RED RAG NOV 28 - DEC 12 FORTNIGHTLY - FREE READING'S ONLY NEWSPAPER NEWS 599804 DISTRIBUTION 61257 GOING OUT 663083 EVENTS 666681 WRITE TO US C/O ACORN, 17 CHATHAM ST, READING DONATIONS DESPERATELY NEEDED - CHEQUES TO 'RED RAG', 31B MILMAN RD. - - - ANACRHY IN, PIGS OUT! Reading Drugs Squad At Sixes And Sevens! On Friday night (Nov 19th), several plain-clothes Drugs Squad policeman were driven out of a Reading wine bar. They were known and recognised by those who have made it their business to know such things. A spirit of solidarity arose to prevent them from carrying out their sordid and nasty job and to hound them out. The patrons of the wine bar left these ugly characters in no doubt as to their unpopularity: greeting them with pig-like snorts, blowing smoke in their faces, and chanting, "PIGS OUT - ANARCHY!" They had no choice but to leave - which, one by one, they did - or to call in massive reinforcements and cause a riot. The lesson is clear: if we know our enemy and stand together, we are strong? Pinko and Perky - - - To commiserate with the women of Greenham Common who were carted away, we thought we would have a night of total anarchy towards the State (or Council, to be more precise). The Reading Floating Frees launched their campaign right next to the police station. You may have been sitting down, relaxing with your pint or watching an evening's TV viewing. You could have been out on the streets....... DOING IT! Lots 'n' lots of love To all, Frog - - - PORNOGRAPHY IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 1982 has seen the arrival of a particularly horrific form of 'entertainment' known in the video trade as 'NASTIES', which specialize in showing extreme forms of male violence. They are quickly becoming the porn industry's biggest profit-maker. They feature murder, multiple rape, sado-masochism, mutilation, cannibalism, racism and fascist-style atrocities; eg. 'SS Experiment Camp' concerns Nazi torture in an all-women concentration camp; 'Nightmares in a Damaged Brain' shows a ten year old boy hacking off a woman's head while she is being raped by his father; 'I Spit on your Grave' is about a young girl who has been raped; 'Driller Killer' shows women and men being murdered by having electric drills driven through their heads. 'Snuff' movies, the latest gory invention of a Sick society, go even further. They show women being mutilated and murdered; but the twist this time is that it's for real - there is enough evidence to prove that the women used in the making of these films were actually murdered. Still think porn is 'harmless'? The men who run the porn industry (and the video industry) are making money out of violence against women. They are trying to make porn 'respectable' by putting it into video shops next to Walt Disney. The films mentioned above are illegal but often still available 'under the counter' in video shops. It is quite easy for young people to get hold of them and they can be re-recorded many times by any men interested in making money by illegal sales. It is time women confronted pornography (the word comes from the Greek word for 'whore') and expressed their feelings about it. Pornography and porn videos are directed towards a male market - they are made with men in mind, from a male point of view. The women in porn movies are depicted as passive 'objects', existing merely for men's pleasure. What do women think about it? * Do we really want porn or do we just suffer it? * Does porn make you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable? * Do you feel afraid to say anything about your feelings? * Do we fear being seen as 'unliberated'? * Do you love sex, but hate violence and abuse? * Do you feel angry about porn? Very often we feel we ought to be like the women in porn movies / literature / advertisements; but porn tries to make women passive and men aggressive. Whether it is advertisements, 'soft' porn or 'hard' porn, men are being given the same message - that women do nothing but dream of being 'screwed', followed, groped, raped, even murdered. A study in America has shown that men who are exposed to scenes of violence against women in films are more likely to believe that women 'want' rape or they 'deserve' it. In times of war, porn is used by governments to encourage repressiveness in men. Did you know that 'our boys' in the Falklands were shown porn movies (all paid for by the government) for precisely this reason? Images are powerful, which is why videos are so dangerous. You watch them on your TV set - there it is, in your front room, just another piece of furniture, a part of everyday life; we begin to accept the stereotyping and the violence as 'normal', as part of 'everyday life'. The implications for the future are frightening. Porn videos are already in the shops on hire: will blue movies and violence against women become just another 'piece of the furniture'? WHAT YOU CAN DO: There is a 'Day of Action' against the video industry in Reading on Saturday, Dec. 4th in the town centre. A 'women-only' picket will take place outside a video shop in the town centre. Meet at the Women's Centre (basement of Old Shire Hall, Abbey St., Reading) at 10 am with banners/placards. MEN: Organise yourselves! It is known that the video shop in Wokingham Rd. sells 'Nasties'... For a text of the above (it's a leaflet!) and more information ring 666681. - - - VEGETARIAN DINING Don't you think its about time there was somewhere in Reading where people could enjoy eating vegetarian food at a reasonable price? There is at present great apathy at large in the community as far as vegetables are concerned. I find this apathy stifling and distressing, I am also well fed up with people either calling me a faddist or asking me if I have a medical problem because I do not eat meat. It's time we vegetarians in Reading got together and did something for ourselves by organizing the setting-up of an important facility run by vegetarians for vegetarians. Curious carnivores would also be welcome to dine with us and discover the delights of meals without meat. If you enjoy cooking/preparing and/or eating vegetarian food and would like to spend some time and energy helping to get this project off the ground or if you have any good ideas or know any useful contacts, Please Contact, Anne on 329 2817 (Burghfield Common). A meeting has been arranged if anyone would like to come along and exchange ideas and generally talk to other vegetarians about plans for making the project work. The meeting is at 58 George St. Reading. On Thursday 2nd December at 8pm. See You There! - - - ACORN'S LITTLE BIT No proper column this time, due to pressure of all sorts of thing - but we'll be open Mondays too from 29 Nov till end of December. - - - WANTED ---- A room that gets sunshine. East Reading. No deposit. Phone Ana 666681. - - - BOROUOH COUNCIL MEETING November l6th On Tuesday l6th November, at an otherwise singularly dull meeting, Beading Borough Council debated the Rock Festival. This is what happened! Council Meetings consist mainly of approving, and sometimes altering, decisions reached in the minutes of the meetings of the various Committees. For the Festival, the Leisure Committee had recommended that it "be held during the August Bank Holiday 1983 at the Richfield Avenue site." Now, it was on the Conservative manifesto that they would move the Festival to another site: so their leader Deryck Morton put up an amendment to this effect. "The time has come," we were told, "to move to an out of town site." "It is now time to find a permanent site for the Festival." (Cllr Oliver) What site? "Calcot," declared Ron Jewitt: "we're all agreed the Festival is a good thing." A pretty curious thing to say, especially following Cllr "ten days of open sewers" Fuad (whom Jewitt denied calling "the Blue Peril"). Brian Fowles said he left Reading every year to avoid it. Cllr Harris Baid he made no apologies for his views. Mrs Day mentioned "litter dirt and filth." No-one mentioned the dire music or the rip-off organisation. The Council gets a slice of the profits, you see. The Labour view was that the whole thing about a new site was a "cynical attempt to stop the Festival." "Let's not kill this town," pleaded Dave Absolom.! Cllr Chilvers (bidding strongly for the post of Tory Conscience) hoped plans for an alternative site would appear next time, and that he was "not being deceived" (!) by his front bench. The Labour group made a great fuss about "young people", who turn out to be Geoff