Reference Code
GB243 T/SOR/40
Title
John Frew Collection
Dates of Creation
1970s – 1990s
Extent
I archive box and 26.4MB
Name of Creators
Material collected by John Frew.
Level of Description
Fonds
Administrative History
John Frew was involved in politics from an early age. During the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s he was an active member of The Clydeside Anarchists, worked on the West End Crimes news-sheet amongst others with Autonomy Press in The Glasgow Collective Bookshop and was active in the Anti-Poll Tax campaign, Anti Nazi League and the Miners Strike. He was heavily involved in student politics in the 1980’s and was Editor of a number of publications including: Limited Edition; 57°North, North East Green Diary; Techbeat and numerous student publications
In 1986, while a student at Glasgow Caledonian he co-founded MediaTech, a multimedia event and production organisation. MediaTech were involved in many projects, from multi-media events to a forty minute video production called Double Exposure, edited and produced in the University TV studios and filmed on location in Glasgow. All the events where filmed. MediaTech also organised gigs which highlighted local and student talent.
In 1989 John founded The Shadow, also part of MediaTech, a magazine produced in Bearsden. he was both responsible for all aspects of the magazine: production; distribution; finance; design and editing.
John was also involved, mainly in the design of publicity materials, with many community based groups including: Mischief La Bas; Cosy Comedy Club; Drink and Drug Abuse (Ayrshire and Arran Health Board); Glasgow’s first International Film Festival and the Bowling Community Gala.
He was the Graphic Designer for Framingo Records, a record label he and three friends created. They released ten CD’s and three 7” singles, John designed the labels and sleeves and any publicity to promote the CD’s and vinyl. They also organized showcase gigs which John designed the publicity material for.
He was also involved in Radio Gladice, a Gay pirate radio station, as DJ Adams Adam. John is also a political poet and an occasional stand up comic. He was recently a committee member of the Paisley Photographic Society. John sadly passed away after a long illness on 26 December 2022.
Scope and Content
This collection includes: hand made posters for music and political events; political collage; magazines; news-sheets; serials (including student publications); newspaper cuttings and materials relating to: the miners strike; the anti-poll tax movement; the direct action movement; free festivals; the Free University Network; Variant magazine and Radio Gladice (including four mixed tapes by DJ Adams Adam).
System of Arrangement
Items have been arranged according to subject and record type. The following items have been removed to construct complete, or near complete, runs of publications from individual collections. This decision was taken by Spirit of Revolt to reduce duplications and make the publications more accessible to researchers:
Class War, Bash The Rich, 1985 (T/SOR/10).
Direct Action, No’s 15, 26, 44 (T/SOR13).
Custodial History
Material collected and held by John Frew.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
John Frew
Appraisal, Destruction, Scheduling
Appraised according to the Spirit of Revolt appraisal policy.
Accruals
Further accruals expected.
Access Conditions
Open
Copyright Reproduction
Application for reproduction should be made to the Spirit of Revolt group.
Existence of Copies
No known copies.
Finding Aids
Descriptive list available at Glasgow City Archives and on the Spirit of Revolt website.
Publication Note
No known publications.
Related collections
Other Spirit of Revolt (Ref: T/SOR) collections held at Glasgow City Archives.
Date(s) of Description
Compiled by Paula Larkin (Project Archivist), August 2019.
1 |
Posters An eclectic range of posters including: Media Tech gigs at Glasgow Polytechnic; Thrust; popprotest art exhibition, Glasgow Book Collective; The Pleasure Tendency; Banjax The Poll Tax; West End Crimes (anarchist news sheet); EXPERi—MENTAL…Films∙Booze∙Band∙Promiscuity∙Anti-Disco; Reclaim May-Day and political collages. View on line and other options |
|||
2 |
Serials |
|||
1 |
ANOK4U2. Read on line and other options. |
n.d. |
||
2 |
An Phoblacht, Republican News. Read on line and other options. |
16 August 1990 |
||
3 |
Carn, A Link Between The Celtic Nations No.63 Autumn 1988. Read on line and other options. |
1988 |
||
4 |
Black Bairn, Forthside Anarchist News-Sheet. Read on line and other options. |
March 1984 |
||
5 |
Clydeside Anarchist Issue no.2, Summer 1984. Read on line and other options. |
1984 |
||
6 |
eradicate. Read on line and other options. |
n.d. |
||
7 |
Festival News + Views Two issues: No.2½ May 1987 and No. 3 June 1987. Read on line and other options. |
1987 |
||
8 |
The Heretic, Issue One, Student Special. Read on line and other options. |
October 1993 |
||
9 |
The Glasgow Keelie No. 5 Available online at http://www.workerscity.org/keelie/nov_1990.html |
Nov 90 |
||
10 |
Practical Anarchy, Glasgow’s Revolutionary Newspaper Three issues: 5th April 1984; 25th June 1984 and one with no date. Also includes two A5 flyers: A CLYDESIDE ANARCHIST collective ? and Handy hints – DESTROY that which would destroy you… Read on line and other options.
