RED RAG fortnightly 12-25 oct 86 20 pence Red Rag, box 79 17 Chatham st. copy deadline 6pm sat 18 oct co-ordinator lynne 65955 - - - B & B SPIES MAY HIT READING After the DHSS's notorious clampdown on claimants in bed & breakfast accommodation, which began in April 1985, life has been even less rosy for the hardest-hit victims of Reading's current housing crisis. The Chronic this week carried a report on the health problems faced by B&E tenants who have to leave their homes every day. "Health visitors from Berkshire described patients as feeling 'inadequate and hopeless', said the health visitors association," went the front page story. Well indeed may people feel "Inadequate and hopeless", being at the receiving end of the worst excesses of a bureaucratic and anti-welfare benefits system, a useless council, greedy developers who build ripoff housing for sale to those who can afford it, and scumbag landlords / ladies. Reading DHSS, which received about 108 board and lodging claims each week last winter, is now on a shortlist of offices on which a new antifraud squad is to be unleashed - the Board and Lodging Control Section (BLCS). Although the real problem lies with an indifferent council and unscrupulous landlords and landladies, it's the claimants who get it in the head. The circular on BLCS from the DHSS even suggests finding land lords/ladies who will act as DHSS agents to report who moves in and out!! People in B&B in, for instance, Reading - there cos they haven't got access to any other form of housing - would be systematically hassled by DHSS thugs. The increasingly rich landlords/ladies would be left largely alone. The aim is to create a permanently updated info system covering all B&B/lodging houses. Addresses would be classed as "secure" or "at risk". New claims submitted by homeless people for "at risk" addresses will be delayed whilst the BLCS heavies "investigate" the penniless and home less poor and their landlords/ladies. If you are lucky enough to get money form the DHSS at an "at risk" address before you starve, you'll have to endure checks at least every fortnight. Current claims will be given the same treatment too. And it's suggested in the DHSS circular that the personal issue of giros to people in "at risk" addresses may be reduced. In spite of personal issue giving dishonest landlords/ladies less chance to get at the claimants money than the fortnightly envelope through the door of the boarding house. The BLCS are part of an enlarged, mobile fraud detection system, with 31 Benefit Fraud Teams each of about 10 spies. These include members of the hated SCUM - the specialist claims control units which hit Reading Bracknell and other areas last year. The most important thing to remember - apart from this being another instance of the government nailing the poor whilst the rich live on in comfort - is that the BFTs have no power to suspend benefit or to prosecute. This rests with the adjudication officers and managers of the relevant DHSS offices. If the BLCS come to Reading, contact the Unemployed Centre (596639) or the Citizens Advice Bureau - both for personal advice and to alert other claimants. It could make all the difference. Billy Whizz - - - EVENTS Thurs 9 Oct Public meeting: 'Labour and Socialism: the way forward?' SWP versus LPYS with brave anarchist challenge in the form of defacing the posters. Central Club, London Street, 8 pm. Sat 11 Oct Reading Birth Centre conference: 'Birth and Beyond'. S. Reading Comm. Centre, N'land Avenue Two day conf: 10.15 - 5.30 Sat, 10.30 - 5.30 Sun. Speakers incl Janet Balaskas, Michael Odent. Creche, funbus, stalls, displays, free lunch. £10 (£5 unwaged), £17 couples. Please book. Details: 584191, 65648. Tues 14 Oct Public meeting: 'Nuclear-free Zones'. Berks Anti-Nuclear Campaign. Speaker. Friends' Meeting House, Church St, 8pm Talk: 'Wartime memories of Trams', St Mary's Centre, Chain St, 7.30 Wed 15 Oct Public meeting: 'Nicaragua must Survive'. Speaker. 8 pm, Palmer Building room 009, University, Whiteknights. LPYS meeting: "Low pay no way'. 8 pm, AUEW, 121 Oxford Road. Conservation: CROW at Ufton Court. For details try 668636 or 413934. Sat 18 Oct Demonstration: 'Tories out' in Bermondsey. LPYS. Coach leaves Reading station 9 am, Cem Junction 9.15. Tickets: John Gillman 883760. Sun 19 Oct Walk: Chapel Green and Garrick Plantation. Starts outside Wok'm Council Offices, Wellington Rd, 11 am. 3 miles 'suitable for children'. Ramblers' Ass. Tues 21 Oct Public meeting: 'Ending the Arms Race: the next steps'. UNA. Joan Ruddock and Lord Something. 8 pm, Friends' Meeting House, Church St. Lecture: The Petroleum Geology of S. England. Palmer Theatre, Univ, W'knights 8 pm, free. Wed 22 Oct LPYS meeting: 'Music - who profits?' 8pm at Fairview Centre, George Street. Tues 29 Oct Talk: Reading's Breweries old and new. Civic Soc. Kennet Room, Civic Offs, 8. Coming Reading's Red Weekend (!), 1-2 Nov, organised by LPYS at 121 Oxford Rd. Actions and social Sat, debates Sun. If anyone is wondering why the LPYS features so heavily in this listing, there are two reasons. One is that they are so active, at least in organising 'events'. The other is that they think it worth while telling Red Rag about it. We're not clairvoyant. stop press 20 Oct Anti-apartheid public meeting 8pm paradise club, all welcome. 