Mander's younger children. Cllr Freeman, regretting this "sterile annual debate" (annual?), agreed about it "giving something for the young." But as Terry Francis said "the Liberals are split down the middle on this one." "In spite of the organisation," he said, the Festival "has been an environmental blot." Furthermore, in banning the Festival "we would be saving Pendleton (the organiser) from making another loss next year." So much for the talk (everyone likes to talk at rock festival debates as everyone hopes to make votes out of it.) Now the action! The balance of power on the Council goes: Tories 21, Labour 16 and Liberals 11. Here the split Liberal vote and Tory abstentions produced - a 22-22 tie! Sensation! The Mayor checked the procedure with the Chief Clerk: either the amendment was defeated, or the Mayor could use a casting vote. Cllr Morton got up to acknowledge the defeat of his amendment - but then, with immaculate showmanship, the Mayor declared that he was voting for the amendment and it was passed after all! Sensation!! Quick as a flash Dave Absolom hit back with a new amendment: to change "1983" to "1984". Everyone was so exhausted by now that this was passed quite easily. The Mayor then declared the half-time break. During the break someone spotted that there was now no provision at all for a Festival in 1983! "We have got ourselves into a slight mess," Jim Day commented. First Labour tried amending the amendment to include all the Leisure Cttee minute's recommendations. That however required a 2/3 majority and failed to get it! Finally they came up with referring the 1983 Festival back to the Leisure Committee. So. What was all the fuss about? The only decision taken was that the 1984 Festival will not be at the Richfield Avenue site. It would be most surprising if it weren't discussed again before then! As for 1983, the Leisure Cttee will repeat its recommendations and after yet another debate the Council will pass it at its next meeting. After all, where would the Drugs Squad be without the Festival? All the hysterical headlines in the press ("End looms for Reading's rock event" etc etc) miss the point: it wasn't so much a monumental decision as a monumental cock-up. The other main debate was even more confusing. I didn't understand it. Nor I think did most of the Councillors. It's like this: central Govt sent out a letter to Councils saying that if they wanted to use up their capital expenditure allowance for the year they'd better do so before March 31st. What this means is that if the Council wants to borrow money to the limit it is allowed it must apply to do so now. What that means is that if the Council wants to be allowed to borrow this money it must provide a list of projects it would spend the money on if it wanted to! I think. A Policy Cttee Urgency meeting the day before had come up with such a list. ("Leisure" "housing" and "environment" projects.) The Tories made a half-hearted attempt to exclude all schemes other than housing ones. Simon Coombs talked of "hypocritical and panic measures." Ron Jewitt explained he was "afraid we are being too greedy - no - afraid we will be in danger of being seen to be too greedy." They claimed the Govt letter didn't really apply to Reading: I'm not sure why. There was some token playing with figures: Dave Absolom got some extra for "playground improvements" on the grounds that "this is an issue of keeping kids off the streets, Mr Mayor." Nearly everyone agreed the Govt wasn't going about things in a very sensible way. The Post called the whole thing "a shopping list for a pre Christmas spending spree".... The night shelter for the down and outs was finally allowed through, the Liberals at last dropping their objections. "Their part in this speaks for itself." said Tory Housing chair Ron Jewitt; Geoff Mander (Lab) called their attitude "totally mischievous" and "parochial". Cllr Freeman made a rather feeble excuse, all about "the duty of consultation". He said he had written to various people to find out what they thought: since the response had been "minimal" the Liberals no longer had any objections! It was a very boring meeting. A speech on "civic pride" "looking ahead sixty to seventy years" and "serving future generations" from Cllr Mander on the "refurbishment" of the Old Town Hall: Cllr Fuad for his part did not feel he could take part in this charade, and that spending £7million on this was like him having a Rolls Royce and flying to Miami every weekend. Graham Rush considered an artificial wicket to be installed at Palmer Park responsible for the England cricket team's poor performance in Australia. Cllr Fuad was furious that the Council was not going to spend £1500 on buying a particular sort of rock from Sussex (Brighton?) for a rock festival, sorry, garden, in Caversham Court. After all, he pointed out, ten times the sum was going to be spent on teaching children how to play!.... Diogenes - - - Apologies that the article on BANC appeared anonymously last issues my name got left off it by an oversight on my part. The second half, containing various suggestions for reforms, has been sent to "BANCnotes". Cliff. - - - POP GOES ... THE LIBERALS Enough Liberals - including Fuhrer Day - voted with the firmly whipped Tories at the Council meeting on November 16th to stop the Reading Rock Festival by 1984. Unless, as the 'Post' perhaps carelessly put it before discovering something like a 5 to 1 majority for the Festival among the public, there is a massive swing to Labour at the elections next May. Which might well of course have other benefits too! However, even the 1983 Festival isn't safe, as that's gone back to the Leisure Committee and may come to a full Council again still opposed by manifesto-clutching Tories and senior (in both senses) Liberals. So if you ever want to go to a Reading Festival again - or even just wonder along the prom and get a free earful - better make with some public pressure. It mightn't be the best Rock Festival in the world but at least it's handy. And if it goes it won't come back. Anon - - - ABOUT FEMINISM AND ANIMAL LIBERATION From: "Sequel", No. 27 Recently, while looking through the periodicals kept in the reading room shared by 'Sisterwrite' and the 'Women's Research and Resource Centre,' I could not help reflecting on the fact that the piles of information surrounding me were solely concerned with politics associated with the oppression of women and that none of the hundreds of magazines carefully collected and labelled there would ever mention words such as: animal liberation, animal rights, anti-vivisection, vegetarianism, veganism, etc. Yet, on the ladder of oppression and exploitation, animals are right at the bottom and we, the women, precariously perched on the immediately above step, are trampling on them. A depressing image. Ever since it was launched - some four and a half years ago - Sequel has featured articles on animal oppression. At the time, these were regarded by feminists, at best as 'cranky' - and most women dismissed the issue as 'irrelevant' to the women's movement. Today, the pendulum is swinging very slightly back and a few feminists are starting to recognize that animal oppression is indeed a cause to encompass within the general struggle against patriarchy. It is a fact that becoming a feminist is rather easier than becoming an animal rightist, since feminism deals with issues of direct concern to women, while the liberation of animals represents a notion removed from the immediate interests of women. It is not by accident that the patriarchate has set rigid social habits and rules that 'fit' one or the other sex: - men rear and slaughter animals for women to cook - men hunt/rear 'wild' animals for women to wear the pelts - men test cosmetics on animals for women to be 'beautiful' - etc. As a direct result of their (forced) submission to male supremacy, women are MADE to participate not only in their own oppression but also in the oppression and exploitation of animals. It is not surprising that, once, men denied (a lot still do) education to women: education opens the door to questioning, questioning often leads to criticism, and criticism to a demand for rights. So, when women start questioning their roles in society, men's authority over them, and start demanding/taking rights for themselves as well as for other oppressed beings, new politics are born and the revolution is truly on its way. If we are to believe men, a woman's place is in the kitchen and animals