Archives of Valerie Argent and Andrew Roberts

ArcAandV

All collections of Andrew and Valerie (Argent) Roberts. Located at 177 Glenarm Road, London, E50NB. No public access. Some material is being made available on the web and the possibility of future public archiving is being investigated. During 2012 the main focus will be on cataloguing the collection.

In the book lists, books marked [AandV] are in the collection at 177 Glenarm Road.

Link to Community Archives and Heritage Group cataloguing guidelines
Link to Anne Plumb Collection
Link to Survivor history Histories - Libraries - Archives
Link to Social history archives

1899

FOLDER: CHARLOTTE MEW
Photocopy of Freda Mew's case notes 1899-1909 received by Andrew Roberts from Tony Martin 7.6.2007. The catalogue entry for the book from which these are copied is:
" Reference: HO4/E2
Case book (female - indexed) of admissions between 1898 - 1902 (NB. some case notes cover the period 1898-1909)
Creation dates: 1898-1902; (1909)
Extent and Form: 1 volume"

Richard Smout, County Archivist, adds that
The registers have no title, but merely have the words Isle of Wight County Asylum on the front of the volume. There is a loose sheet inside this volume which may be contemporary. It is headed
Case Book
(By order of the Commissioners in Lunacy)
This body clearly inspects the books annually as dated signatures of two members of the Commission appear on the first blank page in the book.
The sheet states that the initial details, which are specified, must be entered in the case book within seven days of the admission of the patient. It then goes on to say that
"Subsequent entries describing the course and progress of the case, and recording the medical and other treatment, with the results, shall be made in the case book for patients at the times herein-after mentioned, that is to say: once at least in every week during the first month after reception, and oftener when necessary; afterwards, in recent or curable cases, once at least in every month, and in chronic cases, subject to little variation, once in every three months. But all special circumstances affecting the patient, including seclusion and medical restraint, and all accidents and injuries, must be at once recorded."

VR1962/1965 Medical
Valerie Argent's medical (GP) file

THM/MG 1.11.1962
1.11.1962 Letter from "T.H. MacLeod, Registrar to Dr J.B. Randell, Physician in Psychological Medicine" (Out Patient's department of Charing Cross Hospital) to Valerie's GP (Dr G.A.K. Steed, "Sark", 222 Abbs Cross Lane, Hornchurch, Essex). The Registrar wrote that she suffered from "endogenous depression of suicidal proportions". The full letter reference is THM/MG/R.7290.

DB/KM 22.1.1963
Tuesday 22.1.1963 Letter from "Dr D. Barker MB-BS Psychiatric Registrar" to Valerie's GP (The Dr G.A.K. Steen) "I saw this young girl for Dr Crocket on Monday, 21st January 1963". "we propose to begin therapy here by bringing her in to the hospital for a weekend in the first instance"

RSBM/FT 25.3.1963
25.3.1963 Letter from Ronald St Blaize Molony to Dr Bartlett, Education Department, County Hall. He was trying to get a place for her in a boarding school.

RSBM/FT 7.10.1963
7.10.1963 Letter from Ronald St Blaize Molony, Senior Psychiatrist, to Dr Brown,

RSBM/FT 17.3.1964
17.3.1964 Letter from Ronald St Blaize Molony, Senior Psychiatrist, to Dr David Shaw, The Belmont Hospital, Brighton Road, Sutton, Surrey.

BHCS1964
(31.3.1964-30.5.1964) Belmont Hospital Case Summary

RSBM/FT25.9.1964
25.9.1964 Letter from Ronald St Blaize Molony, Senior Psychiatrist, to Dr J.J. Fleminger at Guy's Hospital saying unable to take Valerie back as an in-patient. See Ingrebourne 1963
22.10.1964 Letter from Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth

RC/MM 21.4.1965
21.4.1965 Letter from Richard Crocket to Dr S.E. Browne

MH/PT 3.8.1965
3.8.1965 Letter from Malcolm Heron, Assistant Psychiatrist, to Dr Browne.

