RED RAG READING'S ONLY NEWSPAPER! FORTNIGHTLY! FREE! Sept. 2-14 - - - BEWARE SNOOPERS! Are You Being Watched? If you claim benefit from Reading D.H.S.S. this could affect you, as the Specialist Claims Control teams will be operating from that office from the 3rd September ... (1984!) ... for 2-3 months. If you are any of the following - * a single parent * an unemployed skilled person * an unemployed labourer * a person who was self-employed * a person whose relatives are self-employed * someone with a history of part-time work * a person with a "suspiciously high" standard of living then the Specialist Claims Control guidelines make you a suspect. The SCC Unit are a specialist team of external fraud officers - not local D.H.S.S. workers. If you are visited by them, they may introduce themselves by saying that they are attached to the local office as part of a regional team, and have come to discuss your claim. They have no legal powers to enter your home. If they call unannounced and it's inconvenient you should tell them so. Do not be intimidated - they have no power to withhold you benefit... only the Supplementary Benefit Officer can do this. - do not be intimidated by threats of suspension of benefits, as SCCU members are not entitled to do this. - you are not obliged to let them into your home, they have no right of entry. Ask for an appointment to be made at the D.H.S.S. office. - if you are called in for an interview you should insist on the presence of a friend / advisor / witness. You are entitled to this as a right. - do not sign, or agree to, anything without seeking advice first. - if you want advice or support contact the Welfare Rights Team at Reading Centre for the Unemployed, on 596639 between 9.30 to 4.50 Mon - Thur, 12.00 - 4.30 on Fridays. Remember to tell anyone who claims benefit from Reading D.H.S.S. - it covers a wide area - Whitchurch, Sonning Common, Tilehurst, Nettlebed, Emmer Green, Whitley, Henley, Goring, Calcot, Caversham, Woodcote, Streatley. - - - STOP PRESS! Reading Right to Read Acorn Bookshop has just got a date for a court appearance, to prevent the forfeiture of our seized books. Friday 5th. October 10.30am Reading Magistrate's Court. Watch this space!! - - - CITIZEN CAIN University Teaching SDP Treasurer Jim Pemberton, to stay with the Alliance, waxed lyrical in the 'Evening Post' about the way that Arthur Scargill's tactics had split the NUM. What he did not say was that his branch of the Association of University Teachers accepted a redundancy agreement with Reading University which went totally against the national policy of the AUT and set a precedent which the national leadership of that union was very worried might spread to other coalfields - sorry, I meant campuses. Norman's Lament It is sad to have to record the problems of Berkshire County Council Social Services Committee in agreeing an Agenda for their meetings. By Standing Orders this is supposed to be the task of a Management Panel comprising two Tories and one labour and one Liberal member, but one member from each party must be present. As Liberal Social Services spokesman Norman Edwards (Reading Norcot) keeps missing Management Panel meetings formal Agendas have become very formal and uninformative indeed and the major parties are having to agree procedural tricks to be able to discuss what everybody wants to talk about. Will Norman, who abandoned the Education portfolio in disgust when the Liberals dropped their support for comprehensive schools and gave in to the grammar lobby, stand again in 1985? Health & Clarity The definitive word on the new NHS management brief - the report from Sainsburys boss Roy Griffiths - has now been given by the NHS administrators' house organ, the Health & Social Services Journal. "The implications of Griffiths for health authority members," it says, "might be no more than cosmetic. Before, they pretended to make decisions which were really often cut and dried by the chairman and the district administrator. Now this pretence will be played out less frequently as more decisions are clearly being taken earlier." What was that again about democracy in the NHS? Medical Values The glad news that Henley War Memorial Hospital is to be let off for a year as a private nursing home has come only because the Health Authority is waiting until the law is changed and it can apply for and get planning permission for redevelopment before it sells the site at an enhanced price. Interestingly, moves to empty Prospect Park Hospital in Reading before this Christmas have also been delayed about a year. Which may not be unconnected with the £3M price tag which has been put on the hospital as a development site. Fact: The Griffiths Report also said that property must play a much bigger role in the financing of the NHS. Pyed Up An interesting feature of the Bugs Bottom plans from