belong in cages, factory farms, slaughter-houses and vivisection laboratories. It is not surprising, either, that men keep telling us (rather successfully) that we need meat and other animal-baaed foods in order to survive, leather and fur to keep us warm, and vivisection to keep us safe from cancer. However, the fact that fat profits and other personal gains is made in the process are never mentioned. Significantly, terms used in male language to display contempt of women include cow, sow, bird, chick, bitch... Animal Liberation, like Feminism, aims at breaking and destroying such established patterns. Another interesting point is that feminists fighting for animal liberation have sometimes (often) been described as 'fanatics'. We must be very peculiar indeed to be interested in liberating not only ourselves but also others who suffer at men's hands!! I have only very lightly touched on what it means to be a feminist and an animal liberationist. It is often very hard, and sometimes depressing to continually battle against the tide, (with only slight results). It is difficult to he a woman in a man's world, it is even harder to be a lesbian/feminist, but what topples all is to describe oneself as a feminist/lesbian/animal rightist. If one wants to get kicked right, left and centre, this is the line to choose! But remember that, in our (or rather 'their') society it is quite a compliment to be attacked from most quarters; it proves that we must be right, and THREATENING!!! Gisele Mauras WHAT IS SEQUEL? A supportive magazine for isolated gay women. "Isolated" may mean geographically or socially. Many women - and couples - feel the need of contact with their kind through a lesbian publication. Sequel it A5 format, 28pp (plus loose "insert sheets" which list Personal Texts and are available to subscribers only). Articles, letters, personal experiences, poems, black & white photos and drawings are all welcome. Without your contributions Sequel could not exist. We especially welcome contributions from women who have not written before. We hope you will write to us with your special problems, enthusiasms, passions, interests - put it down on paper and mail it to us! If you live outside London and would like to organise similar (or other) events in your town - write to us and tell us about it and we will give them full publicity in Sequel. Sequel is mailed in a plain buff envelope. Members' names, addresses and any other details remain confidential to Sequel, and are not given out under any circumstances. To: Sequel, B/M, London WC1N 3XX *Please send me SEQUEL. Enclosed is £4.50 *Please send me a trial copy. Enclosed is 60p plus an A5 S.A.E. My name is: Ms/Miss/Mrs .......................................... .................................................................. Address........................................................... .................................................................. - - - FASTING FOR WAR ON WANT While the Western world goes through its annual orgy of consumption, some of us will he remembering the millions of fellow humans who cannot choose to do likewise, trapped in poverty by our lack of concern. We shall be fasting from midnight on 23rd December until midnight on 28th December. Money saved by not eating, together with all money raised by sponsorship, will be given to War on Want. As well as individually being wastefully extravagant at Christmas, we collectively spend billions of pounds all year on producing weapons designed, supposedly, never to be used. To remind ourselves of this, we shall be fasting outside ROF Burghfield, a nuclear weapons factory, less than 4 miles from the centre of Reading. If you would like to join us, for as long or as short a time as you choose please contact us as soon as possible. Please also contact us with any offers of support (any spare hot water bottles) and for details of how you can sponsor a faster. Paul and Pogle, Reading 587381 Loppy, Handley 652; David, Pangbourne 3153. Burghfield Peace Campaign Box 17, Acorn Bookshop 17 Chatham Street, Reading, Berks. - - - KATESGROVE LOBBIES FOE READING'S FIRST KENNETSIDE PARK (An edited press release from Katesgrove Residents Association dated 16 November) Patrick Mulvany, joint secretary of the Katesgrove Residents Association will ask a question at full council on Tuesday 16 November about further development plans for Waterloo Meadows, Reading's first Kennetside park. The Katesgrove Residents Association is calling on the chairman of Leisure Committee to set up formal consultative mechanisras (say, a consultative meeting each 6 months) between the recreation planning and technical services departments of Reading Borough Council, the Reading Waterways trust and the Katesgrove Residents Association(KRA) to ensure that the development of Waterloo Meadows goes according to plan and that the efforts of all the bodies concerned are coordinated. The last formal consultative meeting was set up by Reading Waterways trust and the KRA in June 1981. Since then no meeting has been convened by Reading Borough Council and the council has declined an invitation from the KRA to attend its Waterloo Meadows sub-committee meetings on which the Reading Waterways trust is represented. Since 1979 the KRA has lobbied effectively for the implementation of the 1977 Reading Waterways Plan for that section of the river Kennet from the Rose Kiln Lane bailey bridges to the Southampton Street bridges. The present park development activities at Waterloo Meadows arise from a series of formal meetings held by the KRA, Reading Waterways trust and the Borough Council from which a 29 point planning brief 'Waterloo Meadows-Parkland for Katesgrove' was drawn up in July 1980. The first parts of the plan have been implemented as a result of consultative meetings: land purchase (bringing the whole area into the ownership of the Borough Council) and the Play Project. The KRA and the Waterways trust are carrying out work in the Meadows. Phase 1 of the tree planting will be carried out this year with the ceremonial planting of trees (planted in memory of local people) on Saturday 27 November at 10 a.m. as Katesgrove's contribution to national tree week, and a group of volunteers will plant 1000's of saplings in the first three copses (to be named after local streets- Alpine, Elgar and Milman) on Saturday 11 December. Grants for this have been received from the tree council (as part of their national tree week campaign-for every child a tree), Reading Waterways trust and Reading Rotary club. The Reading Waterways trust has arranged for the army apprentices at Arborfield to build a footbridge over a brook at the southern end of the Meadows. The footbridge will be erected when formal permission is received by the Arborfield Garrison from Reading Borough Council. BBONT (Berks Bucks and Oxon Naturalists Trust) will assist the KRA with advice on the creation of a nature reserve in the southern area of the park. Reading Borough Council will build the first part of the planned all weather path across the Meadows from Jan to March 1983. Consultation on the detailed line of the path is taking place. - - - GREY POWER(*) ROUTS RIGHT OK! The threat of a pensioners' petition to the Council and OAP lobbying of individual Councillors has preserved free bus passes for Reading's OAP's "for the foreseeable future". Tory Leader Deryck Morton had told the 'Post' in July that the Council ought to save £1M for Michael Heseltine by "making old folk pay for their concessionary passes and ending the subsidy from the rates for buying buses", a clear enough threat which caused the Labour Party to call together OAP and disabled groups and trade unions to set up a campaign against it. Scene: the Kennet Room in the Civic Offices. Present: 40 or so individuals, delegates, Councillors, journalists. Introductory speeches from Labour Transport Spokesperson Tony Page and the prospective candidate for Reading North, Richard Evans. Then instant success for Greypower as Tory Deputy Leader Ron Jewitt swore histrionically "There is no intention in the Conservative Party's mind to remove these concessions: your passes are safe with us..." (Cynic thinks: and the NHS is safe with Margaret Thatcher) and attack being his only form of defence accused the Labour Party of a "Big Lie" (for quoting, as Tony Page pointed out, the clear and public words of his -perhaps too honest- leader!). And Jewitt having led the rout Day came tumbling after, as the Liberal leader promised no going