25 Oct anti-apartheid leafletting outside Wanted -- some one to produce the Rags Events listing, contact box 79; 17 Chatham St or tel Clive on 475909. - - - (paid ad) BLYTH POWER Thatcher On Acid Wed 22 Oct 9.30-12.30pm Paradise Club 112 London Street, Reading £2:50/£2 UB40/Adv tickets Free Radio Benefit Presented by the Conspiracy Tickets from Acorn Bookshop, Listen Records, Top Records - - - COURSES For those not in paid work a number of interesting and useful free courses are now available. The courses run for ten weeks and take place at Reading Centre for the Unemployed, 4-6 East Street and Reading Adult College, Wilson Centre, Wilson Road. At the Centre for the Unemployed there is:- Mondays 1 -3 Sign Language Wednesdays 11 -3 Fabric Workshop Womens Courses 10-12 Video Workshop 1-3 Pottery 1-3 Counselling & Communication Skills 2-4 Women and Food discussion group Coming soon:- Womens Health course, with an exhibition on Monday November 17th. Contact Judith Wicks on Reading 596639 for more details of womens events. Thursdays 1-3 Black & White Photography Wildlife Garden Group Fridays 1-3 Colour Photography 2-4 Screenprinting At Wilson Centre, Wilson Road. Wednesdays 1:30 - 3:30 Carpentry Thursdays 1:30 - 3:30 Home Maintenance Contact Melanie or Alan at the Centre on Reading 596639 for further details on these courses and other activities. There is a free creche at the Centre for the Unemployed, so parents can enjoy the courses while children have a wonderful and wacky time too! - - - STOP THE EMBARGO Buy products from Nicaragua In June this year the World Court found the United States guilty of illegally attempting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Charges included attacks on Nicaraguan territory, mining of Nicaraguan ports and financing of terrorism through aid to the Contra forces. The International Court of Justice communique reads: "(This court) decides that the United States of America, by training, arming, equipping, financing and supplying the Contra forces, or otherwise encouraging, supporting and aiding military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua, has acted against the Republic of Nicaragua, in breach of its obligation under customary international law not to intervene in the affairs of another state". In addition, the Court: "... decides that the United States of America , by certain attacks on Nicaraguan territory in 1983-1984... has acted... against the Republic of Nicaragua, in breach of its obligation under customary international law not to use force against another state". Attacks include those against Nicaraguan ports months before the mines were laid, and later against patrol boats as well as against the Potosi Naval Base and other similar targets. The Court ordered the Reagan administration to cease its activities and to pay reparations to the Nicaraguan government, but since decisions of the World Court are not binding the US has already made it clear that it will not abide by the ruling and has used its veto in the United Nations Security Council to block a resolution urging full compliance with the Court's ruling. Only a matter of weeks after the World Court ruling, US congress voted to ratify the l00 million dollars aid bill (including 70m dollars for direct military assistance) to the Contra forces. The bill also lifts restrictions on covert action by US intelligence agencies. This could mean that the 70m dollars is merely a down payment for a further 400m dollars in aid from the CIA's own funds. The congressional vote undoubtedly increases the likelihood of direct US intervention. Ex-CIA analyst, David C Macmichael, recently outlined the likely course of war. US Army Special Forces will now openly train Contra units in Honduras. Towards the end of the year the Contra are likely to launch an offensive to demonstrate their effectiveness. The object will be to seize a populated area - possibly Puerto Cabezas on the Atlantic coast - and to seek US recognition for an alternative government. Such a push would be sternly resisted by Sandinista forces and would increase the possibility of air, sea or even ground clashes between US and Nicaraguan armed forces. These developments have completely removed any hope for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Central America. The US has sabotaged the efforts of the Contadora group (involving the governments of Columbia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela) to curb military build-up in the region. They have ignored the legal authority of the World Court. The approval of aid can only be seen as a de facto declaration of war. It is clear that the Reagan administration aims to 'solve' the conflict militarily. Martine Grice - - - PUBLIC MEETING Nicaragua Must Survive Speaker Particio Cranshaw Wednesday 15 October 8pm Palmer Building G09, Reading University - - - REAGAN'S TERRORISM Who exactly are the Contras that are at present receiving 70 million' dollars in military aid from the US? Later this term, Reading University Central America Society will be showing a video of the 'World in Action' programme transmitted earlier this year which shows how the Contras were set up entirely by the CIA. Their leaders are almost all former National Guards from the time of the Somoza dictatorship. Since they are not an effective fighting force they attack mainly civilian targets, singling out individuals who are particularly important to the community: doctors, nurses, teachers. They are running a cowardly campaign of terror in remote areas of Nicaragua, using systematic torture, rape and murder. Among favoured Contra measures are skinning alive, castration and other sorts of mutilation, and gouging out of eyeballs. Why then, is this not only condoned but financed by the country whose president claims to be leading the fight against world terrorism? Martine Grice and Dave Sutton How To Join The Fight For Nicaragua's Survival There are now two groups in Reading: the University Central America Society and the recently formed Reading Nicaragua Solidarity Group, which work in close collaboration. Come along to the Public Meeting on 15 October. Both groups will be present at this meeting and there will be a chance to arrange future activities. If you can't get to the meeting but would like to contact us, for Reading Nicaragua Solidarity Group: Dave Sutton (664976 evenings) or David Bales (860594 evenings). For Central America Society (University) : Martine Grice, Linguistics Department, Whiteknights, Reading University (also via internal mail). - - - FILM & VIDEO Sat 11 Oct Lady Jane (PG): SHP 7.45, 10.30. GB 1985 dir Trevor Munn. Historical costume drama based on a few months in the life of Lady Jane Grey. Until 15th. Pop promo video course. SHP 10-6. £40. Also Sun. Sun 12 Oct: as Sat 11. A Year Of The Quiet Sun (15): RFT 8pm. Pol/USA/W.Cer 1984 dir Krzysztof Zannssi. Sub-titles. A Polish refugee and an American soldier meet in postwar Poland. This carefully made film follows the hesitant relationship of a couple with no common language. Wed 15 Oct Women's video course: RCU 10-12. All women welcome. The language of film and TV: WEA-organised course. 