Higgs & Hill Homes Ltd. is the inclusion of a primary school on the site, on land they hope to sell to Berkshire County Council for the purpose. There is a precedent for this in Tilehurst: when Pyes built the Potteries Estate on what used to be farmland and clay pits they sold one corner of that site to the County and in due course Upcroft School was built on it. Local rumour hath it that they sold the school land for rather more than they paid originally for <>. Good business when you can get it. Hitech High Jinx Three cautionary tales for Silicon Valley folk. The first is about why the dog didn't bark in the night, or about why that patriotic polecat Norman Tebbit allowed ICL to degrade gracefully into the naturalised American hands of STC, nee ITT. He knew about the U.S. influence: a letter from Mr J.C.Bowden of the DTI Information Technology Division to Reading Labour Party says that "because ITT representatives sit on the STC board, the affairs of ICL would be transparent to ITT whatever the stated intention may be in regard to the autonomy of ICL within a merged group.". He may have felt, as the letter-goes on to say, that "the combined strengths of ICL and STC, technical and financial, would help both to withstand the intense competition... from which neither company can stand aside if they are to secure business from world-wide markets": in other words that only a merged company would have any chance in the struggle with IBM. But why try and struggle with IBM, especially when his side-kick Kenneth Baker has approved a sweet-heart deal between IBM and British Telecom that will greatly strengthen the other side? Try as a hypothesis that the Tory Government is being influenced by Lazard Freres, the U.S. end of a trans-Atlantic banking family, the people who sold us Ian MacCregor. And incidentally the bank that helped to build up the ITT conglomerate in the first place. The export potential of the merged group may be limited. Directors of Systime, which is dependent on U.S. suppliers as well as being part-owned by Control Data of Minneapolis have had to give personal warranties to the American Commerce Department that Systime will obey U.S. laws in relation to high tech exports from Britain. Which on the precedent of the gas pipeline deal a couple of years back means that an overseas customer of the new ICL might only get spares if his Government was approved by President "Bomber" Reagan. And a word of sympathy for the workers at the former Newbury Labs factory at Arnhem Road, Newbury who within less than a week of umbrella company Data Recording Ltd. being privatised by the British Technology Group under a management buy-out were made redundant-and saw their factory closed. How silicon is their valley? Greenhamgate: M.P. Speaks Newbury M.P.Michael McNair-Wilson has risen from his dialysis machine to thank Mrs Thatcher for her support of the inter-Ministry conspiracy to evict the Greenham peace camp (a bit naive really: who does he think set up the inter-Ministry team in the first place?). The camp, he says, has "enraged" (yes, remember RAGE?) his constituents and himself. Sounds like what he's doing is laying the groundwork for an anti-Greenham by-election campaign as soon as the Tory whips are confident enough of victory to allow him to resign his seat. When he does watch out for the Tory standard to pass to Thatcham Councillor Barbara Collins, whose publicity mania is busy demonstrating independence of judgement and soundness of sentiment in preparation for the call. Our Hunt Correspondent adds: A further bond with the local gentry will be tied if Mrs Anne Heseltine (me Tarzan, her Anne) succeeds in her ambition to become Master of the Bicester Hunt. But Equal Opportunities Commission notwithstanding the post will not be renamed in her honour. Keep it coming Citizen Cain - - - CELEBRATION! Still Crazy After All These Years? On September 1st, Reading Anarchist Group celebrates its 20th Anniversary. There follows a year of celebrations, music, events, propaganda, films and videos... watch this space. From September 4th (for two weeks) there will be a display at Acorn Bookshop. The group was started in 1964 by some students at Reading University. Much of its early action centred around the 'Action for a Free University' campaign. After a few years there was a 'town' group made up of Reading residents with student groups at the University and Bulmershe College. For a number of years the town group concentrated on libertarian education and was organising among both school students and teachers. In 1970 the 'News of the World' (horror! shock!) was on the trail of a 'group of anarchists' responsible for 'a bid to overthrow our education system'. Although nobody was trying particularly hard to hide, the 'News of the World' finally tracked down 'Reading Anarchist Group' to their 'Bulmershe Road