back on concessionary fares either. Such sweet unanimity! Though of course what neither Jewitt nor Day said was where they would try and get Heseltine's £1M from. Who has least clout in an election year? Watch this space. Certainly not the OAP's anyway with the British Pensioners Trade Union Action Group well to the fore, and with full backing at this meeting from the bus drivers themselves promised by their shop stewards and from other unions. For, even if they don't believe Liberal Councillor Tess McFarlane's claim that the Tory Leader "didn't mean it" they can certainly be sure he doesn't mean it now.... FLG (Future Labour Grey) *The power of the greying - - - "THE ANTI-NUCLEAR SONGB00K" Peace News Pamphlet No.3 60 pence. Remember CND march after CND march where our imaginations failed us, and the only loud noise was "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, Out! Out! Out!", while most of the marchers cringed with embarrassment? It need never happen again. The work has been done for me: the words made up and the music written down. If we cannot manage anything more, we can at least buy the book and sing the songs. A march can be so much more fun, more impressive, more attractive, if people are singing together, participating in and enjoying the music. The Fallout Marching Band always attract a crowd dancing around them when they play; this book includes five of their originals, complete with musical score. There are also words to go with familiar tunes, such as "Oh I do like to live beside the seaside" (Oh I do love to live beside reactors...) and "Pinball Wizard". A section of carols and a few suggestions for chants and rounds make the total up to 44, plenty to choose from. Some are a bit weak; few can compare with the classic protest and peace songs. It is specifically anti-nuclear, and does not include any songs without direct reference to nuclear weapons or energy, so there are few powerfully positive contributions. And it seems that some politicians just cannot be ignored (to mention no names). But it is a start, and hopefully will "stimulate a lot of people to enliven a lot of occasions As the introduction says: "Books are for reading and songs are for singing. Sing on!" Deflated Hipster. - - - 'WOMEN AND WORK' WORKS FOR WEA The biggest attendance yet - over forty women and men - for the third of the WEA Reading Industrial Branch's teach-ins: report next time. More teach-ins in 1983? What teach-ins? What else? Come to the Branch Meeting on December 7th and make your plug! Anon - - - RED RAG APPEALS Your Questions Answered: Red Rag is Reading's only newspaper (even if the Post Office refuse to register it as such!) and is read fortnightly by perhaps three thousand people. Most decisions are made on the spot by the people doing the work. There are no editors. The more long-standing problems are discussed at occasional meetings of the collective (which consists of anyone who wants to be in it-just turn up!) About thirty people are periodically active in some stage of producing and distributing the Rag. The aim of Red Rag is to provide a decent alternative coverage of local news and issues from a radical, non-aligned position; to promote subversive and creative initiatives; to provide a forum for unorthodox views; to allow some sort of co-existence between a huge variety of interests. Incidentally, it is not a student publication and, although it is printed at Acorn Bookshop, the two are not the same thing (so if you dial one of the numbers on the cover you will not get through to Acorn - their number is 584425 and they are open Tues.-Sat., 10 till 6.) Most of the material here comes from individuals who have nothing to do with the production process. These pieces are almost always signed in some way. The collective, as a whole, does not originate them or stand by them: it is our policy to print anything provided that it is not 'racist, sexist, right-wing or supportive of oppressive religions' (or long and boring to the point of tedium). It is very rare for anything to be edited, ie. cut. If this does happen it is for reasons of space and, if possible, the author's permission. There can't be many newspapers around that haven't sold a copy in four years! However, this does make us totally dependant on donations... We Are Broke: Guilt-Trip Time Last weekend Red Rag had an overdraft of £35. This is the worst position we've ever been in and unless something is done about it, we cannot continue to print issues of this length and legibility. (At 8p per copy-about three times what we were spending a year ago). There are two ways YOU can help. One is to make a donation: there's a collecting tin at Acorn Bookshop or you can send cheques or postal orders (to 'Red Rag' and please don't stint on the zeros) to Sue Clarke, 31b Milman Bd., Reading. The other, for all those lucky people in the audience who've got bank accounts, is to fill in standing order forms below. Standing orders are a reliable source of funds for us making up about one third of what we spend. It makes planning an issue much easier if we know we can afford to print it. Many collective members donate 1% of their income like this (but you colud give as little as £1 at a time). We're Also Overworked: More Guilt-Tripping There are other ways you could help the Rag if you felt so inclined, for example: if you hear something interesting, newsworthy, or whatever that's just happened (or is about to happen and needs publicity), do let us know. Phone any of the numbers on the front page of the Rag or write to us c/o Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St., Reading. More generally, all contributions are welcome: prose, poems, letters, cartoons, silly pictures, ideas for the cover, etc. If what's put into the Rag isn't what you'd have put there, it's probably because you've never put it. Scrawled on the back of an envelope is OK. You can sharpen your toenail, dip it in an infusion of port and iron filings and then daub your feelings on the side of a large brick for all we care. But if it's not 'camera-ready' copy we would like it by early Thursday evening so that we can have it typed for Saturday's printing. If you want to type it yourself (safer if you'd rather your spelling was as in the original) and get it to us by early Friday evening , then that's cool. Incidentally, typed copy should be to a fairly consistent column, width about 12 cm (it gets slightly 'photo-reduced') and should be single-spaced. Also, if you use a fairly new (dark) ribbon you'll do someone's head a lot of good when they try to make a plate from your artwork. Ta. If you'd like to help in any way with typing, sticking it all together, folding and labelling copies after printing or distributing this august little fortnightly, we'd love to hear from you. Just leap to your phone and dial one of the numbers on the cover. Or drop us a note at Acorn. **** What You Can Do **** To:- (your bank's name and address) Please pay to the account of RED RAG, Co-operative Bank, Reading, (08-90-16, a/c no. 50148637) the sum of (words), £ (figs) on (date), and on the same date every month/3 months until further notice. Signed Your name Address Your a/c number Send this form to Sue Clarke, 31b Milman Rd. Reading. NOT to your bank. Ta. - - - EVENTS (Warning: H. M. Government can seriously damage your health) Mon 29 Scientists against the Arms Race Dr Graeme Wilkinson on "Will you Survive the Bomb" (Civil defence etc) 7.30p.m. Palmer Building, the University, Whiteknights. Gay Soc: "Nighthawks": discussion of the film shown Fri 26 at RPT, 8p.m. Council room, Students Union, Whiteknights. Reading Borough Council: Policy Review sub-committee 4-30 civic offices. Anarchists: weekly meeting 6p.m. For venue ring 666681. Tues 30 World Development Movement: John Mitchell on the 'Campaign for real Aid' 8p.m. Palmer Building, the University, Whiteknights. RBC: Transportation Committee 4.30 civic offices. Sonning Common Labour Party: Jim Mortimer (Lab Party gen sec) speaks. 7.45 Chiltern Edge School. All Labour Party members welcome. Beirut '82: slides and talk by eyewitness Stephen Rose. 7.30pm Palmer Building, the University, Whiteknights. Wed 1 Friends of the Earth planning meeting. "Whatever next?" Come and decide! 8p.m. at 27 [illegible] Road. Earley. First of the month meeting of Readings Womens Centre and Womens Groups. All women welcome. 