7.30 - 9.30, Waingel's Copse School. Places still available on this practical and theoretical investigation of the media of film, TV and video. Tel 663857 for details. Thur 16 Oct Crimes Of Passion (13): RFT, members only, 8pm. USA 1985 dir Ken Russell. Career woman doubles as prostitute in an extremely dodgy and politically mixed-up comedy. Video screening: SHP 7.45, free. A chance to see some of the entries for the 7th national video festival. Fri 17 Oct After Hours (15): SHP 7.45. US 1986 dir Marti Scorsese. A wicked comedy about the cruel misfortune of a man in pursuit of a woman he doesn't really like. Cinematography is said to be good. Lighting for video: SHP. Terry Flaxton of Triptevision. £25 (reductions). Should be good, may be booked up. Sat 13 Oct After Hours (SHP). 7.45, 10.30. Till Wed 22 but 7.45 only. Sound recording for video: SHP. With Lol Lovett £40 (reductions). Also Sun. Sun 19 Oct: as Sat 18. Wed 22 Oct A Zed And Two Noughts (15): RCT 8pm. GB/Neth 1985 dir Peter Greenaway. From the maker of Draughtsmans Contract. Sounds fascinating: multi-layered verbal and visual allusions and the like. Two zoologists brothers investigate evolution and decay. Women's video course: RCU 10-12. Language of film etc : as 15th. Thurs 23 Oct: Prizzi's Honour (15): RFT 8 pm. USA 1985 dir John Huston. Jack Nicholson stars in a well-made Huston film. Complex plot includes a love affair between two hired killers. Excellent supporting cast. Seminar: SHP 7.45. Time codes and their application to video editing. Fri 24 Oct Vagabonde (15): SHP 7.45,10.30. Fr 1985 dir Agnes Varda. Subtitles. Set in S. France in winter: a bleak documentary feel to what might have been a romanticised tale. Also Sat; Sun but not 10.30 Sat 25 Oct Advanced video editing: SHP 10-5.30. Also Sun. £40 (conc). Sun 26 Oct: see Fri 24 and Sat 25. Info: * Reading Film Theatre (RFT) is in the Palmer Building, Whiteknights Park. Adm. £1:90, (members, senior citizens & UB40s £1:20). * South Hill Bark cinema (SHP) is in Bracknell. Prices vary. Substantial discounts for UB40s etc. *ABC Reading: tel 53931 for details. * Odeon Reading: tel 507887 does bargain shows for 4.55 screening - all seats £1:40. RCU Reading Centre For The Unemployed, 4-6 East St. WEA. Workers Education Assoc. - - - ACORNS TENTH Hello Many thanks to all the people who celebrated The Acorn (not just a book shop) Bookshops 10th birthday party last week. Established in 1976 in the Emporium the Acorn has grown into a fine young bookshop with many facilities available and useful to all sorts of people. Not just a bookshop gives you some idea of the diversity of the shop. Run by a collective the Acorn became a registered workers co-operative in 1984. At the moment the collective consists of Maggie, Mark and Dawne with a vague number of people who help out at odd times in numerous ways be it physical emotional or by making the Acorn a pleasant place to be. The Acorn is still growing and needs support to continue developing over the years, with hard work and a bit of luck the Acorn will still be here in ten years from now, for people to use and enjoy young and old alike, Acorn doesn't discriminate. It enjoys people using its benefits to further the cause of a decent planet to live on no matter what your specialization is. So come on down pay it a visit, pay the collectives wages use the Acorn bookshop, it's a valuable and special place in a town like Reading. Many thanks to all the people who have supported Acorn in the past. The Acorn looks forward to seeing new and old faces anytime Tuesday - Saturday 10am to 6pm. More many thanks to past present and future people of Reading for keeping the light of Acorn glowing. - - - TIME OFF FOR WOMEN On the 24th October 1985, in 22 countries and over a dozen U.K. towns and cities, Women took Time Off from office work, factory work, sex work, nursing, mothering, cleaning, shopping, planting, milking. Time Off '86 will be an anniversary and follow-on from this. No actions seem to be being organised locally, however, so it is up to you! The national contact address is at the end of this article. At the final World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development, Peace', in Nairobi July 1985, a document entitled 'Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women', was produced summing up the Decade. This document was passed by the U.N. General Assembly in New York on the 6th of November 1985, where paragraph 120 (as amended by the International Wages for Housework Campaign) was singled out for comment by many governments. It was, in fact, three Third World governments - Sierra Leone, Jordan and Uganda - who, in Nairobi, proposed and seconded the amended paragraph, which now reads: "The remunerate and, in particular, the un-remunerated contributions of women to all aspects and sectors of development should be recognised and appropriate efforts should be made to measure and reflect these contributions in national accounts and economic statistics, in the gross national product. Concrete steps should be taken to quantify the un-remunerated contribution of women to agriculture, food-production, reproduction and household activities." It is vital that the importance of women's work be recognised if we are to have any lever of social power. This is particularly important in the Third World, where women bear an horrendous, but un-quantified, work load in the family and on the land. In Africa Women are responsible for almost the entire populations survival and, yet, they receive no recognition of their work. In the United Kingdom it is women who have been hardest hit by cuts in social services; not only because, as carers, they are most dependent on these services, but also because these services are largely provided by women. On top of unwaged housework for families, friends and neighbours, and other unwaged work in family businesses, there is now the added need to provide these services for increasingly lower wages and less thanks. It is taken for granted that cuts made in our social services will be compensated for by women on an unwaged basis. Women are used as a cheap (at best) or unpaid (more often) source