headquarters'. Being around for twenty years makes you part of the furniture. Much of the infrastructure of dissent is run by anarchists (or was started by them) and to that extent, in the microcosm of the radical left, Reading (like Nottingham) is an 'anarchist' town. Assorted Lefties will keep up their consoling belief that 'anarchists can't organise anything' which must give them some comfort as they order their posters from the anarchist silk-screen collective, have their videos done by an anarchist video collective or have their leaflets printed by an anarchist printer. And don't forget, gentle reader, that 'Red Rag' itself started five years ago as a news bulletin for Reading Anarchists. Watch this space for forthcoming celebrations. ** Lapsed anarchists who'd like to get involved are invited to contact the group. Regular Monday meetings commence again in October. Contacts; Reading Anarchists. Reading Autonomists. Industrial Workers of the World - Reading Local 1. Situationists/Revolutionaries of Everyday Life. Box 19, Acorn Bookshop, Chatham Street, Reading. Joe Soap - - - DEAR RAGGY... Dear Red Rag I'd like to comment on the "Rag news team" article in Red Rag July 21 - Aug 11 edition. I agree that news has not been Red Rag's strongest point in the past, and that more news and background on what's going on in Reading is worth encouraging. But the kind of professionalism which looks at potential readers as "your average working-class straight in Whitley Wood" is on a par with that which conjured up "People like You read the Post". Red Rag may have people who can "turn out a work-manlike news item" but any changes in the way Red Rag is produced should surely encourage more people to write directly, in their own words, on whatever moves them to get scribbling; not persuade them that there is a team of eager alternative journalists ready to turn their experiences into a "Rag Pips Post" scoop. Such a team doesn't exist and I hope it never will. On the other hand, if it's possible to organise news-writing workshops now, not "in due course", and regularly in the future, to give everyone who wants it the chance to practice writing clearly and straightforwardly, then I'd be all for it. The "Ragnews" story in the same issue, which I imagine illustrates the kind of news-writing style the article promotes, is for me an example of sensationalising writing which encourages a consumerist attitude to reading, and discourages thought about the issues in the news. I'm glad these issues have been raised - they deserve attention - and I'd be very interested to read in the next issue what others think of how Red Rag's news coverage should be improved. Yours, Guy Benthan Dear Ginger Tom, CATs fare better in the dark Why don't you publish some facts? Attend the Berkshire Council on Alcoholism's annual meeting on 13th. September and hear about the plans for CATs. Look up Dianne Hayter in Who's Who. Give the right AA number for people who might want to help... Reading 597494. Yours. Moggy HAYTER, Dianne, JP; Journalist, A Week in Politics, Channel Four, since 1982; Director, Galleon World Travel, since 1982; b 7 Sept. 1949; d of late Alec Hayter and late Nancy Hayter. Educ: Trevelyan Coll., Durham Univ. (BA Hons Sociology and Social Admin). Research Assistant: General and Municipal Worker, Union, 1970-72; European Trade Union Confedn (ETUC), Brussels, 1973; Research Officer, Trade Union Adv. Cttee to OECD (TUAC-OECD), Paris, 1973-74; Asst Gen. Sec, Fabian Soc, 1974-76, Gen. Sec, 1976-82. Mem. Exec Cttee, London Labour Party, 1978-83; Mem., Royal Commn on Criminal Procedure, 1978-80. Member: Labour Parliamentary Assoc; NCCL; Soc of Labour Lawyers; Socialist Health Assoc; NUJ; GMWU; Justice. JP Inner London, 1976-. Publiactions: The Labour Patty: crisis and prospects (Fabian Soc), 1977; (contrib.) Labour in the Eighties, 1980. Recreations: reading, politics. Address: 213 Battesea Bridge Road, SW11 3AP. T: 01-228 4591; (office) 01-439 9871. - - - CALLING ALL COOKS CALLING ALL COOKS CALLING ALL COOKS Veggie Dining In September Friday 7th Fairview as usual. Saturday 8th Birth Centre Workshop at the Friends Meeting House, Church St. Friday 21st Fairview as usual. Saturday 22nd Miners Support at Reading Centre for the unemployed. Looks like a busy couple of weeks. Veggie Dining now needs more cooks than ever, especially for the miners benefit where we will probably be catering for 50 to 150. With events close together at each weekend, things will run most smoothly if there are enough cooks to allow separate teams on consecutive nights. Contrary to popular proverb, a lot of cooks share the work and make easier, happier, more plentiful food. If you enjoy cooking you are welcome to join Veggie Dining anytime. Maybe start with your favourite dish but don't be afraid to experiment, it always works out. Help of any kind is always