7.30 at the Womens Centre basement of old Shire Hall,Abbey Street. Socialists Workers Party: Weekly meeting, 8p.m. the Red Lion, bottom of Southampton Street. Thu 2 Vegetarian Dining: Meeting 8p.m. 58 George St. Aim: to get people together to prepare and sell vegy food in a cafe or restaurant environment. Ring Anna on 329 2817 for details. Fri 3 Conservation Society: public talk and discussion: "Planning and the Future" by Anthony Long of C.P.R.E. 7-9 p.m. at the conservation trust resource bank, Geo Palmer School, Northumberland Ave. Free. Berkshire Anti-Nuclear Campaign Meeting at the Dove, Orts Road, 8p.m. with collecting boxes to do a fundraising pubcrawl. Sat 4 BANC Jumble Sale 11a.m.-4p.m. St Lawrence Hall (near the Forbury Gardens) Jumble to Trevor Fafinski 20 Oliver Drive, Calcot; or phone 67315 and have it picked up. Womens Day of Action against Pornography: a picket of video shops, leafletting etc (male support welcome). In the evening a social at the Womens Centre. For more information ring 666681 (Laura). East Reading Rights Group: 11 a.m.- 1p.m. Stall at Cemetery Junction (and every Saturday). Sun 5 Ecology Party Regional Meeting For details contact Maria 663195. Mon 6 Reading Tree Club at Civic offices 7.30: Tree planting; plans and policy. Ring Catherine Olver 874347 to confirm. BANC Caversham Neighbourhood group 8p.m. 70 St Peters Ave: "Cruise"- speaker and discussion. Tue 7 Berkshire County Council Planning Committee 10.30 WEA Reading Industrial Branch: Branch meeting to discuss 1983 programme. 7.30 Centre for the Unemployed, East Street (off Queen's Rd). Individuals and delegates welcome. Wed 8 RBC: Environment 4.30 Civic Offices. BANC East Reading Neighbourhood group Ring Steve Gavin 663177 for details. Socialist Educational Assoc: Care1ine Benn speaks to inaugural meeting of Reading & Dist Branch. 8pm, Upper Hall, Shading Adult College, Wilson Rd. Lab. Party members & supporters welcome. Thu 9 Amnesty: Film on Indonesia:"More than a Million Years" 8p.m. St Marys Centre. BCC Social Services 10.30 RBC Resources sub-committee 4.30 civic offices. Communist Party meeting with speaker from Tudeh Party(Iranian CP). 8.00 p.m. AUEW Hall 121 Oxford Road. La Leche League: "Nutrition and Weaning, 10.30am. Ring 477899 for details. "Negotiating with Local Government: Meeting organised by the Reading Community Work Training Group. "Three local groups will share their hard-won knowledge - Apollo Club, Katesgrove Residents' Association and Newtown Community House." 7.30 at Newtown Community House, 117 Cumberland Road, Beading. Copy Deadline for the last Red Rag this year. Send articles to Acorn or ring any of the numbers on the cover. Fri 10 BCC: Public Protection Cttee, 10.30. RBC s Developement Control Subcttee, 2.30, civic offices. "Berkshire Humanists: Letter writing session, 8pm, Friends Meeting House, Church St.(off London St.) BANC: Torchlit Procession + vigil + speakers. Assemble 6 - 6.30, Old Shire Hall (by Forbury Gardens). See also tomorrow: 12th is anniversary of NATO decision to install Cruise. Labour History Group: open meeting with speaker on "How the East was Won and Lost" (on the Russian Revolution), 7.30 back room of the Red Lion, bottom of Southampton Street. Sat 11 BANC: "all day disarmament question and answer session" at United Reform Church Hall (Broad St). Pm: march and rally. Eve: benefit folk concert. Contact Ed on 594855 for details. Morning Star Bazaar: 2pm at Whitley Community Centre, Northumberland Avenue "An event not to be missed." Ecology Party: Jumble sale at 2pm, St Peter's Hall, Church Road, Earley. They sell "Green Line" outside Heelas on Sat afternoons. Sun 12 Greenham Common: 'Embrace the Base'. 10,000+ women needed to link hands round the air base... Buses arranged by BANC leave Alder Valley bus sta. 11am (univ. Union 10.45). Tickets £1.50 (£l unwaged) from Acorn or univ. Union. Back by 6pm. 'Sunday Dec 12 is an international women's day of protest at Greenham Common. We are calling on women from all over the world to come and help us surround the base which is 9 miles round. When you arrive, go to any of the gates around the base, where there will be basic facilities & information. Please come as self-sufficient as possible. (Warm clothes, waterproofs, food, drink.) We intend to surround the base with positive women's energy. At this time of crisis, women must join together and show the authorities that Cruise Missiles endanger our lives and do not protect us. Mon 13 Greenham Common: 'Close the Base'. Women's day of Direct Action. All women who wish to take part of support the action come prepared to stay overnight. Bring tents, sleeping bags, survival bags, vehicles to sleep in, and hopefully there will be some accommodation available. The 13th will be a day of Direct Action workshops followed by action. MEN are asked to staff the creche - phone Gill 599099 for more details. Vegans: AGM. "Business will be kept as brief as possible and will be followed by seasonal eats." 2.30, 72 Curzon St. Tue 14 Reading Tree Club: Apple tasting and Christmas party. Bring along any strange apples you have for identification! All welcome. 7.30, University London Road site LT4. BANC General Meeting: Brian Revell on "US bases in Britain" + discussion. 8pm Friends' Meeting House, Church Street (off London St). RED RAG SOCIAL: 8 - 12 in the back room of the Crown, Crown St. Fun fun fun! Bring your friends and make them support your local Rag too to the tune of £1 entry (or fill in a standing order form) - - - RED RAG OUTLETS Acorn, 17 Chatham St Emporium, Merchants place Our Price, Butt's Centre Quicksilver, " , upstairs Pop Records, King's Rd Centre for Unemployed, East St Ken's SHOP, University. Union To get a copy delivered FREE ring Chris, 61257 - - - The London Rape Crisis Centre, a feminist collective, needs a research worker/counsellor to coordinate and complete the centre's research project. You will be expected to counsel women and girls who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Knowledge and understanding of rape and ability to work collectively is essential. Related experience an advantage, commitment and enthusiasm more important. 18 month contract 36 hours per week salary £7600 pa. For application form and further information write with sae to P0 Box 42, London N6 5BU. Closing date for applications is 10th December. - - - (Advertisement) Just Published! "THE DEGENERATED REVOLUTION" The Origin and Nature of the Stalinist States Workers Power Irish Workers Group This book it an attempt to utilise and develop Leon Trotsky's analysis of the Soviet Union in order to explain the survival of Stalinism after the second world war and the creation of states, with economies identical to that of the USSR, by Stalinist parties. Against the many developing theories that explain the USSR as a 'new class or 'state capitalist' society, this book asserts the validity of Trotsky's designation of the USSR as a degenerated workers' state. The book deals with the degeneration of the Russian Revolution and the Left Opposition's analysis of that process, and goes on to examine the postwar expansion of Stalinism in Eastern Europe, Asia and Cuba. It demonstrates how these bureaucratic revolutions confirm Trotsky's analysis of Stalinism as counter-revolutionary. As well as dealing with the implications of these revolutions, which prevented the working clan from exercising political power, for the Marxist theory of the state. The Degenerated Revolution examines the weaknesses and mistakes of previous attempts to analyse this process from the claimants of Trotsky's heritage - from Ernest Menders 'orthodox revisionism' - to Tim Wolforth's theory of 'structural assimilation'. The Degenerated Revolution represents a comprehensive attempt to come to grips with a question which was fundamental to the degeneration and disintegration of the post-war Fourth International. Its publication in a period of heightened cold-war tension provides the basis to arm Marxists with a revolutionary strategy for the defence of the Soviet Union end for the overthrow of the bureaucratic caste which dominates it. Contents include: * From Soviet power to soviet Bonapartism - the degeneration of the Russian Revolution * The survival and expansion of Stalinism after the Second World War * Bureaucratic social revolutions and the Marxist theory of the state * Castro's "Cuban Road" - from Populism to Stalinism * The defence of the USSR and of the degenerated workers' states * Centrism and Stalinism - the falsification of Trotsky's analysis 104 pages * A4 format Many photographs * Available now ISBN 0 9508133 0 3 £2.00 Available from good Bookshops inc Acorn or (price 2.00 plus 40p p&p) Workers Power, BCM Box 7750, BCM, London WC1N 3XX - - - Labour History Group (Reading) is holding an open meeting.... HOW THE REVOLUTION WAS WON AND LOST with speaker 7.30 p.m. Friday.10th December back room of the Red Lion pub, Southampton Street - - - LEGALISE CANNABIS QUESTIONNAIRE This is a survey of cannabis use which assumes that the person answering has taken cannabis at least once. If you have not, please pass this questionnaire to someone who has. All Information will be confidential. Please help with this research by answering all the questions, accurately, and returning the completed questionnaire to LCC, c/o Box 23, Acorn, 17 Chatham St, A statistical digest of the results will appear in the Rag; all forms will be forwarded to the LCC in London as part of its national survey. Your comments and criticisms are welcomed. Please return by December 11. Last year 135074 people were found guilty or cautioned for simple possession of cannabis or cannabis resin. 