UK News
The Two Savage Sisters
Dolores and Marian Price had the IRA’s cause instilled in them from childhood.
Their father Albert a life-long IRA man now in Eire, is still on the security forces list of wanted men.
One of their aunts was blown up and partially blinded by a bomb she was carrying. Dolores and Marian both highly intelligent student teachers, soaked up their fathers bitterness and extreme views.
Their home in the Anderson Town district of Belfast is in the very heart of the rebel area, described by the girls themselves as being a Catholic ghetto.
As soon as they were old enough, they joined junior republican organisations and graduated to the women’s section of the IRA, the Cumann Na Mban but it was too tame for them.
They wanted real action and found it at the barricades, wherever there was a fight or ambush there were the two pretty young girls and their boyfriends.
Even the most ruthless IRA provos marvelled at Dolores tenacity. Seamus Twomey invited her to join the elite brigade staff.
Training to become a teacher and taking religious studies and art as her two specialist subjects was an ideal cover for her real ambition, to be a provo leader and to forge a link between the world’s anarchists.
Marian, an intelligence officer, was not ambitious for promotion. She was happy enough with the fighting, sniping at soldiers or cuddling in a car with her boyfriend and running away minutes before the bomb hidden under a seat was due to explode.
She practices rifle shooting on secret ranges in the hills and later her sister Dolores became a crack shot with an Armalite riifle.
The two sisters planned and executed the daring escape of internee James Brown, 2nd in command of the Belfast provo brigade.
They sprung him after he had been moved to a hospital for an appendix operation. Neither sister ever expressed pity or sorrow for the fact that 216 were injured in the London blasts.
Sympathy for the victims was no part of their code.
Peace Hopes Rise
Ambulance strikers in bid to break deadlock
Hopes rose last night for an early settlement to the ambulance drivers strike in County Durham. The 325 strikers asked council chairman Councillor Don Watson to intervene to try to break the deadlock between the men and the health committee.
And then both sides got round the table for the first time since the strike began Monday.
But late last night Councillor Robson warned that there was no possibility of a settlement before tomorrow. Earlier the men had accused `county medical officer Dr Stanley Ludkin of using smear tactics to try to prejudice public opinion.
They denied his claim that pickets delayed admission of a patient suffering a coronary thrombosis to a Chester-Le-Street hospital on Tuesday.
Meanwhile the first casualty handled by the volunteer ambulance drivers in Durham died in hospital yesterday.
Housewife Mrs Margaret Walton daughter of a county council health official was knocked down outside her home in Hylton Road Ferry-Hill on Monday.
There were more angry scenes at depots throughout the county yesterday as irate pickets challenged volunteer crews reporting for duty.
A crowd surrounded a volunteer male nurse at the Wheatley Hill depot and threats were made after he refused to give his name.
The men have planned a mass meeting and protest march tomorrow. The strikers will walk from their temporary headquarters in a local working men’s club and demonstrate outside County Hall.
Ambulance men in 13 more areas have joined the dispute and the federation of Ambulance Personel demanded yesterday that the Government should intervene immediately to prevent a worsening service throughout Britain.
The call came in a state by the Unions general secretary Mr Ernest Alan-Brook who wants Social Services Secretary Sir Keith Joseph to step in.
Ambulancemen in 24 areas, nearly a 5th of England’s ambulance authorities, are now operating accident and emergency services only.
I Copied Secret BBC Files
I copied secret BBC files, says studio manager
by Dennis Ellam
Studio manager Keith Crowe took BBC documents from the secret files at his work, photo copied them overnight then returned them the next morning. Among them were libellous memos, it was alleged yesterday.
They were written by his boss, Mr John Gordon, Belfast High Court was told.
Mr Crowe, 43, is seeking damages from Mr Gordon and the BBC for seven alleged libels circulated to senior executives in confidential memos and reports.
Mr Crowe took them from a filing cabinet in administration offices at BBC’s Belfast headquarters where he worked on music programmes. “I took the papers, made a photostat of them, then returned them to the BBC the next morning” said Mr Crowe. “It did not involve any secrecy as I was known at the BBC offices. I simply went up in the lift and went into the office were the files were kept.”
Mr Crowe denied he had also examined the secret files kept on his colleagues at the studio.
Mr Donald Hartridge now a studio manager for the BBC in Manchester, said “Mr Gordon and Mr Crowe had a ‘heated exchange’ over a girl studio assistant, Miss Christine Gilbert.”