welcome at Veggy Dining. The rewards are free food, fun, music, and lots of washing up. Do what you want to do. The guests take care of the Munny, speaking of which we need lots of words re the Miners benefit so there will be a Veggie Meeting on Wednesday, 19th September ot 15, Stanley Grove at 7:30pm, all welcome. Anyone interested in Veggie Dining at any time please 'phone me on 588459 or call at Acorn Bookshop, 17, Chatham St. Arrangements for 7th/8th September are being made without a meeting, contacts as abeve. Veggie Dining is an open, co-operative, no animals in the food, home cooking extravaganza which is surprisingly regular. A three course meal, curious entertainments, candlelight, live music and whatever you want it to be if you get involved. Bon apetite, Mike - - - SWEET THOUGHTS Strict-persuasion Veggies worried about the ideological (not the dietary) soundness of sugar can take guidance from the following. The refining of cane sugar employs 'animal char' (bone charcoal) in producing white sugar: Demarara sugar is white sugar to which molasses is added so it has been processed with animal products as well. Brown and Muscovado (raw) cane sugars have not reached this processing stage yet. Beet sugar production does not use animal products (and also does not produce brown sugars). Tate and Lyle (which is anyway not a real nice lot), sell cane sugar. British Sugar Corporation sells beet sugar under the Silver Spoon name - if you have trouble finding it in chain supermarkets, most Asian-owned shops sell Silver Spoon only. So now you can enjoy high blood pressure, dental caries and all the rest with a clear conscience, OK? - Pip and Dave - - - the famous GOING OUT september s2 Victor Borge at the Hexagon, "Comedy in Music" £7-10. 8pm m3 Smurfs - all star show - at the Hexagon. Monday to Friday at 1.30pm. All seats £1.75 t4 Miners' Benefit with the Myopic Muldoni Boys and other bands - at the Paradise Club, London Street. All proceeds to the Gwent Food Fund. 8-late £2, or £1 unwaged. Angie's, Wokingham has New Orleans Jazz. 8.30-12, and every Tuesday night Gay Disco at the Tudor Arms, free Vocal workshop at 7.30. Meet at Acorn Bookshop w5 The Famous Willis Organ at Reading Town Hall. Free music from 1.10-1.50pm Hermit Club at Caversham Bridge Hotel - something t6 Sportsman, Shinfield Road, has live music Central Club, London St, Thursday spectacular. Ring 54421 f7 Chris Barber, Jazz and Blues band at the Hexagon at 8pm, costing £3-5 Gay Disco at Tudor Arms for free Paradise Club, London St, late bar, phone 56847 s8 John William & fiends at the Hexagon at 7.30. £6-8 Paradise Club 8-2 late bar, ring for details. Central Club, Saturday special, ring 54421 s9 Reading Spring Garden Band play for free in Forbury Gardens at 3 Hexagon puts on its second fun ride, touring country lanes of Berks & South Oxon. A 50 mile route & a shorter one. Entrance 50p to fund-raise for old and needy? Details 591591 Readifolk feature Greg Maston & Janet Kent at Caversham Bridge Hotel at 8.30, free m10 - nothing planned! t11 New Orleans Jazz at Angie's Wokingham, 8.30-12 Organ available to all at Reading Organ society's binge. Harry Jackson also plays for some of the time - at Reading Cricket & Hockey Club, Church Road, Earley. Contact Eva Swetzer 874327 Gay Disco at Tudor Arms for free Vocal workshop, meets at 7.30 at Acorn Bookshop w12 Hermit Club at Caversham Bridge Hotel, 8pm t13 Free music at Sportsman, Shinfield Road Central Club, Thursday spectacular, ring 54421 f14 Gay disco at Tudor Arms, free Paradise Club, 8-2, late bar, ring 56847 s15 Free midday music at Hexagon, 12.15 Sister Sledge at Hexagon in evening, 8.30, £5-6 Hurst flower festival 9-7pm including instrumental & vocal concert £1; 50p Paradise Club, ring 56847. Late bar, 8-2 Central Club, Saturday special, ring 54421 for details s16 Val Doonican at the Hexagon 5.30 & 8.30, £3.50-5.50 Apollo Oxford has Dio at 7.30. £4.50-5 Katesgrove Steel Bank entertain at the Forbury Gardens at 3pm for free Hurst flower festival continues with music by Reading Youth Orchestra, 2-8pm NB: South Hill Park publicity not out as we go to press - - - WOMEN'S COURSES Women's Centre in cooperation with RCU put on the following courses:- Self-Defence Tutor: Toni Harvey RCU, Monday evening 8pm starts end of September Are you interested in how to defend yourself? Women of all ages welcome, you don't need to be fit - just willing to practise new skills and perhaps develop old ones. Dance Tutor: Penny Bodman RCU, daytime, Women's Centre, evenings Starts September Come and learn to move in ways you've never moved before. Tired, listless, out of condition, then take Penny's dance course weekly. Women Smokers Want to stop smoking? Worried about your health but can't quits cope without cigarettes? Do you know why women find it harder to stop smoking than men? Come to our smokers