184 heroin suppliers or would-be suppliers were convicted. So much for claims that cannabis possession is treated as a minor offence and that the police and courts are more devoted to catching suppliers and 'hard' drug dealers. Meanwhile, the Government's own experts have repeatedly advised a reduction in penalties; successive Home Secretaries have rejected these proposals; the myths about who uses cannabis & why and what effect it has on them are propagated; every year a thousand people get locked up by this farce. This survey may go some way towards counteracting official propaganda Hours of harmless (& legal) amusement - please return it. x x Reading LCC x x - - - Legalise Cannabis Campaign PATTERNS OF CANNABIS USE - READING SURVEY 1) Age 2) Sex 3) Area Lived in (Name of city or county) 4) Occupation 5) In what year were you FIRST offered cannabis or the opportunity to try it? 6) When was the MOST RECENT occasion that you have used cannabis - Today - This week but not today - This month but not this week - In the last six months but not this month - In the last year but not 6 months If more than one year please give rough date 7) In the MONTH UP TO AND INCLUDING the last time you had any, on how many different occasions did you use cannabis - Once - 5 occasions or less, more than once - 10 occasions or less, more than 5 - 30 occasions or less, more than 10 - 50 occasions or less, more than 3 If more than 50 occasions, please estimate number. 8) In the MONTH BEFORE that, did you use... - None - Less - The same - Mote 9) When was the MOST RECENT occasion when you BOUGHT cannabis - Today - This week but not today - This month but not this week - In the last six months but not this month - In the last year but not 6 months 10) In the month up to and including the last time you bought any, what was the TOTAL AMOUNT you bought (to nearest 1/8 oz) 1/8 1/4 3/8 1/2 5/8 3/4 1oz 1 - 1 1/2 2 More than 2, specify amount 11) In that month, roughly how much money did you spend on cannabis 12) In an AVERAGE MONTH would you buy - More than you would personally use - Less than you would personally use - Around the same amount you would personally use 13) AT PRESENT, roughly HOW FREQUENTLY do you use cannabis - Regularly every day - Regularly several times per week - Irregularly several times per week - Regularly once a week - Irregularly around once a week - Regularly once or more per month - Irregularly once or more per month - Less then once per month but several per year - Only very occasionally - Never 14) Roughly how long have you been consuming cannabis in this sort of quantity? at this sort of frequency? 15) A year ago, did you on average use - None - Less than now - Same as now - More than now 16) Do you expect that you will, a year from now, use on average - None - Less than now - Same as now - More than now 17) If you wanted to obtain cannabis today or tomorrow would you know where to do so? 18) Have you ever grown or attempted to grow cannabis plants? 19) Have you ever sold cannabis? 20) Have you ever bought cannabis for other people? 21) Have you ever shared cannabis (e.g. passing a joint or pipe)? 22) Have you ever given cannabis away? 23) Have you ever been convicted of an offence involving cannabis? If yes: for Possession? Cultivation? Other? 24) Have you ever been searched or arrested but not convicted, of an offence involving cannabis? 25) Do you lat other people smoke cannabis where you live? 26) Have you ever consulted a psychiatrist or been treated in a psychiatric hospital in relation to your cannabis use? 27) Do you normally prefer to - Smoke cannabis neat - Smoke cannabis with tobacco - Smoke with other substance - Eat cannabis neat - Eat cannabis in other food 28) Do you smoke tobacco neat? 29) Do you use alcohol? - Less often than cannabis - About the same - More often than cannabis - Never 30) Please name your favourite variety or nationality of cannabis 31) If your cannabis usa pattern has altered over the last year, please explain why. 32) If your cannabibeen steady for some time, please explain why. - - - GOING OUT .... Mon 29 Hex-Wrestling 7.50 £2-£2.50 Exhibition-'Dimensions' free Fives-Jazz Junk Disco 7.30 free The Horn,St.Marys Butts-Jazz 8pm free South Hill Park,Bracknell- Bladerunner(AA)7.30 £1.90(to 5th) Tue 30 Hex-Shakatak,7.30-£3-£5 Tudor Arms Greyfriars Rd.-Gay Disco 8pm free South Hill Park-The New Dixie Syncopators,8pm,£1.90-£2.20 Wed 1 Hex-Public Speaking Competition Final-2pm-£l,kids and claimants 50p Top Rank-Punks night out! G.B.H., The Destructors, The Abrasive Wheels, Blitz.7.30,check first as this may not be on now. Hex-The Chieftains-7.30,£3-£4, minor concessions Reading Film Theatre-Heartbeat(X) 8pm,£1.50,members £1 Thurs 2 Hex-The Art of the Percussionist 1.10pm,free An evening of Xmas music for all the family,7.30,£1.50-£2 4 Horseshoes(Basingstoke Rd)-Jazz 8pm,free University-Xmas Ball with Slade 8pm,£3-£3.50 on the door RFT-Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man(AA) subtitled,8pm.£1.50,members £1 Angles,Milton Rd.,Wokingham-Jeep all dates £1+£1 membership guests £1.50, 9pm Fri 3 Tudor Arms-Gay Disco ,8pm,free Angies(Wokingham)-The Bottles Apollo Theatre,Oxford-Lindisfarne 7.30 South Hill Park-Bernard Roberts(recital) 8pm,£2.75-£3 John Dowie-£2-£2.25(advance) £2.25-£2.50(door) Alphaville(X)l1pm,£1.90 Sat 4 Hex-12.15pm,All That Jazz,free 7.30,Reading Phoenix Choir,£1.50-£3 Angies-Naughty Thoughts and Pure Ideas South Hill Park-Exhibitions by Leila Simes(paintings and prints)to Jan 2 4 crafts people in residence to Jan 2 2pm-Crafts Fair,free 8pm-Pye Wackett(folk)£l-£l.20 11pm-Alphaville(X) as above Sun 5 Top Rank-Toyah!7.30,£4 Apollo,Oxford-Gillan,7.30 Angies,Wokingham-Twelth Night South Hill Park-12.15nm Deep Waters(U) plus short serial,75p 2pm-Crafts Fair,free Mon 6 The Horn.St.Marys Butts-Jazz,8pm,free Playhouse Oxford-The Irresistible Rise of Arturo Ui(Brecht)7.45,£3.90-£4.90 Sat. 4pm,£2.45,8pm,concessions, till 11th South Hill Park-The Wall(AA)7.30 £1.90 till 12th Tues 7 Hex-Max Boyce,7.30,£5-£6-all that's bad about Wales and then more. Tudor Arms-Gay Disco,8pm,free University Great Hall.London Rd.. -Reading Univesity Orchestra, 7.30,£2 plus concessions Apollo Oxford-Andrea Chonier,7.15(Opera) £4-£14 plus concessions Wed 8 Hex-As 7th RFT-Bodyheat(X),8pm,£1.50,members £1 Apollo Oxford-Don Giovanni(opera) 7.15»£4-£14 plus concessions Thurs 9 Hex-Eurorock,7.30,£2.75(don't know what it means but it sounds bad) Pangbourne College-West Side Story 7.15,£2.50(kids-£l.50) to 11th Angies-Laverne Brown 4 Horseshoes,Basingstoke Rd., Jazz,8pm,free Apollo Oxford-Andrea Chonier as Tues 7th Fri 10 Tudor Arms-Gay Disco,8pm,free Angies-The Vetols Apollo Oxford-From the House of the Dead (opera) details as Tues 7 South Hill Park-Chamber Orchestra 8pm,£1.20-£1.40 Fred Wedlock,8pm and 11pm,£2.25 and £2.50 in advance,£2.50 and £2.75 on door The Wall,7.30pm and 11pm,£1.90 Sat 11 Hex-12.15.Whittaker's Patent Remedy,free 7.30,Reading Bach Choir,£3-£5 9.30,wine tasting evening and light supper,£3 Leighton Park School-Shinfield Rd. Reading Symphony Orchestra 7.30,£2.50 plus concessions Angies-Roots Jackson and the G.B.Blues Co.,plus Rave to the Grave Apollo Oxford-Tamburlaine (opera) 7.15, £4-£14 plus concessions South Hill Park-Transports of Delight(folk)8pm.,£1.20 The Wall(AA)7.30 and 11pm,£1.90 Sun 12 Hex-3.30-Tuby the Tuba,£2(kids and claiments £1) 7.30,Xmas moods in music,£2-£3.50 Angies-Larry Miller South Hill Park-The Great Pony Raid(U) and short serial,12.15 (75p) Park Singers (recital). 