - WEA CREATIVE WRITING (for details see Events for 9th Feb). A series of workshops for people who write in their spare time. Whether you scribble in a diary, write short stories or poems or just like writing letters, come along and share your work in a supportive atmosphere. The aim is to help each other gain confidence as writers. In leading this series of workshops, I want to encourage those in the group to write, to share their work, to gain confidence both in their ability to express themselves and in the importance of their work. There will be a theme each week for writing, with exercises at home for those who find that useful - others could bring in extracts of work in progress. Please give me a ring if you're interested, on 873469. Penny Henrion - - - RED RAG Red Rag, Reading's only newspaper, hasn't sold a copy in four years. It is produced by a variable collective. Copy should reach the box in Acorn Bookshop or where the Rag is being produced by Thursday 2nd February (at the latest). Each edition of Red Rag will in the future have a co-ordinator whose responsibility will be to get the copy and the people in the right place at the right time. If you want to help on the next issue:- ring 374532 (Bridget) Red Rag Outlets Red Rag may be picked up at any of the following: Town Centre: Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St (under the car park). Listen Records, Butts Centre (upstairs). But Is It Art, Butts Centre (downstairs). Central Club, London St. Centre for the Unemployed, East St. Sheila's, Duke St. West Reading: Elephant Off-Licence, Derby St. Fine Food Stores, 168 Oxford Rd. North: Harrison's Newsagent, Caversham Rd. South: Jelly's Stores, Whiltley St. Number Sixty, Christchurch Green. Ken's Shop, Students' Union, the University, Whiteknights. East: Technical College (library and Students' Union), King's Rd. Pop Records, 172 King's Rd. Rib 'N' Roast, 139 London Rd. Mace, 2 Crown Colonnade. Continental Stores, 193 London Rd. The Sugar Bowl, 26 Wokingham Rd. Johal Cash and Carry. 14 Cholmeley Rd. Ling's Chinese Fish Bar, Wokingham Rd. We need more outlets, especially in new areas, Why not ask your local shop to take the Rag? Distribution Apologies Due to problems with the wonderful computerised labelling system (excuses, excuses) a lot of people havnt teen getting their rags - in particular groups I and Y. If anyone else is missing out on their fortnightly entertainment please complain & we'll get onto it. We need a new distributor for Lower Caversham - any offers? Going Out Guide We still need someone to compile this. Preferably someone not already heavily involved with the Rag. Possibly alternating with someone else. Get in touch if interested. Red Rag depends on its readers for the articles and the money to print then with. A ten-page Rag costs about £50. We have enough money to print this one but not the next. Donations to collecting tins in outlets or cheques to 'Red Rag', Box 79, Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St. - - - GARDENING Anyone interested in getting together to work on some allotments communally in the Reading area? I'm willing to put you in touch with similar-minded people. Ring Huw - Reading 868384. - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1984/1984-02-05.txt#3 $