group, share information and lots of support in stopping the habit. Phone 596639, ask for Anne for more details. Assertiveness Training RCU, Fridays 1-3pm, starts September 21st. How to say what you want to say (not what you think you ought to). An exciting new course on Women; their confidence in themselves and how to make it stronger. A chance for women to work together; to experiment; to find out how we would like to be; to take risks; to examine our potential. Womens Performance Course RCU, Wednesdays 1-3pm, starts September 19th. A course of 10 weekly workshops aimed at finding and expressing womens hidden talent. So this is a course designed for every women - especially women who might feel they don't have any creative talent. Womens Studies Part II Womens Centre, Thursdays 7.30-9.30pm, starts Sept. 27th. Topics covered will include: The language we learn - speaking and thinking, in the classroom - choices and chances, education for equality, visual arts, literature, two jobs and much more. Womens Diary Writing Womens Centre, fortnightly Tuesdays 7.30, starts Sept 18th. A chance for women to explore and share together what they wish to share of an important but neglected aspect of womens writing. - - - AN OPEN DAY AT THE WOMENS CENTRE On 15 Sept at 10.30am In the basement, Old Shire Hall, Abbey St. Activities, exhibitions and videos all day Self-defence workshop 11-1pm Voice workshop - using your voice for fun and effect 2-3.30pm Reading Women Write of "out of the bottom drawer" fame 3.30 onwards Amazing Women's Performance Group later on Sign up for Autumn courses and say what you want from the Women's Centre next year Bring food to share for lunch 1-2pm There will be a free creche - - - Smith thought it would be a fine thing to live in the country. Smith could not get Help, and as domestic duties began to accumulate and interfere with his ease, Smith set his inventive faculties to work, with the above result. The contrivance is not patented, but is free for the use of all readers of Red Rag, for whose especial benefit it was sketched and engraved. We can speak from personal experience of its perfect feasibility. - - - REGULAR EVENTS Alcoholics Anonymous: groups meet regularly in Reading (9 meetings a week), Pangbourn, Thatcham, Henley and Bracknell. Day and night information and help line: Reading 59794. Labour History Group meets monthly at Red Lion. Contact Kathy 590139 or Mike 867789 for details. Vegans meet 1st Sun of month at 1, Orrin Close, Tilehurst. Contact Liz & Steve Shiner 21651. Women's Peace Group meets 1st Mon of month at Womens Centre, Abbey St. Contact Rheinhild 662873. Amnesty meet 2nd Thurs of month at St. Mary's Centre Chain St. Contact Jean 472598. History of Reading Soc. meets 3rd Tues of month at Abbey Gateway. Cyclist's Touring Club outings Sun 9.15am from Caversham Bridge or Henley. For details ring Richard on Bracknell 50849. Wednesday is Women's Day at Centre for Jobfree, East St. Coffee, advice, courses etc. from 10.30am. Silkscreen Workshops at Community House, 117, Cumberland Rd. Details from Clive 662302. Cruelty-Free Toiletries market stall every Sat behing Tesco. National Council for Civil Liberties meets 2nd Mon of month at St. Mary's Centre, Chain St. Ring Paul 861582. Reading Recreation Art Centres. Painting for Pleasure at Town Hall, Blagrave St. Mon 7-9, Tues 10-12. Details 55911 or 861289. Berks. Anti Nuclear Campaign meets 2nd Tues of month at Friends Meeting House. Also neighbourhood groups. P.O. Box 158, Reading. Phone Ed Wilson 594855. Vocal workshop meet at Acorn books, then on top of Chatham Street carpark. Every Tuesday 8pm Labour Party Young Socialists 8pm Fairview Community Centre, George Street, off Oxford Road. Wednesdays Reading Cycle Campaign meets 2nd Mon of month at UB Cycles, London St. 8pm. Membership enquiries ring Chris Mayers Rdg 589178. General enquiries John Nixon Rdg 483183 or John Rigby Rdg 64667. Reading Birth Centre meets 3rd Tues of month for food and chat. Ring Rdg 61330 for venue. Reading Organisation for Animal Rights (ROAR) 1st Tues of month at The Crown, Crown St. Details from Alan Rdg 477790. Men's Group meets weekly. For dates and venue contact Box 28 Acorn Bookshop. Miner's Support Committee meets every Thurs 7.30pm at TGWU office, 36, King's Rd. Ring Rdg 590311 for details. Juggling Workshop every weekday 7pm at Palmer Park nr Adventure Playground (London Rd side). Bring something to juggle with. Ring Pete 67430 for further details. Photography sessions every Tues (10-12, 1-3) at Centre for Jobfree, East St. Housing and Welfare Rights Thurs eves at Community House, Cumberland Rd. Reading Gay Switchboard Tues & Fri 8-10pm 597269 Mini Market Thurs 9-1 St. Mary's House, Chain St. Women's Centre open Tues 10-2, Wed 10-2, Sat 11-3. All women and kids welcome. Pregnancy testing Tues 7-9. Bring urine sample from 1st pee of