8pm,free Mon 13 Hex-As Sun 12th The Horn,St.Marys Butts-Jazz 8pm,free South Hill Park-Get Out Your Hankerchiefs(X)7.30,£1.90 Progress Theatre-The Progress Review,7.45,£1.80 till 18th - - - FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Despite the fact that Egyptian hieroglyphics were deciphered many years ago, we still have no idea of how the language actually sounded. The ancients may have pronounced 'Tutankhamun' as 'tooty-fruity' or 'buzzfrolics'! What does it matter you ask? Well, it has to do with the transmission of information, a highly evolved process in these days of computer-based communications. But I shall come to that. Imagine for a moment, that an audio tape had been discovered, hidden inside one of the pyramids. Unlikely of course but bear with me. (Perhaps not so unlikely: in China, a clay vase dating back thousands of years, has been unearthed. There is a system of grooves running vertically down this object. It was found that when rotated upon a turntable and a stylus applied, voice-like sounds were emitted. An ancient recording device perhaps?) The question arises an to what speed to rotate this vase, what speed to play the tape. The English language slowed down or speeded up will become unintelligible. The data encoded onto the tape would remain lost forever, unless an authentic Egyptian, cloned from the cells of a mummy, were to help us out, linking the individual sounds to the images of the hieroglyphics. The point is, information is of no value unless relayed to us at a comprehensible speed. It is useful to be aware of this as there are those in our society who, having failed to suppress a piece of information, ensure that this information is either doled out to us in dribs and drabs (too slow) or transmitted in one, brief news item(too fast). By this method data becomes distorted, people will pay less attention to it and it loses its importance. Due to the restrictions imposed by scheduling, current affairs programmes relayed by the media are almost always guilty of this. Six minutes on unemployment, a few more on the economy and then on to 'Match of the Day'. All is forgotten. So how do you know if the data that you do receive, from whatever source, has been distorted? The answer is that all information is 'tampered' with, either intentionally or by the transmission process. There is one exception to this. Laurie Anderson, the American artist who concerns herself with all forms of communication and the effect of the media upon these, has a term for the tampering. She calls them 'filters'. An example: there's a riot in Brixton. The media (the only source of our information) arrive well after it has started. Some initial data is lost.(FILTER No 1) 0.k. Let's film this. Not enough light. We'll use the light from that rubbish burning over there - has nothing to do with the disturbances but makes good visuals.(FILTER No 2) Hello? That copper's bleeding - we'll have that for the front page-What? A ten year old's broken his leg? Sorry. Missed that.(FILTER No 3) Nine o'clock news - four minutes of reportage - six minutes of politicians and community leaders blaming each other.(FILTER No 4) See the news mate? No. I was down the pub.(FILTER No 5) Tell me what happened. Another person's viewpoint. ( FILTER No 6) One year later - The riot in Brixton? You want information? Well, if memory serves me correct...(Perhaps the most distorting filter of all, the memory.) And so on... As to the one exception, the information that we receive from the Arts can generally be relied upon and for this reason artists use a subtle 'code' to ensure that the original data contained in their music, painting, writing etc., reaches you intact. It goes something like this: The data can only be retrieved if the code is successfully broken. The code can only be broken in the mind of the receiver. Only then can the relevance of the artwork be assessed. The essential point is that the code makes up an integral part of the artwork. Attempts to alter the content by censors, editors, media bosses etc., would inevitably alter the code as well for the code is interlocked with the data and vice versa. This altered work of art would not make the statement that the artist had intended but because the code had been changed, we would know that the data had been Interfered with. The stage play would 'feel' wrong, the song would sound 'odd' etc. The 'honesty' of the piece would be lost. But we would at least be aware that some deception had taken place. Unfortunately, this is not the case with 'hard news' as viewed on television or in the press. No code is used, therefore we have no way of knowing if what is presented to us (already heavily filtered) is truth, half-truth or lie. The press is owned and controlled by five or six individuals or multi-nationals. The media bosses are appointed. Most of them plead that they are responsive to the needs of the people that they serve. They call for greater accountability, increased access to information, freedom of expression etc. Do not be too quick to place your trust in them. When it comes to free speech they may have ancient Egyptian in mind! Allan Jones - - - FREE THE AIRWAVES! On the 6th of November I attended the 'Free the Airwaves' convention in Cambridge. It was fairly well attended with a good cross section of stations represented. From London, there were the mainly VHF stations and SW and MW stations from other parts. The idea of the conference was to thrash out ideas for the future of free radio. Certain groups had a bias to community stations, whilst others were happy to remain pirates (Aar!). The technical aspect was well covered, with some pretty sophisticated technology involved, especially at VHF. Security was involved in this, with an emphasis on remote control operation. Everyone had a chance to express his or her viewpoint, so all in all it was a very well run ship. Another idea put forward was the idea of a central committee to deal with technical enquiries, etc., as well as having a body to contact for getting parts, transmitters etc. On the Landbased scene: "Our Radio" continues with some pretty outspoken programmes on 103-8 MHz on Wednesdays. They may be extending days to Thursday with Radio Zodiac on the same frequency. Rumour has it that Pagans against Nukes will be on their network soon... Rebel Radio has been doing Rasterfarian programmes recently, well worth a listen on 1O3.8 on Fridays, 6pm till late. Now the continuing story of Offshore Radio: It was in 1959 that a group of Dutch businessmen hatched an idea to start a 'pirate' off Holland. It was to be known as 'VRON'(Vrij Radio Omroep Nederlands)- that is Dutch Free Radio Broadcasting Organisation, later known Radio Veronica. By 1960 they had a ship afloat, the 'Bortum Rifb' an ex-lightship and ideal for use as a radio ship. Power was at first only one kilowatt but reception was good in Holland and parts of the east coast in England. After initial difficulties with frequencies and government jamming they settled into a more successful routine on 192 metres MW. After about a year, with finances looking bad, they were taken over. With good management, the station went from strength to strength, attracting a loyal following and good advertising contracts. In 1962, tests were made in English to see if there was an English audience. Response was rather poor however, and the scheme was dropped but Radio Veronica could claim to be the first English Pirate. Life for Radio Veronica was long and healthy, unlike her fellow stations in 1960-1964. In 1964 a station on an artificially built platform (like an oil rig) was sunk onto the sea-bed off Noordwijk in Holland. The station, Radio and TV Noordzee, served Holland quite well but its life was short. In December of the same year, they were boarded by Dutch police and marines after a law had been passed outlawing stations on the continental shelf, even if they were outside the three mile limit. (This didn't, of course, apply to Veronica). However, Radio Noordzee were granted time on the Dutch Network Hilversum where they still broadcast to this day as TR0S. (Try listening to TROS, Hilversum 111, 445 metres MW on Thursdays.) Another casualty at this time was the Flemish Pirate, Radio Antwerpen. They broadcast off Belgium in 1962 from a boat made of concrete, 'the Uilenspiegel'. Broadcasts were on MW and SW, but Radio Antwerpen's days were to be few. In December, 1962, the ship went aground and was a total loss. Only