Mr Gordon had excused her from work on early morning programmes but while he was on holiday Mr Crowe was in charge of the rota and he placed on one 6.30a.m shift.
Fans Stone Train
A football special train was ‘bombed’ with stones by rival fans as it sped through a station at 50 miles an hour, a court was told yesterday.
Windows were smashed and three passengers and two railway policemen were injured by stones and flying glass.
The train was carrying 300 Birmingham City supporters home from the First Division game against Leeds United at Elland Road.
Mr Peter Fingret, prosecuting at Wakefield West Riding Juvenile Court, said a gang of Leeds fans went by train to Northampton, near Wakefield, and waited for the Birmingham train to pass through.
They decided to bomb it with stones and ballast from the track. Two passengers were cut on the hand and arm and another got glass in his eye. The two policemen were hot on the arm by stones. One of the youths later told police: “Some of the Birmingham lads held scarves out the train windows to torment us.”
Ten youths aged 11 to 16 admitted endangering the safety of passengers , throwing stones at the train and also causing damage totalling £58.50. All were ordered to spend 34 hours at an attendance centre. Seven were also fined £25, and three £10, and all ordered to pay £6.85 costs.
Another five who did not take part in the stone throwing were each fined £5 with £1 costs for for trespassing on the railway.
Court Told of Lovers who Left Dead Baby
Lovers Stella Miller and Robert Clifford strolled from their flat hand in hand swinging their arms.
They appeared as if they did not have a care in the world, a court was told yesterday. But behind them in a cot lay the tiny battered body of Millers 20 month old son Mark covered in 88 bruises.
The couples morning stroll was to a nearby phone box to call an ambulance said Mr Martin Collins QC, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court.
Yet when ambulance men arrived at the flat Clifford greeted them with the words “ He’s dead.”
They found Mark’s chest and stomach covered in bruises and weals. The night before he added a neighbour at the flats in Greenway Road Specs, Liverpool, had heard a baby crying and Clifford shouting.
There was then a loud scream from the baby and then no more noise said Mr Collins. It was the next morning that the couple were seen strolling from the flat and seeming not to have a care in the world.
Miller,21 , and Clifford, 26, both plead not guilty to the murder of Mark.
The case before Mr Justice Kilner Brown is expected to last nine days.
County Fears Caravan Invasion
A SLIP-UP in White hall caused consternation among officials at the prospect of thousands of people being able to park caravans in their front gardens.
It has been created by the introduction of the new Local Government Act, which comes into force next April and repeals sections of other Acts.
Based on one of these sections, is part of the Surrey county council Act which gives local authorities their power to stop people parking caravans in front gardens.
Mr Edward Green, deputv clerk of leatherhead Urban Council discovered the loophole.
He said “Up until now we would give people permission to park their caravans if they were screened by trees. If they weren’t, we always said no. The effect of one caravan in a street can be very unsightly—just imagine what effect a whole street full of caravans would have.”
Now local authorities are pressing through the County Council Association for measures to close the loophole.
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said it would be willing to discuss the position.
House Scheme Falls Down
by Daily Mail Reporter
Cost explosion sends ‘cheap homes’ up 60%
Soaring costs are wrecking a scheme for council tenants to buy new homes at rock bottom prices with 100% mortgages.
Earlier this year tenants as Bodmin, Cornwall, were told that semi=-detached houses were to be built by a Torquay firm, could be theirs for £3,350.
But now the shock – prices will be at least £5,250 for the first 20 homes , and probably a great deal more for the other 42 planned.
When the idea was first proposed the council agreed to sell the plots to the builder at only £70 each. Twenty applicants quickly signed contracts. But these contained escalation clauses.
Now Mr Wilfrid Broomfield, 67, who controls the building company – Statham – with his wife, has announced a massive price increase with only the foundations for the first three houses laid.
He said “The way costs have gone in the last few months, if we were to sell now at even £3,750 we would be losing at least £1000 on each of these 20 houses. Unless the people who want to buy can go ahead at my new price, then I can’t build at all. And there is no doubt that the remaining 42 would have to be a great deal more.
Mr Ivor Whitling, Bodmin Town Clerk, said ” The whole scheme was designed to allow people to buy houses who could otherwise not afford it.”
“Where this now puts council tenants who would have had to have had 100% mortgages on the original price, I just don’t know. Obviously most of them just can’t afford to go on and those council houses which we had hoped to be able to let as a result to people on our long list will just remain occupied.”