the day. Incest Survivor's Group meets regularly. Write c/o Rape Crisis Line, 17, Chatham St. for details. Anarchists meet every Monday. Details via Box 19 Acorn Bookshop. Autonomists - same contact. Peace Pledge Union meets monthly, always active. Contact 374532, 588459 or Box 10 Acorn Bookshop. Ecology Party meets 1st and 3rd Mon of month at 25, de Beauvoir Rd and 38, Long Barn Lane respectively. Contact Maria 663195. Socialist Workers Party meet every Wed at Red Lion, Southampton St. 8pm. - - - FLIP 'N BINGE 84 To all the beings of Reading, I thought I would write a piece in Red Rag, to tell you the origins of Flip and Binge, about the event coming up, and where it's hopefully heading. In 1979 I organised a marquee party out at Goring Heath. The event was put together in days and ended up costing a lot of money! About 300 people went, and had such a good time, that in the following weeks after the event, through donations, sponsored swims etc., almost all the money that the event had cost had been retrieved, which was a good measure of how successful the event was, and how much people had enjoyed themselves. Another event has been on the cards ever since, and now it's come together in the form of Flip and Binge 84 (85,86,??). This time though, the event is costing a fortune (550 tkts have to be sold to break even!!, any extra to go to Stoke Mandeville cervical cancer appeal), with a maze of marquees, a crystal clear 4kw sound system, an incredible 30kw light show used by Ultravox, Fire stick jugglers, Robotic dancers, a free vegetarian candle lit dinner, bar with Wadworths 6X and Flowers ale, sounds to get you boogying on the funk bus shuttle, on-site toilets and various stunning visual effects, including a metallic snow storm that will shame the closing ceremony at the Olympics!! If this one works, there will be bigger and better extravaganzas to come, so buy a ticket, be there! and I bet that after the party you will agree it was worth every penny!! Tickets are limited so don't leave it too late. See you there, Tim Carrol - - - READING BETWEEN THE LINES: NEW UPDATED READING GUIDE. We have planned our deadline for material (Aug 31st) and most people have handed in the bits they have collected for this second edition of Red Rag's indispensable guide to Reading. Printing will happen between 25th and 27th September, and most of the folding on Sunday 30th (keep that day free!). But before then, there's a whole lot of work: assembling and editing what we've got, and filling the gaps, (some gaps: the introductory 'town' section could do with informed comments on various areas of Reading, Eating Out - send us comments on anywhere you have experience of. Kids and Parents - and Housing section have not been fully revised). Design and layout are probably under control. (We'd like to have more pictures - drawings or good b/w photos - to choose from). We aim to do all the typing on one machine (an electric one) but need good typists. Also other jobs : proof-reading and indexing. We have located one heavy-duty long arm stapler - has anyone got another one? All materials, suggestions, offers, queries to: Reading Between the Lines, c/o Box 200, Acorn Bookshop, 17, Chatham St., Reading. I've moved and am no longer on the phone, but may be found at 92a, London Road. James - - - COMPETITION (or: the important thing was to take part) The front cover of "Reading Between the Lines 1" is a collage of four photographs. Where were they taken? What landmarks of Reading are featured? Answers to "Competing Between the Lines", Box 79, Acorn Bookshop, 17, Chatham St., Reading. Prize: a free copy of "Reading Between the Lines II" (worth about 30p) to be awarded to the best entry received by publication date (Oct. 1st). N. - - - EVENTS 3-18 September Monday 3rd September Reading Between the Lines II is being published on October 1st. If you can spare any time between now and then, contact Box 200, Acorn Bookshop (help needed with typing, editing, organising, layout and pasting up). Art Exhibition: Contemporary Art on display in basement of Butts Centre 'til Friday 8th. Some good stuff. Wednesday 5th September Free theatre: the Housing Committee meets at the Civic Offices at 6.30pm. Open to all. Phone 55911 x2016 for more details. Thursday 6th September Leisure Committee meeting 6.30pm. More fun at the Civic Offices! Saturday 8th September Plant Walk: 2pm, from main carpark at Dinton Country Pastures country park nr. Twyford. No charge. Reading Birth Centre; one day workshop "Birth and Beyond". 