days previously, the Belgian government had passed a law outlawing them. (Belgium now has many onshore pirates somehow defying the law, like in Ireland). Radio Veronica was to survive all adversities until 1974 although many people thought Veronica would never die. There was talk of it coming on land as a legal station, as had the New Zealand pirate, Radio Hauraki, but sadly it went. I'll deal more with Radio Veronica in later articles, up to its demise and rather poor resurrection onto the Hilversum network. Curly - - - WHY DON'T ORDINARY JOES GO TO C.N.D. MEETINGS? It's not our wish to be a thorn in the side of the people working so hard to extend the Peace Movement in Reading, but it seems to us that certain things should be said. It's a fact that BANC Reading C.N.D. meetings are badly attended (there were 40 at the last-poor show considering the membership is 500+). Also, more to the point, those bothering to attend appear to be the sort of converted, 'intellectual', middle class types who have recently dominated the Labour Party. Certainly not ordinary Joes. Let's not forget that C.N.D., like the Labour Party, will not achieve success unless it motivates large numbers of 'ordinary' people to reject the views the popular media has taught them and to start believing in the reality of unilateral nuclear disarmament. BANC Reading C.N.D. seems to take pride in its diversity and speaks with enthusiasm of the number of different individuals / groups working away at different aspects of the campaign, i.e. Nuclear Free Zones, Peace Camps, Hard Luck, working weekends. It's been a hectic time over the past few months, but is it not the case that the campaign has become a victim of its diversity? That this 'popular frontist' approach seems to be dissolving the impact the campaign as a whole is having on Joe Public? Might we suggest that more eggs might be put in fewer baskets. We were recently involved in the organization of Hard Luck and one of the frustrations was that many BANC members could not assist us because they were involved in other Peace activities. It was also depressing to see so few people prepared to take part on the day after promising support. Just think of the impact if 100 people had performed in the Street Theatre instead of 20. O.k. so it rained. Personally we're not afraid of getting wet for Peace. (Neither were others, notably Pogle.) So, there are two problems. How to motivate the membership, and how to pull in new members, especially those thousands who think it's necessary to have the Bomb. Publicity for meetings appears to be lacking. It was pointed out at the last meeting that the problem, as always, was cost. Fair enough, but perhaps C.N.D.'s expenditure could be re-organized slightly so that meetings could be advertised around town. Or maybe the massive membership could be approached to suggest ways of producing cheap publicity. We'd even vote for fewer meetings if it would help. BANC notes should not escape criticism here, for its rather dreary and 'wordy' style. This must reinforce the idea in many people - members and non-members - that talking and thinking about Peace is rather depressing. Of course we know it doesn't have to be, but we're not ordinary Joe Public are we? Another problem is the quality of the speakers at meetings. The average member, let alone Joe Public, would never have been moved into action by either of the last two speakers. The first, from the Nuclear Power group looked and sounded like the stereotypical Anti Nuke Campaigner-hairy, scruffy and incoherent. The second was a 'Doctor against the Bomb' who took so long to make his point that Joseph would have hopped it up the pub well before the end of his slide show (which in the main dealt with the fact that Russian hotels have lots of windows and Russian women go shopping) Shorter meetings might be an answer. You see, you have to remember that most people, like one of us (June), are not used to long political meetings. They get bored easily. They have to be entertained, especially if you want them to return, preferably with a friend. There is certainly a case here for the 'gagging' (for want of a better word) of intellectual members who spout forth impressive ideals and comparisons but can only be understood by others similar to themselves. We can honestly say that we did not understand 50% of the discussion which followed the last meeting. For that reason one of us (not saying which), or maybe both of us, won't be returning for a while. 'So what!' you might say. The point is, how many more have been bored or scared away like this? Somebody said at the last meeting - "What we need is an Anarchist speaker!" Fascinating if you're into that sort of thing. Unfortunately Joe Public isn't and never will be. Pete Stevenson June Perry P.S.If anyone wants to join us and some students from the University performing more street theatre then ring us. 54867(P.S.) 417316(J.P.) After all, it's a direct way of facing Joe Public and may even result in him attending a C.N.D. meeting. P.P.S.Thanks to Acorn for publicising our play;a new musical for peace - 'Celeste'. 400 kids from 6-16. Six schools. 12 original songs. World Premiere: 14/15 December, Orchard School, Slough. Listen to 210 for more detaiIs. - - - For all these who for one reason or another will not be taking part in the activities at Greenham Common on December 12th and 13th, but who would still like to do something concrete about the preparations for Cruise missiles, here is some information that might be useful. The following companies are involved at Greenham: ABC Army Reedstone Southern, Sheffield Botton, off Station Road, Theale, READING. British Teleeem, 48 Friar Street, READING. Hadleys Haulage, 201 Hyde End Bead, Spencers Weed, Hall Aggregates (Thamas Valley) Ltd, Woolwich Green, Station Rd. Theale, AND Burghfield pit, Cottage Lane, Pingewood, READING. J.Mould, Pingewood House, Pingewood, READING. Meakins Transport, Blanks Villa, Lambs Lane, Spencers Wood. BP Fuels READING, Barco Oil Terminal,Bath Road. These are the local companies on a list published in "Peace News" No.2180. Cliff - - - In Britain about half the average intake of protein comes from animals. In the course of a lifetime each flesh-eater consumes on average: 56 sheep - 3& pigs - 8 cattle - 550 poultry... - - - BROTHER BIT POLICE COURT IS TOLD He denied biting or kicking any of the police officers. "They were probably biting each other," he said. Neil told the court that people inside the building were making fun of him so he put his fist forward towards them. He said he did not intend this gesture to be threatening. - - - HEARTACHE "Sometimes" reflected Councillor George Robinson, Mayor of Reading, "as I am walking along Broad Street from the station to the civic offices, I cannot help thinking that not only do none of the people I am passing on the way know that I am the mayor, but they probably wouldn't care tuppence even if they did. - - - POTENTIAL A man's vendetta against the Southern Electricity Board nearly blacked out most of central South England. John Searl's "obsessive" campaign caused £7,000 damage as he went round the Berkshire countryside near his home cutting pylon stays and removing bolts. Mr McGeorge said that after being prosecuted in May, the SEB told him he would have to repay the cost of the electricity he had stolen, and pay a £300 security deposit. "He saw red and took umbrage. He decided to cause as much aggravation as he could to the electricity board by setting out on a vendetta to quite deliberately damage various electrical installations." said Mr McGeorge. In the space of two months he attacked four pylons, using a chain saw to cut through stay wires, the court heard yesterday. He totally destroyed an aerial mast and radio transmitter, mistakenly believing it to belong to the SEB. But instead it was a Thames Water installation. The pylons were all in the Grazeley and Mortimer area. But his worst attack was when he began dismantling a pylon near the gravel pits at Mortimer. He went to the pylon on several occasions and removed bolts, but he got scared when a metal plate fell off and the pylon, carrying 400,000 volts, began to move, added Mr McGeorge. "The consequences of the pylon falling down would nave been terrifying. Quite apart from the obvious danger it would have caused, the whole of the southern central part of the country would have been cut off," said Mr McGeorge. - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1982/1982-11-28.txt#3 $