In By The Left!
By Wilfrid Sendsll & George Lochhead
112 Votes Decide It
Mr Heath rode home tiumphant last night with a majority of 112 for British entry into Europe, a figure that exceeded all hopes and boosted the aim of winning “full hearted” consent.
The result of 356 votes to 244 was attained by a massive revolt of Labour MP’s, who despite intense pressure and a three line whip , flocked into the Government lobby behind deputy leader Mr Roy Jenkins and left leader Mr Wilson reeling in defeat.
Over one third of Labour MP’s supported the Tory Government either by votes or by abstention, and the Shadow Cabinet itself was split in half. It is a situation which tears open a rift not only in the parliamentary party but with the anti Market trades unions and party conference and must call into question the leadership of Mr Wilson.
After the vote Mr Heath said “Todays’s decision has been reached by a clear majority of the elected representatives of the people, men and women who, irrespective of party political differences, share the conviction that this decision is right for their country.
This is the outcome of years of patient negotiations by Governments of both parties. It marks the of ten years of debate. Now we stand ready to take our first step into a new world full of opportunities.
Our historic decision has been made. The British people accept the challenge. Let us show the ourselves to the that new world as we would wish it to see us, confident, proud and strong.”
The dramatic size of the Government’s majority now makes it extremely difficult for the Tory anti Marketeers to continue the battle against legislation in the coming session to take Britain into the European Community.
As for Labour, Mr Wilson admitted it was a “very disturbing result.” he said he hoped Mr Robert Mellish would stand again for the post of Opposition Chief Whip though Mr Mellish himself was saying he was “seriously considering” whether to accept re-nomination.
Mr Wilson claimed he had been able to work very closely with Mr Jenkins and he would work with the deputy leader “whoever it might be.” He said that “our one first purpose will be to reunite the party as a coherent force.”
Meanwhile the Government Chief Whip, Mr Francis Pym, was happily analysing his figures.
It was calculated that 39 Tories voted against entry with two abstentions while on the Labour side 69 voted for and 19 abstained. A total of 282 Tories voted for entry.
This, it was claimed, meant that the Tory party carried the motion on it’s own by a majority of 38 over all others.
In the House when the final figures were announced a mighty shout if jubilation came from the pro-Europe men, and of course the Prime Minister looked very pleased indeed.
Within the Labour Party, however, was dissension, “Why don’t you cheer with them?” Mrs Barbara Castle snapped at Mr Jenkins. All forgotten were the promises Mr Wilson had made as the six day debate neared it’s end.
“Today,” he had told the House, “is not the end. It is the beginning.”
Then came a pledge on the position of a future Labour Government in the event of Britain joining the Marketin, say, 1973 or 1974.
Mr Wilson said “It is a fact that one Parliament cannot bind it’s successor. But we recognise what is involved in a treaty signature.”
To Labour cheers he went on “We would immediately give notice that we could not accept the terms negotiated by the Tories and, in particular, the unacceptable burdens arising out of the common agricultural policy, the blows to the Commonwealth, and any threats to our essential regional policies.
“If the Community then refused to negotiate, or if negotiations were to fail, we would sit down amicably and discuss the situation with them. The Community could accept, or decide that we should agree to part.”
Shades of Frances’s late President de Gaulle and his vetoes of 1963 and 1967?
Mr Wilson slammed Mr Heath’s claim to have a mandate for Market entry and shouted for
the policy to be decided by “the free vote of a free British people.”
But it was, in the event, decided by the men on the spot. Triumph for Mr Heath. Disaster for Mr Wilson.
Tycoon tells of his gifts of love
The multi-millionaire who said it with £250,000 went to the High Court yesterday to ask for his love gifts back from London society beauty Mrs Patricia Wolfson
They were bought, said 53 year old Ralph Stolkin, American oil tycoon worth £100 Million during an eight month jet-set romance around the world’s capitals with 32-year-old Mrs Wolfson, former wife of a nephew of Sir Isaac Wolfson.
The presents, Mr Stolkin declared, were conditional on their being married.
“I told her I enjoyed giving her these things” said Mr Stolkin “and as long as we were going to be married everything I had was hers anyway”
But he told the judge, Mrs Wolfson broke off the engagement. Now he is seekin the return of gifts worth £250,000, including the Knightsbridge flat.