10-5 Friends Meeting House, off London St. Phone 584191/61330 for details. Sunday 9th September Red Rag: collective meeting 4pm. 19, George St. If you have any ideas or suggestions for Reading's only newspaper, here's where you can air them. Reading Cycle Campaign: Mystery ride. Start 10.30am from Caversham Bridge, (c. 30 miles). Fun Cycle Ride: Hexagon/Evening Post (who that?) organised ride for charity. Register from 8am at the stage door of the Hexagon, to set off at 9am. Entry fee 50p. The Gaines Conspiracy: invites you to come and play games in Palmer Park (by the adventure playground) 2pm and bring your friends. More fun than the Olympics! Monday 10th September Pangbourne Peace Group: meeting at 1, Short St., Pangbourne 8pm. Topic - "Pacifism". Caversham Neighbourhood Assoc.: Fun Day (afternoon) at Hills Meadow with the Reading Fun Bus and inflatables and much more. To raise money and awareness for play facilities in the park. Tuesday 11th September British Mammals: series of Tues evening talks with visiting speakers, every fortnight 7.30-9pn. at Dinton Pastures Country Park nr. Twyford. Transportation Committee: meet at Civic Offices 6.30pm. Phone 55911 x2016 for details. Voice Workshop: at Acorn Bookshop, Chatham St. 7.30pm. Miners Support Committee: showing of "Harlan County USA" and NUM films. 7.30pm St. Mary's Centre, Chain St. Tea/coffee available. Phone Chris 863525. Wednesday 12th September Business Exhibition: at the Hexagon. No students or under 18's admitted (who wants to go anyway?) Also on 13th. and 14th. Environment Committee: meet at Civic Offices 6.30pm. Phone 55911 x2016 for details. Red Rag: copy deadline and editorial meeting for the next issue. Get your copy, events etc. to Acorn by 6pm. and phone Paul on 599995 for details of meeting. Friday 14th September Red Rag: typing and headings. Phone Paul on 599995 if you'd like to help. Planning Committee: meeting at the Civic Offices 2.30pm. Phone 55911 x2016 for details. Saturday 15th September Flower Festival: at St. Nicholas Church, Hurst all day. Phone Twyford 340017. It's on Sunday too. Hatha and Raja Yoga: lecture on their importance in modern life, by Dr. H. Upadhyay. 2.30pm in Room 1, St. Mary's Church House, Chain St. Entrance 50p. Red Rag: Today's the day! Layout and pasting up at... phone Paul on 599995 for venue and time. Sunday 16th September Flower Festival: Hurst, see 15th. Red Rag: folding and distribution at Acorn Bookshop from 11am. The technique is very simple, so come along for any length of time to help. New Games: 2pm. Palmer Park, by the adventure playground on the London Rd. side. Monday 17th September National Council for Civil Liberties: meeting in St. Mary's Centre, Chain St. Phone Paul 861582 for details. Coming soon. Acupuncture talk on Sept. 20th. Miners Rally in Reading on Sept. 22nd. Stop the City on Sept. 27th. Military Fair on Sept 29th. (get your placards ready!) See future Events columns for more details. - - - SMALL ADS & THINGS Make it the Evening of your Dreams with Greg Matston, Bluest folk guitar (numerous unsolicited testimonials) ready to perform for parties, benefits, etc. in return for donations to Miners Support Committee. (Other causes considered.) Phone 580137 (work 586141). Kittens available soon in a variety of colours and a variety of sexes. Will need good loving homes. Phone Chrissie on 666038 (evenings). Red Rag Bag: As part of Red Rag's new aggressive sales, marketing concept there are plans afoot for a Red Rag cassette containing hot sounds from local bands and musicians. Some stuff has already been lined up, but if you have some material that you'd like on the tape, please contact the 'Red Rag Bag' c/o Box 79 Acorn Bookshop or phone Clive on Rdg 662302. Room available to woman in mixed house overlooking Palmer Park, to share with 5 left-wing Bulmershe students. Available immediately until next summer. Rent is £72 pcm + share of bills. Tel. 665569 or call at 52, Palmer Park Ave. - - - UTTERANCE In ay capacity as producer of Utterance fanzine I recently received a letter slagging off part of issue 5. Because the correspondent didn't give either his/her name or address (I hope it wasn't because they couldn't back up their argument!), I am writing in Red Rag, hoping that he/she (and others) will see my case for the defence! The correspondent thought they saw a contradiction between the cover of issue 5, which had the words "Why Must The Youth Fight...?" on it, and the editorial which was a general political point using as a base the way all the "Hip Lefties" at the GLC gig the other week apparently stood by / ran away when an NF posse got up on stage and beat up The Redskins. I was saying that the Left must "Fight Back" to prevent things getting even worse in the hands of the NF. It was a political point about fighting back against the NF (not all of whom are skinheads). The cover was referring to The Specials' "Ghost Town" and, with further references inside (including parts of the editorial) was trying to show how pointless and dangerously divisive "Youth Cults" (encouraged by Big Business) are. The essential point made in the fanzine overall was that "The Youth" should stop fighting against themselves