of labour. We are exploited and abused. We are emotionally black-mailed into denying our own selves in order to help others. If we stand up and ask for recognition we are denounced by society as cruel, uncaring and 'stroppy' (as with striking nurses); we are ostracised as 'un-natural' if the burden of family, home kids, work (waged and unwaged) becomes impossible to bear and we are forced, for our own sanity, to leave. As women we demand that the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and all economic planners acknowledge the work done by women and make it visible by quantifying it in the gross national product. We are angry and tired of being counted on but never counted. It is not only in Britain that this unwaged and invisible work goes on for Britain: women in Third World countries, particularly those which were once part of the British Empire, have worked for Britain for centuries. Now some of these women and their descendents are part of the work force With in Britain - in service sectors, industry and commerce as well as in the home - reproducing the workforce as all women do. It is time that the work of those who are descendents of Empire and slavery be counted and recognised for the massive contribution they have made, and continue to make, to the accumulation of capital in Britain. Since women's unwaged work is not counted, even their waged work appears in the G.N.P. at less than its true value to the economy. We must remember that the G.N.P. reflects the wages people get rather than the value they produce. Because women's wages continue to be unfairly low, their economic contribution in waged jobs enters the G.N.P. at this same unfairly low amount. Counting womens work will begin to end the injustice here too. In 1975, the women of Iceland took a 'Day Off, resulting in the entire Icelandic economy grinding to a halt - the importance of this statement to the World of women's work was commemorated by 'Time Off '85', the 10th anniversary of the Icelandic Women's General Strike; again they celebrated by stopping the Icelandic economy. The whole World economy rests on what women do. It is estimated by The International Labour Office (part of the U.N.) that women do two thirds of the Worlds work for 5 percent of its income and 1 percent of its assents. Even this underestimates the workload of Third World women. Time Off '86 will focus on women's work for peace and the environment and women's work against poverty, racism and immigration controls. In the year of Chernobyl, revolution in South Africa, continuing famine in Ethiopia, the Sudan and the Sahara, the bombing of Libya and increaing U.S. military terrorism in Central America, reports of these events by media and politicians (whether establishment or movement) hide how much work they cost women and divide the World. Time Off '86 will be another opportunity for women, and men, in the U.K. and around the World to press for implementation of the U.N. decision, and make their own case for women's work to be counted, and to strengthen women's demands by showing how much we are owed. There are regional planning meetings for the 24th and 25th of October in a number of cities - to find out more contact: The International Wages' for Housework Campaign, Kings Cross Women's Centre, 71, Tonbridge Street, London. WC1. Tel 01-837-7509. Or: P.O. Box 196, Bristol, BS99 7UT. Tel: 0272-55O887. They will be able to provide you with more specific details of the Campaign - such as the roles being played by the 'Black Women for Wages for Housework' (Wilmette Brown); 'The English Collective of Prostitutes' and 'Wages Due Lesbians' (Anne Neale) etc., as well as provide you with petitions and letters, and will be interested in ideas you may have for the Campaign. Stand Up And Be Counted. - - - LIVE MUSIC Fri 10 Oct: * Paradise - Jive Dive, 8-2am. Films, 60's soul and hip hop from The Cuban Heel. Only £2 on the door. * Hex - Five Star. 7.30. Well pricey * Cap & Gown - Antz Avenue, featuring Rick Wakeman veterans. Ugh. 2am bar though lads... Sat 11 Oct: * Hex - Back Beat Band: brassy soul/r'n'b for free at 12.15pm * Cap & Gown - Sharing a House With Mother & the Ant Hill Mob disco unit. £2/1. lpys benefit. Check venue to be sure though. * Paradise - Hot Tempa (Good funk music, shame about the offensive sexist lyrics) + disco. 9-lam with late bar. Sun 12 Oct: * Happy Birthday to Abi xxx * Red Rag Collective at 56 Hamilton Rd 6pm all welcome, especially do-ers. * Check out Off The Wall on Radio 210: local bands, demo tapes and info from 7-8pm. Also don't forget Ranking Miss P and Tony Williams (see Original Rockers) Mon 13 Oct: * Columbus day, USA * Flares night at the Rose & Thistle is no more, we are informed by our 70s correspondent. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh * Make your own entertainment!!!! Tues 14 Oct: * Majestic - Red City Rockers, What Zat and The (truly awful) Skelfs. * Cap & Gown - The Puppets (dunno who they are, sorry) 2am bar £1:50 * Hex - Nana bleedin' Mouskouri... Weds 15 Oct: * Majestic - Terminal 37, Deja Vu (What you get a lot of doing a listing like this) and The Surfin'Lungs (surfobillly) * Cap & Gown - Lost Weekend... an excellent duo who play songs of drinking and death £1:50, 2am bar should see them nicely on their way. * Teach yourself Psyohobilly lesson 1; call everyone "my Man", in deliberate ignorance of the fact that no-one owns anyone (like, righton, y'know) and that 52% of the population are female. Thurs 16 Oct: * Happy Birthday to Nalini xxx * Paradise - reggae night: see Original Rockers. * Cap & Gown- Hook, Line & Silverfish: danceable, soul-full pop. 2am bar. £1:50 * SHP - The Beach Bums (surfobilly again) 75p/£l:50. 