WET RAG

FORTNIGHTLY  NEWS  DIARY  FOR READING.   V2 No13. 21 JUNE TO 8 JULY 1980
COPY FOR NEXT ISSUE COVERING 5-23 JULY IN BY 7PM FRIDAY 4 JULY
PHONE READING 662285 OR 868194 OR WRITE 31B MILMAN ROAD
WET RAG IS FREE BUT WE WELCOME DONATIONS OF PAPER/INK/ENVELOPES/(too faint)

DIARY

SUNDAY 22 JUNE
Labour Party Rally in LONDON: ‘Nuclear arms, no; peace, yes’ (too faint)
will take people from hereabouts, picking up at Pangbourne (too faint)
Reading West station at 10.40, Cemetary Junction at 10.50 (too faint)
fare £1.75. As we went to press there were some seats left on the
coach, but not many.

MONDAY 23 JUNE
Busy day, this. Three important events:

1 Adwest picket, all day, but particularly at 6am in the morning.
  For full details see the sheet attached.

2 The Berkshire Campaign for Economic and Social Advance is, or
  will be after tonight, a a broad-based campaign which just might
  get beyond calls to ditch the bitch, axe thatcher etc. Meeting to
  formalise structure and agree a plan of campaign at 8pm at the
  Labour Hall, Station Approach, Newbury. Trade unionists welcome.

3 Reading Women’s Group gets a report from the Womens Fight Back
  conference and a discussion around ‘Beyond the Fragments’ the
  book by Sheila Rowbotham that’s split the women’s movement.
  All women welcome. 8pm Old Town Hall

WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE

1 The National Campaign for Civil Liberties fg fights hard and
  sometimes effectively for our constantly-eroded ‘rights’. Now
  a Reading branch is to be established, and there’s a meeting for
  anyone interested in joining/getting involved. It’s at the Old
  Town Hall at 7.30pm.

2 Berkshire Anti-Nuclear Campaign meets to formulate demands and
  proposals for: a nuclear weapons ban; scrapping nuclear power;
  neutrality for the UK. All welcome. 7.45, AEUW, 121 Oxford Road

THURSDAY 26 JUNE

1 Gay Pride picnic, amongst the grass, trees and water by the students
  union on Whiteknights Park. Bring food and drink. Music &
  entertainment provided, but bring some too. 3pm.

2 An Iranian student will talk and discuss Iran. Hosted by the
  Socialist Workers Party, this is an open meeting. 8pm,  Red
  Lion, Southampton Street.

SATURDAY 28 JUNE
Reading Council for Community Relations future policy (too faint)
Old Town Hall, all day. An opportunity to contribute to (too faint)
developing policies of RCCP. Morning & afternoon session, (too faint)
lunch provided, but possibly a crèche. In theory you should (too faint)
said you’re going by 9 June, but could try just turning up.
MONDAY 30 June
Reading Womens Group meets to plan for September conference of
Reading women’s organisations & a public meeting. All women welcome.
8pm Old Town Hall

Over…

PAGE 2

WEDNESDAY 2 JULY

1 Reading Abortion Rights Campaign meets to discuss its future in
  view of the low support it’s been getting recently. This has
  been a dynamic campaign,, and everyone agrees there’s plenty for
  it to do still. Has its final hour arrived? If you hope not, go
  to the Old Town Hall at 8pm.

2 Friends of the Earth present a discussion on Food and Health,
  hosted and addressed by Barbara Latte. All welcome. 8pm, 5 Derby
  Road, Caversham.

FRIDAY 4 JULY
Party!  Women’s Group social evening, back room of Red Lion,
Southampton Street, from 7.30. O dear, I don’t know if it’s a
women only affair. Call Pat Ford, Reading 569004 to check.

MONDAY 7 JULY
In the event of a nuclear alert, there will be cruise missiles
stationed in and around Reading. A public meeting to launch the
newbury campaign against cruise missiles will be hel tonight.
Time and venue not fixed at time of writing, for details
CONTACT
Alan Hooper, Reading 864067


FORWARD PLANNING
Party!  The Tolpuddle Martyrs memorial rally is generally said
to be a great party.  It’s onnJuly 20 this year, and we’re
announcing it now because Newbury is sending a coach in which
you can get a seat if you book early. If there are more than a
couple of people going from Reading it will call here to pick
up. It will be quite cheap. At the other end is food, drink,
music and entertainment. You also get the experience of hearing
Jim Callaghan presenting his socialist credentials. Sounds like a
very short speech indeed.

APOLOGY
The International Marxist Group and Workers Power would like to
apologise for the short-notice cancellation of the debate on
Nicaragua billed in the last Red Rag.

RED RAG
To get your event billed here send us time, date, venue and any
details, like cost or names of speakers. For those who can’t
make a particular meeting but are interested it’s useful to put
in a contact point for your organisation – address and/or phone no.

FILLER
A revolution is never ‘pure’… When revolution breaks out in the
so-called Peoples Democracies or in the USSR the forces at work will
be particularly complex. Totalitarianism gives rise to universal
feelings of revolt. The majority of the population will some day
rise up against it, bound at first by a common objective: freedom.
After this first stage, some will doubtless want to revive the
religion of their ancestors, archaic national customs, the little
private profits they had once made. Others will want radical social
change and will seek to bring about the society to which their rulers
had paid lip service. Shopkeepers will thank GOD for lower taxes.
They may even seek to raise their prices. The workers meanwhile
will be forming their Councils and will take over the factories.