and should instead fight against the "Government leaving the youth on the shelf" and its Right Wing "allies", especially the disgusting NF. Maybe you can get rid of a Conservative government through reasoned argument and campaigning and voting, but the NF are a different kettle of fascists who maybe we'll only get rid of by using their own violent methods. Certainly we can't afford to stand by and see the NF gain another morale boosting victory. By the way, issue 5 was the last issue of the mighty Utterance because I'm going away to college in Liverpool to do Urban Policy and Race Relations so I can become a piss-head student leftie! See you in The Dove when I get back! Love and peace, maaaan!, Phil Broadhurst. P.S. For those of you who find it easier to slag off than to smile, that last paragraph was supposed to be humourous! P.P.S. I hope that someone's going to get a fanzine going to fill in the gap left by Utterance. Any one can do it! - Phil Broadhurst Telephone: 0734 696728 - - - RED RAG BENEFIT Magic Mushroom Band & support & disco Lights, fun, bar South Reading Community Centre, Northumberland Ave, 22 September, 7.30 - late Tickets from Acorn £1.50 on door, £2.00 if waged £1 in advance, £1.50 if waged - - - STOP THE CITY / 3 Protest and Carnival against War Thur 27 Sept 8am - 6pm A peaceful celebration (police willing) to stop the finance of death. Hence the location in the centre of London. Meet, St Pauls, Finsbury Sq, Bank of England etc. Definitely an effective type of demo and can be lots of fun; but the police find this sort of thing difficult to control (he he) especially with half the force away at some coal mine in the middle of nowhere. Last time they used pens to attempt to keep the demo where they wanted it. Talk about treating people like sheep. - - - CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION Bad typing and worse self-subbing by someone who damn well ought to know better resulted in an incorrect phone number being given for the self-help group Alcoholics Anonymous: Alcoholics Anonymous - Reading 597494, day and night - - - RED RAG is Reading's Only Newspaper. It's free, fortnightly and five years old this month, or sometime. Red Rag is produced by an incredibly fluid collective, some of whom have never met each other. We print practically everything that's sent in except poetry and party political broadcasts, provided it isn't racist, sexist, militarist or otherwise supportive of oppression and provided there's space (equals money, usually) enough - even if it's tedious. Copy should be signed in some fashion - any nom de plume, nom de guerre or nom de plussed will do - with an address or phone number so we can contact the writer in case the copy needs editing or we can't figure out what the hell it's all about. Type if at all possible, please: single spaced and 12 cm wide, and try to keep it reasonably short and concise, or at least indicate whether and/or how it may be cut. Red Rag always needs help and money - offers of help to whomsoever's name and phone number appear as co-ordinator for the next issue and money - solid, folding or cheques - to Box 79, Acorn Bookshop or through the slot in one of our collecting tins at higher-class outlets in the posher neighbourhoods of Reading. Copy and correspondence to Box 79 too, pleez. If you live in Reading Borough, Woodley, Earley or Lower Earley you can have Red Rag delivered to your door - free - by one of our volunteer distributors. You can also help distribute, regularly or as a stop-gap if someone is away or ill. This too costs you nothing. Ring Guy on 669562 to add your name to either or both lists, or write to Red Rag. At the end of September we will need a new regular distributor for the London Road-London Street-Queens Road area, and for the outlets on Cemetery Junction. Next Rag Co-ordinator is Paul .... 599995 News ...... 599995, 662302, 374532 Going Out ............... 669154 Events .................. 599995 Distribution ............ 665676 - - - Eclipse Travel & Entertainment Presents FLIP'N'BINGE '84 Marquee Extravaganza featuring Ekome - Africa Drum & Dance Troup Urban Warrior reggae bank The Beat Back Band soul/funk 60s Disco Light Show Candle lit dinner Good food & Real Ale bar... Sat. 22nd Sept 7pm till late Tickets £7.50 (£8.50 on the night) from:- Acorn Bookshop, Chatham St Reading Wholefoods, 7 London Rd. Pop Records, 172 Kings Rd Listen Records, Butts Centre. The Grog Shop, 11 London Rd The site is just off the Burghfield Rd, very limited parking, so catch the Free Funk Bus Shuttle Service. Departs, Reading Station Concourse: 6.30pm - 7.30pm - 8.30pm - 9.30pm - 10.30pm. Departs site 7pm - 8pm - 9pm - 10pm - 12 midnight - 1am - 2am. For details phone Reading 53946. Proceeds to Stoke Mandeville Cervical Cancer Appeal. - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1984/1984-09-02.txt#3 $