8pm-llpm. Teach yourself Psychobilly lesson 2... Expressions of dismay... "Stroll back!" NB "Stroll on!" is now considered very passe. Fri 17 Oct: * Paradise - Jive Dive... 60's soul and hip hop music, plus lots of fun, film and so on... 8-2am, £2 on the door. * Cap & Gown - Namoza, 2am bar, £1:50 and worth it cos they are a very exciting and entertaining band, Talking Heads only more so. Check it out. * Welsh Society are having a candlelit supper and dance at St Peters Church 7.30pm 476216. Sat 18 Oct: * Cap & Gown - Mission Impossible... not as exciting as the TV programme * Choral Concert at the Oratory School Woodcote by the Reading Phoenix Choir 7.30, tel 478425. Sun 19 Oct: * Old Town Hall - organ recital, 7.30pm, tickets £3 from Hickies. * Leight0n Park School - Allegri String Quartet: Schubert, Hadyn, Stravinsky & Debussy.8pm. Do people want me to carry on including classical(sic) music in this listing? Does someone want to do a separate listing? * Stay in and Tune in to The Fence / Off The Wall on Radio 210, 7pm-8pm, with demo tapes, gig news, local stuff. * Stay in and Tune in to the Ranking Miss P on nighttime Radio 1, llpm-midnight. Mon 20 Oct: * ??? a quiet night. Tues 21 Oct: *Majestic - South Drive, Debut, Romany. A rock night I think. *Cap & Gown - nowt. Weds 22 Oct: * Paradise - Blyth Power and Thatcher On Acid (what a name!). Blyth Power used to be Zounds and The Mob (@@@@) members and they play punky music for anarcho types. A benefit for a free radio project. £2:50 /£2 UB40 and advance tickets (Acorn, Listen). A conspiracy do. * Majestic - The Complaints, RRV and Lyxx. An evening of local bands. * Cap & Gown - R'n'b/soul night. Thurs 23 Oct: * SHP - Daz Odeum, 8-llpm, 75p/£1:50. * Cap & Gown - Rardogs, is what they spelt out to me over the phone. Dunno who or what they are though... * Paradise - reggae night - see Original Rockers. Fri 24 Oct: * Cap & Gown - the Back Beat Band, big & brassy soul / blues group. 2am bar £1:50 * Paradise - Jive Dive - regular Friday night club with films, fun, and 60s soul and hip hop from resident DJ The Cuban Heel. 8-2am £2 * Basingstoke Caribbean Association, Priestly Rd... Military Surplus (white roots reggae, poetry in dub) and Namoza (see Fri 17 Oct entry for what I think about them) 8pm-lam. £2:50 on the door. Organised by The Plot, a new gig promotion venture in Babylon-stoke. * Palmer Building, Whiteknights - piano & violin recital. Kreisler, Walton and Schubert. 7.30pm £2/1. Sat 25 Oct: * Cap & Gown - no bands tonight. * Paradise - live reggae band + disco. No further details at time of going to press, as they say in proper papers. Sun 26 Oct: * British Summer Time officially at an end, according to my diary... * The Butler, Chatham St - jazz, jump and jive music from Bendan's record collection. Free, 8-llpm. Check it out. * Huddle around the crystal set and tune in to... Off The Wall (210, 7-8pm) and the Ranking Miss P (Radio 1 reggae 11pm-midnight). Info: * Paradise: Paradise Club 112 London St Reading, tel 576847. Disabled access good except for 2 steps down into the bar. * Majestic: Majestic, Caversham Rd, Reading. Tel 586093. Be careful of the door staff. Loony dress restrictions at times. * Cap & Gown: King's Road, Reading, tel 586006. Gigs are downstairs, which makes access for disabled people very bad. * SHP: South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell; tel 0344 484123. Gigs are in the Cellar Bar, so disabled access is not good. But there may be a side entrance. * University: Students Union, tel 860222, ask for Ents Office for info. Good disabled access as there is a ramp from one level to the next. Can town people get in? * HEX: Hexagon Theatre, Queen's Walk Reading. Tel 591591. Disabled access is bloody awful - lots of stairs. And the gigs start unnaturally early. - - - SMALL ADS ARE FREE Wanted: Vacuum cleaner in working order. Phone 599995 or see Mark in Acorn. Also any old gardening tools, almost any condition accepted. Wanted: Another vacuum cleaner in working order. Phone 595605 (Ruth or James). For Rent: One timber-framed workshop ll'x25' situated in the countryside half an hour from here. Phone Jim on Bradfield 744728 please. The Conspiracy: Benefit gig collective. Weekly meetings for all interested in any way, next one 17th Oct., 7.45. Contact Box 1, 17 Chatham St for info. - - - CROW WORK CROW is Reading's midweek conservation group for all those who want to do conservation work but can't make weekends, or would like to do both. We are quite experienced now and very welcoming to new members. Generally (not always) our tasks are every other week, within a 9-mile radius of Reading, so there are lots of pleasant trips into the Berks and Oxon countryside. At this time of year our work includes coppicing, fencing, hedgelaying and thinning. Nothing is too difficult for beginners. Task programme: 29 Oct: Roscombe Pond, pond clearing and coppicing. 12 Nov: Devil's Dip, hedge laying at Reading's first urban reserve. 26 Nov: Curtis Wood, Tilehurst. Mainly clearing sycamores. You can come for just half a day if you want to. It's all free. All you need is some old clothes. We provide coffee and biscuits. We meet in front of the station a at 10 am and cl.30 pm. Look out for an off-white transit van. Ring Sue 668636 or Pete 54798 or just turn up. - - - READING BETWEEN THE LINES * Reading Between the Lines is on sale at: Acorn Bookshop, Bookends, Town Bookseller, Friar St Bookshop, London St Bookshop, Eurofoods at Cemetery Junction, Reading Wholefoods, Harvest Wholefoods, Pop Records, Blue Moon and Back Numbers at the Emporium, Pages Bookstore and Saffron Strands in Traders. Also at the University S.U. from Community Action. - - - UNI'S GAY & LESBIAN MEETING Reading University Gay & Lesbian Society / Youth Group 1st Meeting of Term - 6th October 1986 in Students Union About 25 people turned up for the first meeting of the group this academic year. People who had been involved before explained something of what the group was and what it did and tried to do. In particular they stressed that the group was not just for students at the university but for all young people in Reading. There was some discussion of other groups and organizations in Reading. A 'representative' of the Reading's Gay Collective talked about their activities, distributed some Reading's Gays and invited all to the RCU disco on Saturday, 11th October. The group's main aim was to get a programme of events organized that would combine purely social activities with other things a shade more 'political' (like the Gay Awareness Week held last academic year). They want to get as many people as possible involved in order to spread responsibility for getting things organized and done. The