|
1984 | ||
11 |
Re-fuse Collection E.K. Anarchists News Sheet. Read on line and other options. |
May/June 1984 |
||
12 |
Refuse and Resist, News From Local Anti-Poll Tax Groups. No.3. Read on line and other options. |
April/May 1990 |
||
13 |
The Scorcher Issue 1 (2 copies) also includes an A3 poster. Read on line and other options. |
January 1986 |
||
14 |
Scottish Workers Republíc Scottish Republican Socialist Party. Read on line and other options. |
n.d. |
||
15 |
The Shadow Winter 90-1 no.1. Read on line and other options. |
1990 – 1991 |
||
16 |
Skint The newspaper of the West of Scotland Area National Union of Students Issue 4. Read on line and other options. |
September/ October 1990 |
||
17 |
c1987 |
|||
18 |
Stonehenge 86 Campaign News-sheet Polytrantric Newsletter No 17. Read on line and other options. |
Feb 1986 |
||
19 |
Strike Back! Issue No 5. Read on line and other options. |
May 1984 |
||
20 |
Stuff Xmas 2 copies. Read on line and other options. |
nd |
||
21 |
The Captive Voice, An Glór Gafa. The Voice of the Irish Republican Prisoners of War. Vol. 2. No. 2. Summer 1990. Read on line and other options. |
1990 |
||
22 |
Violence & Nonviolent Action. Read on line and other options. |
nd |
||
23 |
West End Crimes, Maryhill Anarchists News-sheet issues No.1 and No. 2 (3 copies). Read on line and other options. |
April – August 1984 |
||
3 |
Miner’s Strike Includes: newspaper cutting and news-sheet about the occupation of Price Waterhouse offices in Glasgow and The Real Reason for Pit Closures news-sheet. Read on line and other options. |
1984-1985 |
||
4 |
The Pleasure Tendency. Includes a note to John Frew from The Pleasure Tendency with the fliers Conservation of the Monument (2 copies). Read on line and other options. |
20 May 1986 |
||
5 |
Free University Network (F.U.N.) Includes: Free University – The First Year and a programme for Scratch Parliament. Read on Line and other options. |
1988 |
||
6 |
Radio Gladice, 101FM 241MW 1242KHZ AM, Includes: Radio Gladice Station Structure and four mixed tapes by DJ Adams Adam. Read on line and other options. |
1989 |
||
7 |
Miscellaneous |
|||
1 |
Direct Action Movement. Includes:Organisational Basis – A). Statement of Organisation of the Direct Action Movement (passed at conference, Leeds, 30/6/79) and Syndicalism Defined, Direct Action Movement, c/o164-166 Corn Exchange Buildings, hanging Ditch, Manchester M4 3BN. Read on line and other options. |
1979 |
||
2 |
1968: What Really Happened. In Their Own Words. New-sheet with reprints from 1968. Read on line and other options. |
nd |
||
3 |
Variant magazine. Includes A4 sheet about the forthcoming publication of Variant and a press release from 1990. Read on line and other options. |
1984 – 1990 |
||
8 |
Newspaper Cuttings Includes photocopy of two newspaper articles: Student protest disrupts Minister’s college visit by Eric McKenzie, The Scotsman 21 October 1988 and Student Protest mars launch of college company by Eilzabeth Buie, Glasgow Herald, 21 October 1988. Also includes, The secret of Thistle’s winning habit, The Glaswegian 13 January 1994. Read on line and other options. |
1988 – 1994 |
||