1963

FOLDER: INGREBOURNE ARCHIVES

Incentive 9p June 1963

Undated: Ingrebourne

Andrew's manuscript "Breakdown" [AR1963 Breakdown] relates to 1963
36 sheets of scrap paper, hand-written (both sides) in blue fountain pen are about Ingrebourne and events preceding and succeeding. (June 1963 to autumn 1963). This was written after May 1965, and (I think) before April 1966. It draws on material written earlier.

Small maps: Romford (showing Oldchurch Hospital) and Hornchurch and Upminster (showing St George's Hospital).

Ingrebourne Centre Ground Plan [AR1963Plan] - Drawn by Andrew

Adapted lyrics: "I'm shy Doctor Barker I'm shy" - "Food, glorious food" - "A little bitty tear" - "He'll have to go - Or the lament of a frustrated male".

5.7.1963 Andrew's manuscript "Early reactions to Ingrebourne" [AR 5.7.1963]

Incentive - the Centre magazine 1/- November 1963

Joint Folder: Bit extracts with Copeman and Heavy Daze in "BIT AND COPE" FOLDER in MAGAZINES BOX
I only kept extracts from BIT publications. They are with COPE. the folder is generally in chronological order.
BIT 24 Hour free Information and Help Service (London) 1968
"BIT is the June 1968 brainwave of Hoppy in jail and the name is to indicate that BIT evolved out of International Times (IT)...though BIT also = Binary Information Transfer, 'the smallest unit of information that can be processed by a computer', in memory of the original aim of computerising the service." (Emergency Bitman no.5 1.3.1973)
About February 1974, BIT had "been going 5½ years". (Back page Introducing Copeman)

from Emergency Bitman No.5 1.3.1973 pages 2 to 10. History of BIT
Bitman special Robin issue (No.6) is not in the archive
COPE (Community Organisation for Psychiatric Emergencies founded 1973)
Grew out of the bosom of BIT

29.6.1973 Notices about the formation of a "Crisis Centre" were sent out to several papers and the following week the first meeting was held. (Copeman 3 page 7)
Bitman 7 is not in the archive. It contained "a short article on Page 10 about some people hoping to start a 'crisis centre'. Bitman 8, page 8

from Bitman 8 Late September 1973 pages 7 to 16. Robin Farquharson, COPE, MPU ETC: headed COPE MAN/WOMAN
Leter from George Firsof 1973 about Robin Farquharson
Capter 3 from "Robin's book on the Alternative Society" (sent by George Firsof) headed "The World of the Transformed)
"Crazy, Man, Crazy - interview with Peter Breggib by Ron Lichty of UPS reprinted from OPS news service.
C.O.P.E.
Mental Patients Union Declaration
"Bummer! What to do about freaking out (LNS)" by Michael Glenn, Radical Therapist
Some "perhaps more light-hearted suggestions" from Cathy from California who had spent a few weeks helping out around BIT "this summer"
News from the Edinburgh Festival (Private Eye account of R.D. Laing and colleague's material desires plus BIT leak about David Cooper.

Introducing Copeman (Received February 1974)
from Bitman 10 March 1974. page X: Selections from the work of Robin Farquharson
from Bit-being 11 May 1974. COPE
Copeman 2
Copeman 3
Copeman 4 Winter 1974 [Gives dates for:
Copeman 1: Spring 1974
Copeman 2: Summer 1974
Copeman 3: Autumn 1974
from Bit Better 13 Spring 1975: Various cuttings
[Heavy Daze and Bitter-Sweet (below) printed. Previous publications A4 duplicated]
Heavy Daze (formerly Copeman) [Later called "Heavy Daze no.5"]
from Bitter-Sweet No.14 (Autumn 1975?) Alternative bookshops and publishers
Heavy Daze no.6
"It is a year now since Heavy Daze 5 appeared". (contains a report of the Butler Report which was published in October 1975)