first concrete proposal to emerge was for a party (surprise) for Monday 13th October in the Students Union. It was a good meeting with plenty of enthusiasm and energy which suggested that the group would be active over the next few months. The group can be contacted via Drawer G, Clubs' Office, Students' Union, University of Reading, Whiteknights. - - - AIDS OFFICER At its Policy Committee meeting on 18 September, Reading Borough Council agreed to appoint a post of AIDS Liaison Officer within its structure. This will be ratified by the full Council in October. All political parties spoke in favour. It has to be said that establishing this post is not an end in itself. The leader of the Labour group has made it clear that he sees a major role for the Reading Area AIDS Support Group in assisting the Liaison Officer: the new post is intended to complement and not replace them. The Group say in their October newsletter: 'We have now the opportunity to channel some of our ideas and actions into a wider field while continuing our work within the community... This will cause us extra work no doubt, and progress may be slow, but at least it's progress.' - - - BITS Like to do a theatre section for Red Rag? Contact us via box 79, 17 Chatham St or tel. Clive on 475909 for details. Off-Duty PC hurt An off-duty policeman was injured after his motorbike collided with a pedestrian at the Clock Tower in central Brighton today. PC Timothy Hornby, of Burgess Hill, had face and arm injuries. The male pedestrian was more seriously hurt. thanks to mike in Brighton for this insight into the relative importance of pedestrians & the police. - - - ORIGINAL ROCKERS "We come fe teach you little education/we come fe teach you little education/we no walk on street a make bad tension/or mug an old lady fe she little pension/that have the foolish intention of a hooligan/a you can't beat the system inna england-/a foolish man build his house on sand/while Unity build it 'pon a foundation/we come fe teach you little education...." Back in tune to Original Rockers the best and the rest of soul & reggae music in the area. Special request to the man like Aqua Levi man like Naptali and to the Original Rocker Uptown himself Augustus Pablo, still in London and will he play live??? Thurs 9 Oct at the Paradise Club 112 London St. Reading and every Thursday African Roots play a session. Their first show last Thursday got a good report; African Roots are a new sound from the Mandela Court area, based partly on Lion Roots massive. Fri 10 Oct tune in and bubble to Volcano Hi-Power and Reading's Raiders Hi-Tec at High Wycombe Multi-Racial. Five Star play the Hexagon in Reading same night but give me Volcano every time. Sat 11 Oct well, for all the youths dem who can't get enough of that calypso style from Trvor Small Sundays Hurricane Force steel band and King Dick sound a go mash up the dance at Central (36/42 London St)... or there's the LWR soulshow at Slough Community Centre same night with Daddy Ernie and the Renegade Road show playing sweet reggae music. Apart from African Roots playing another session at the Paradise Club on Thurs 16 Oct all's quiet til Sat 18 Oct - lively up yourself!!! As a tribute to the Rt. Hon. Robert Nesta Marley, there's a Jamaican Flood Relief benefit at The Royal Albert Hall. From 4pm you can hear The I-Threes, Melody Makers, Bob Andy (remember "Too Experienced"?) Potato 5(ska) Lorna Gee(badder than bad MC), and The Ranking Miss P. Tickets are £3/5 for UB40s and £6/8/10/15 for the rest. Remember, all profits go to Jamaican Flood Relief. Well compared to that Hurricane Force and King Dick at the Central (again!!) seems, well... Slam bam/Jah man/hear dem ya fashion/ me strong me long/me at the mike stand... Thurs 21 Oct sees Smiley Culture an the man like Asher Senator Reading University raggamuffin style seen? The date is part of a college tour put on by CBS, with the Chrome angels grafitti crew and the Rock City Crew as supports. Well, will town people be able to get in? My advice would be to go to the Students Union Ents Office on the Lunchtimes they are selling - phone 860222 to ckeck that they are. Thurs 23 Oct - another African Roots session, at the Paradise Club. Fri 24 Oct Reading sound Studio Magic play out at the Central with a stge show from someone else also rumoured to be on the bill. Sat 25 Oct: it's the Mr Super Cool conest at Central with the faithful King Dick belting out the same old stu stuff again. Honestly. Mr Super Cool. Drivel. At the Paradise same night it's a live reggae band from Birmingham plus disco but exaclly who, no-one knows... Two late x-tra's...First up, Jah Shaka is playing regular Friday night Boom-Shaka-Laka sessions in Peckham, utterly outclassing everything on in Reading at the Moment... but he may still fire up the dance hall in Reading soon... and Sat 18 Oct at the Paradise Club is a special memorial evening and benefit for the man like Sticky - one of the best known characters on the Reading scene, who tragically drowned on his first day back in the Caribbean. Lots of Reading pepple will be there... love and unity. PS don't forget to tune in to The Ranking Miss P (Sundays 1lpm - midnight on Radio 1) and Tony Williams (Sunday lpm-3pm Radio London 94.9FM). - - - GIG REVIEW Red Rag Party 29.9.86, with Namoza, Chocolate Teapot and the Mere Mortals Take a bow; all you people who made it to the Paradise Club for the above event. Why? Well, for one 200 people turned up and gave very generously at this 'unique showcase' (Evening Post gig guide). Donations only event and on a Monday too. Secondly it was a fun evening with plenty of spirit and no bother. And to cap it all we made £75:23 after printing and other expenses, more than some fixed price gigs make on a Saturday night! So, a worthwhile cause, a doozy of a night (lots of dancing) some amazing sounds and good publicity for the idea of donation gigs. More please! Thanks to everyone who helped or played for free or reduced rates. You know who you are. Cheers, Phil and Paul on behalf of the Conspiracy who organised it. - - - POP RECORDS 6 Yield Hall Place and 172 King's Road. Reading's only shop for second-hand records. We buy albums for about £1 and sell them