Brighton Voice: Difference between revisions

 

''Brighton Voice'' was intended to be issued monthly but usually managed about nine issues a year. The [[collective]] approach, which allowed anyone who wanted to to turn up at monthly editorial meetings and to participate in production led to slow decision making and lengthy editorial meetings. These were initially held in people's homes although in the early days it was difficult to find space for all those who wanted to contribute.<ref name= "Voice 87"/> Subsequently, editorial meetings were held at the “Open Café”, an anarchist, whole-foods restaurant on Victoria Road in Brighton. <ref>The Argus. 9 February 2002. Big Bruno to the very end.[http://www.theargus.co.uk/archive/2002/02/09/Brighton+Hove+Archive/5136601.Big_Bruno_to_the_very_end/ ]</ref> The ''Voice'' was typed and laid out in the basement of the café. Subsequently, it moved to several other locations in Brighton and Hove.

Distribution of the magazine caused problems. Most newsagents were reluctant to stock it, either because of disagreement with the contents or fear of legal action. In 1976 the local [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Member of Parliament, [[Andrew Bowden]], wrote to all the newsagents in his constituency advising them not to sell the ''Voice'' because the collective included “a number of left-wing extremists” responsible for “churning out deliberate lies and political filth”. Two years later, local fascists responded to the ''Voice'''s campaign against the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] by smashing windows of some newsagents. <ref name= "Anon">Anon, "Brighton Voice" in Crispin Aubrey, Charles Landry, Dave Morley, Here is the other news: challenges to the local commercial press, pp47-53. Minority Press Group, 1980</ref> However, around 25 retailers remained faithful, with a dozen continuing to sell it to the end of its life.