Contributors

• Martin S Gilbert
• Mark A Newns
• Peter Good
• John Evans
• Doreen Frampton SRN

Martin S Gilbert - Similar to the other contributors, Martin began his involvement with anarchists via the anti-nuclear bomb movement in the early 1960s. He then worked in the clothing industry and also sold soft furnishings in department stores.

From 1967 - 1972 he lived in the USA studying, casual labouring, selling newspapers and working for night clubs, while contributing to civil rights and anti-war activity; he started to learn about counselling by listening to draft resisters. He was subsequently in local authority social work in the UK for 24 years.

Due to ill health he took early retirement in 1996, but has been 'climbing back' doing some agency work and teaching.

Martin has an allotment where he develops vegetables and anarchist ideas.

Mark A Newns Mark A. Newns practiced social work for thirty years and the martial and holistic arts, karate-do and Tai-Ji Ch'uan for the same period. He has worked as a labourer, dish washer, and factory hand.

Mark spent most of the 60's working in the Committee of 100, a section of the non violent direction action movement against nuclear weapons, at one time presided over by philosopher Bertrand Russell. Other activities in that period were with the Simon Community for homeless people and East London Squatters. He is influenced by anarchist ideas, and the English radical tradition, but presently believes that the anarchist movement in the U.K. (a) does not move, and (b) is not anarchist.

He went to America in the late 80's working as a labourer, blues and roots musician, Ta Ji instructor, and radical columnist for the Casper Star Tribune, Wyoming.

He began teaching Tai Ji to American "young offenders" at the Pine Ridge Hospital for Human Development, an approach that has now become standard practice in state of the art therapeutic centres throughout the USA. He also began a campaign on behalf of Uranium miners, who didn't realise it was lethal until they started glowing.

To avoid populist "dumbing down" in Thatcher's Britain, Mark studied for an MA in the History of Ideas, at Northumbria University and PhD research at the University of Durham, where his project The World Church of Commerce is now being transcribed into a book.

He advocates creative provocation, controversy, celebration and joyful mayhem and now writes, researches, sings the blues and teaches Tai Ji to older people at Age Concern Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Correspondence welcome:

Living Tao Project
54 Waterloo St.
Grainger Town
Newcastle Upon Tyne

Tel: (+44)(0)191 2618804

E-mail: Marknewsnbudochilivingtao@yahoo.co.uk

Web (Holistic health project): www.geocities.com/marknewnsbudochi

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Peter Good is a one time soldier, Trade Union leader, oil-rig worker and author of Language for those who Have Nothing. A founder member of two workers' co-operatives run by ex-patients he has worked extensively in psychiatry and is a qualified clinical mirthologist, currently leading seminars for the South Bradford Chuckle Club.

Peter's offering differs from the others in tone and content, but is just as empirically based. He gives an in-depth account of industrial action in a residential setting - a long-stay institution for people with learning disabilities -where he helped to raise care standards while struggling against management and trade union bureaucracies who were as bad as each other.

Peter's essay originally appeared in Anarchist Review, November 1979. Those familiar with developments in the care of the learning disabled will recognise the practice of trail blazing ideas, before the work of Wolf Wolfenberger and the concept of "normalisation" became common currency in Britain.

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John Evans has been an actor, Community Development worker, probation officer and social worker. His three short contributions reflect the pain and frustration experienced by the dedicated professional. With John, however, oppressive managers have not always had it their own way. He is now working with young offenders.

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Doreen Frampton SRN Our end note, Whistle Blowing in the National Health Service, shows that exposing bad practice and corruption is not merely a trouble making exercise, but a professional responsibility. It is meant as a warning to the dangerously oppressive, as well as an encouragement to radicals of any stripe to seek allies, plan tactics and strategies. Doreen Frampton, SRN, is based in the North West.

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