at between £2 and £2:90 unless they are really crap ones. We've also got thousands of singles from 10p-90p each. About 15,000 discs to look through. Open Mon-Sat 9 - 5 pm. Jazz - Rock - Soul - New Wave - R&B etc - - - (paid ads) Mini L.P. Prom LP 101 "THE GATHERING" Out now on Damaged Product Records distributed by the Cartel - - - From England MARC RILEY with The Creepers Live at The Paradise Club, London St. with 'The Heart Throbs' Wednesday 29th October £2 in advance / £2:50 on the night - - - TRADE UNION CLUB Reading Trades Union Club in Chatham Street is a social club frequented by local trades unionists, Labour Party members and others. Since 1969 the club has, from time to time, been picketed and criticized in the press over its rules which discriminate against women. Over the years trade union leaders and Labour councillors have resigned in protest, while some others have rushed to the Club's defense. Several years ago the Reading Trades Union Council stopped holding its meetings at the Club in protest. The rules of Reading Trades Union Club mean that: * Women cannot be full members. * As 'guests' women have to be 'signed in' by a man before they can enter the Club. * Women are not allowed to buy drinks from the bar. If they want a drink they have to get a man to go to the bar on their behalf. Nationally the T.U.C. has declared Saturday, 18th October as 'Womens Action Day' to celebrate and develop the role of women in the trade union movement. For local trade unionists to organize such a day in Reading, and ignore the blatant sexism and discrimination against women trade unionists in our midst, would be an act of monumental hypocrisy. The campaign to change the rules was restarted in the summer by some members of Reading Anarchists but now the campaign has broadened to include local feminists, students and trade unionists. As this issue of the Rag goes to press a meeting is being held to consider activities for Oct. 18th to shame the Club into changing its discriminatory rules. Anyone who wants more information about the campaign or who wants to get involved on October 18th, should contact the address below: Reading Anarchists, Box 19, Acorn Bookshop, 17,Chatham St. Public Debate The motion is 'The Reading trade union club is sexist and should change its policy' The venue is Bulmershe College, the date is Tuesday 14th October, time 8.00 pm organised by the Reading Anti Sexism Campaign Alliance. - - - CONSPIRACY GIG Marc Riley With The Creepers Come To Reading!! Hailing from the wild and distant North, Marc Riley with The Creepers will be playing at the Paradise Club, 112 London St on Wednesday 29th October. The band formed three years ago, and is fronted by Marc Riley himself. Before The Creepers, Marc Riley was an important member of The Fall for five years, and was instrumental in fashioning their highly influential and respected sound. Popular live band The Creepers play fast, energetic, garagey music with a slightly Northern humorous edge. Influences include Iggy and The Stooges, T.Rex and of course The Fall. Their new single is a version of the classic Brian Eno song "Baby's On Fire", and is currently well placed in the independent singles chart. The single features the new line up of Mark Tilton on guitar and Phil Roberta on bass, alongside Marc Riley and Eddie Fenn on drums. In Support - The Heart Throbs. Based in Reading, The Heart Throbs are small girls on guitars and vocals, and tall boys on drums and keyboards. Taking shape in late '85, and emerging from their cocoons in summer '86, they have been playing live locally and in London with the likes of The Shop Assistants, Primal Scream and Stump. Their aim is to fuse pop with noise, mayhem with melody, and to be both explosive and enchanting. Can they succeed where so many have failed? Discover the truth for yourselves. The gig is being promoted by The Conspiracy. Admission is £2:50 on the night, and £2 in advance - tickets being available from Acorn Bookshop, Chatham St. and Listen Records in the Butts Centre. - - - FOLK The "not just a folk music" Folk column. You do not have to own a pewter tankard to read this. In fact, if you do, you'll probably get cross. Folk music is a changing beast these days. The problem is, most people don't get to hear it. But now, at least, you're informed. This column will cover an area beyond Reading (which is still fairly "trad", tho' changing). A lot of amazing music is-happening not that far away, specially if you can cadge lifts or share petrol. A lot of these acts are worth travelling for! Venues Comrades (Fri) a new, free, singers' club at the Comrades' Club above BSM nr. Sargents on the Oxford Rd. No guests as yet. Readifolk (Sun) now at the George Hotel, on the corner of Minster St. & Broad St., the back bar. Membership £l/yr, which gets you 50p off entrance fee. Singers' Nights are 50p. A bit dozy but friendly and some good guests. Cap & Gown (Sun), Kings Rd., opp Tech College. A new venture by Pressgang, a folk rock ensemble developed from Bedlam and The gathering. (Ta for the demo tape!) They take traditional English songs and belt them out with some tasteful drumming and atmospheric vocals. Dedicated to bringing traditional English song to a younger audience, (thinks: am I too old for this?) The club is not supposed to be a showcase for their band, but for the kind of folk/roots music Reading doesn't get to hear much. Good luck to 'em! May be moving from Sunday. Kennet Arms (Fri - Mon) The place for Irish music. Corner of Pell St. & Eldon Rd. Nettlebed (Mon) The Bull, High St., Nettlebed. (Go north.) Fairly trad. Bistro (Tues) Studio Bistro, London Rd. The University folk club, but don't' worry, It's full of townies. They get a grant to run it, so it's free. Lots of sessions where you can try out your nerve & your instrument. Occasional guests. It's really called the Turk's Bottom Folk Club - student humour? Eversley Cross (Wed) At the Toad & Stumps opp, cricket ground, in the skittle alley. More varied than most, incl jazz, blues, folkabilly(?) Fleet(Tues) The fox & Hounds, Fleet. Maidenhead (Thurs) The Rose, King St., Maidenhead. Well-run, quality club. Bracknell (Sat) in the Cellar Bar at South Hill Park Arts