Original newsletter articles. Compiled and introduced by Joan Harries and Sheila Wentworth
Getting the message across – defending our rights to abortion through the story of Punch and Judy.
The North Staffs Women’s Action Group was correctly named – there was lots of action!
Memories of the Group
North Staffs Women’s Action Group/NSWA/NSWAG/Stoke Women’s Action Group/Stoke-on-Trent Women’s Action: these were all names for the group. Most usually it was North Staffs Women’s Action Group. We never really came up with a definitive name. (That would have required several meetings!)
It started in the mid-70s and both of us were members. It comprised a very eclectic group of women— from far-leftwing uni students to ‘hippies’ with children in stripey socks, plus a few in the middle, only one of whom had a respectable dress!
We met weekly in a local pub and amazingly kept minutes. We produced newsletters but this was a struggle – we had to find a duplicator, write and produce the newsletters and distribute by hand. These were the days before the internet and many people didn’t even have a landline phone.
The group in The Gardeners’ Arms in Newcastle-Under-Lyme. Our meeting venue for several years
We had many challenging debates, but these also led to wide ranging campaigns and actions. Among the issues (and activities) we focussed on were:
- Pregnancy testing service set up
- Campaigning on abortion
- Adoption of a female Chilean prisoner
- Setting up a theatre group to perform various plays as part of campaigning
- Taking part in anti-fascist activities
- Consciousness raising group
- Setting up a food coop which moved from house to house
- Affiliating to Community Health Council to work for improvements in family planning and women’s health.
- Engaging with women on a local housing estate to set up a children’s centre.
- And of course, the inevitable jumble sales to raise money for the above!
Page from a newsletter, 4 April 1979
Original newsletter articles with introductions by Sheila & Joan
What follows are articles from our newsletter which we kept from our time in NSWAG. They’re reproduced exactly as we printed them back then. Almost 50 years later we’ve written brief introductions.
Violence Against Women
After a series of murders between 1975 and 1980 in Yorkshire, the police advised women not to go out at night. Many groups took to the streets at night demanding the streets be made safe for women. Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, was eventually convicted of these murders.
NSWAG got permission from the police to hold a march through Tunstall on a Tuesday evening. We were accompanied by two rather bored police officers. To the surprise of the police we ended the march at Jollees, a local night club where the comedian Bernard Manning was performing his well known anti mother-in-law and misogynistic jokes. We made a lot of noise, jumped up and down and harassed the punters going in.
There is no record of the writer of this article.
Introduction written by Joan and Sheila 23/4/2026
RECLAIM THE NIGHT – from a N Staffs Women’s Action Group newsletter
The first thing to do in writing about the R. T. N. march of March 20th, is to thank everyone who took part and helped in any way to get the evening off the ground, i.e. leafletting, fly-posting etc., and a special thanks to Barbara for her superb and striking posters. A thanks too, to those men who supported us so well and brought fresh impetus.
On thinking back, there are lessons to be learnt about the organisation of such an event. As Joan suggested, it would be good to have a meeting prior to the night to decide at what point we disband etc. Nevertheless, the evening was a good experience, and the “magic” of the clamour outside Jollees will remain. Lovely it was, until the police spoilt it, ruffling the salacious expectations of those men out for an evening of visual rape.
Longton is not a town renowned for a sizzling night-life (it’s not called “neck-end” for nothing) and Longton on a Tuesday is rather like London after the plague… there are few people about! But what we knew, tho’ the police didn’t, was that Longton on this particular Tuesday would be invaded by a peculiar specie of animal known, optimistically, as men (of a certain type). Hence, Jollees was our prime target. You all know the events of that night….. Perhaps you have not heard the sequel?
Maggie was summoned on Wednesday, by the inspector who had “allowed” us to march, to present herself at the police station that evening. (Maggie had a rotten day after receiving this phone call!!) We both went, having phoned around first to find a solicitor who would be prepared to come with us (Bolger of Stevens & Co. Meir) as we didn’t know whether we were going to be charged or what. Anyway, to cut a long story short, after smacking our wrists for about 20 mins the inspector said: “You knew you were going to Jollees, why didn’t you tell me?”
Maggie: (demure and totally convincing) “that was my fault, you see, when I phoned you, out of courtesy, to tell you about the march, you were not very keen to let us have it. And I thought if I mentioned Jollees as well, you DEFINITELY wouldn’t let us.”
Inspector: (Allowing himself the faint glimmer of a smile) “You know, ever since I knew about it, I kept asking myself, ‘Why Longton; why not Hanley… and why Longton on a Tuesday? As you know, I left you to get on with it, and it wasn’t until I had a call over my radio about what was happening outside Jollees, that it all clicked into place… and I thought, so THAT’S IT.”
Hurrah for the British bobbies!
Joan (far left) and Sheila (2nd from right) still marching. In Chester about 2023.
WAR, WAR, WAR (Women Against Rape)
The article was probably written sometime in 1978. We don’t remember who wrote it and there is no name identified in the original. It is interesting to note the police response to a request for information.
WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.WAR.
In December 1977 , a twelve year old girl was raped in Clayton (the rapist remains free) and this became a talking point for three of us who live close to the where the rape happened and two other friends who live out of the immediate area. We talked at first about the anger we felt about this crime and later decided it would be great if we could do something to make our anger known.
As there was only five of us, none having a clue as to how we would set about ‘doing’, we decided to approach Stoke Women’s Action to see if they were interested in supporting us and helping us to get the thing off the ground. They were……. And it has been mainly due to their enterprise, financial help and knowledge that work has begun.
Gill O., Gill G. , Joan and Val (who has now left the area) came to meetings held in Clayton where it was decided to write to the following:
Chief Constable of Staffs. Re statistics for rape and indecent assault cases. (This request brought two plain-clothes police persons to Paddy’s flat wanting to know all manner of things hardly relevant to such an innocuous query.) As yet no figures have been forthcoming…….
MP Jack Ashley .. who has replied but he needn’t have bothered, unless he felt he wanted practice in ‘how to be non-committal and be loved by the electorate’ ……..
the Rape Crisis Centre in London….who have sent us their first report and some leaflets…..
headquarters of WAR in London asking to affiliate… they’ve sent us a pile of information..
a general circular to people we thought may be able to help our information gathering, e.g. Samaritans, Probation Service, Social Services etc. Two replies so far, one from CHC, the other from Hanley P.O. both suggesting (ironically) that we write to the Chief Constable of Staffordshire. The less said about that the better.
(NCCL have now also replied.)
You can read more original articles from the N Staffs Women’s Action Group’s newsletters by following this link