Centre. Very much a "chorus song" club, but they don't all know the words. Get some good acts. A "Come all Ye" is, I think, a "Singers' Night" which doesn't mean you have to be a singer to go, or to play, but you get in cheaper here as at most clubs if you perform. Oxford's Acoustic Music Club is in Walton St., at the Jericho Tavern or at the St, Paul's Arts Centre, depending. The best taste in the area. (Tues) Oxfolk is a monthly ceilidh (dance), with the least boring bands around, at the Clarendon Press Centre, also Walton St., which is the station side of Oxford. All of these get going around 8 pm and charges vary according to the guest. Rarely more than £2:50. Whats On Sat 11: Bracknell: Kathryn Tickell - Northumbrian piper and fiddler. I think she's still not 20, dazzling musicianship and dead canny with it. Sun 12: Cap & Gown: Opening night of the new club with Pressgang + Mark Irwin support. They didn't know, till the Rag told them, that they were clashing with: - Readifolk: The Oyster Band. Thought by many to be the electric folk band. The bass player's supposed to be dishy - I prefer the saxophonist myself, but whatever, be there early! £2/2:50. Mon 13 Nettlebed: Woodbine & local performers. Tues 14: Bistro: Session for newcomers. Fleet: Singers' night. Oxford: (Jericho) Blades. (Daves Townsend & Parry) brilliant concertina melodeon, accordion and fiddle playing, oomphy singing. £2/2:25. Wed l5: Eversly X: Singers' Night. Thurs 16: M'head: Davis S Davis. Fri 17: Comrades Sat 18: Bracknell: Come-all-ye. Oxford: One-off Balkan dance afternoon, beginners welcome. Ring Jill 0865/58482. Also regular Thursday nights. Sun 19: Cap & Gown: probably Pressgang & local support. Readifolk: Steve Turner cancelled; replacement tba. Aldershot West End Centre: Jazz & Blues 12am - pm, incl. Mike Cooper, Jo-Ann Kelly, Sonny Black's Blues Band, Lol Coxhill. (Queen's Rd Aldershot, nr Catholic Church & drum shop.) Mon 20: Nettlebed: Cockersdale - trio from Yorkshire, sing self-penned angry songs about industrial decline very well. Tues 21: Bistro: Andy Hepburn, "soppy love songs, bring your hankies". Fleet: Singers' night. Oxford: (St. Pauls) June Tabor & Martin Simpson, but they're coming to Reading soon so save your pennies! Wed 22: Eversley X: Sarah Daniels, Terry Clark and Pippa Jones - 1st 2 are in Arda Berkshire (Irish). Good. Also on soon in Reading. Thurs 23: M'head: Datchet Rapper. Fri 24: Comrades. Sat 25: Bracknell: Dave Goulder. (Singer-songwriter with guitar; they still make 'em!) Oxfolk: Ceilidh with Tiger Moth, electric dance band with chunky melodeon, screaming slide guitar, hammered dulcimer and more. £3. Sun 26: Readifolk: Singers' Night. Cap & Gown: Pressgang again? Mon 27: Nettlebed: Dave Houldern & Tony O'Neill. Tues 28: Bistro: Richard Cox-Smith, dazzling guitar work - and he's local! Oxford: Anonyma (2 women with women-oriented songs) and Jo-Ann Kelly (with Pete Emery), the white blues singer. Fleet: Martin Carthy. The legendary. Does what lots of folk singers want to do. Be early. Thurs 30: M'head: Dave Walters. Raunchy singer and songwriter. Forthcomings: Sweet Honey in the Rock at Sadlers Wells Theatre, London, Nov 3/4 Go on, treat yourself! June Tabor & Martin Simpson at Readifolk Nov 16. Ti jaz - Breton band end of Oct at Newbury, Oxford, Aldershot. Whew! More details, please, can be sent to Folk Column, box 79, 17, Chatham St., Reading Phone number next time. L.H. - - - RED RAG RETURNS This is the first 20p issue of Red Rag; after much soul-searching it was decided to put a price on the Rag's head. About 350 of this issue have been produced, and they are available from the outlets listed below or by filling out a subscription form (£4 will give you the next 12 issues, including postage). Or fill out a standing order and send it to the same address. The cover price will probably not cover costs, but it's hoped that together with advertising and the odd benefit (thanks to Conspiracy) the Rag can go from strength to strength. Or something. At the moment we need more outlets, so if you know of anyone anywhere that might sell some please let us know. We also need more people to help, especially anyone who would like to do a theatre guide and someone (or several) to take over events. If you're interested ring Clive on 475909 (eves) or come to the collective meeting on Sun 12. 56 Hamilton Rd. 6 pm all welcome. - - - OUTLETS * Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St, Reading. * Blue Moon Arts and Crafts, upstairs at The Emporium, Merchants Place (off Friar St), Reading. * Communication and Liaison Office Students Union, Reading Univ. * Eurofoods, Crown Colonnade, Cemetery Junction, Reading. * Harvest Wholefoods, Harris Arcade (off Friar St), Reading. * Pan Bookshop, upstairs in the Butts Shopping Centre, Reading. * UB Cycles, London St. Reading. New Outlets * shop on corner of Liverpool Rd / Manchester Rd. * Pop Records, Yield Hall Place. - - - RED RAG SUBSCRIPTIONS Fill in the form below, enclose £4 and we will send you the next twelve issues of Red Rag fortnightly, reminding you when your money runs out. Please send me six months subscription to Red Rag including postage I enclose £4 Name: Address: Cheques payable to Red Rag. Send to Box 79,17 Chatham St, Reading - - - IDEAS CORNER Ideas, Facts and Methods Column or How to survive in the new climate of economic realism-ism No. l Getting Red Rag For Less a) Nick, purloin, abstract, swipe, appropriate, lift, liberate; or indeed, steal one. b) Split the cost of a copy with your friends. c) Forge one d) Write your own. - - - QUESTION What difference can you spot between the traffic jam in picture A, and the traffic jam in picture B? A -- the Queens Rd before the improvements. B -- the Queens Rd after the improvements. Answer Three million pounds of your money - - - ADVERTISING RATES Single column (6cm) by 10cm... £3:50 Double column (12cm) by 10cm.. £7 Half Page ...£12 Smaller ads 40p per column cm Copy Width Red Rag is now 3 columns wide. Copy should be typed single space, to a width of 8cm to be reduced to 6cm. - - - PUBLISHED BY the Red Rag Collective, printed by Acorn, 17 Chatham St. - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1986/1986-10-07.txt#3 $