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

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.

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"

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.

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

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

(31.3.1964-30.5.1964) Belmont Hospital Case Summary

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

21.4.1965 Letter from Richard Crocket to Dr S.E. Browne

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)

  • MPU Archives Box in the bottom drawer of the MPU CABINET: Main contents MPU 1973

    Also contain records of SUMP (Scottish Union of Mental Patients. Tommy Ritchie's records [1971] - HACKNEY MENTAL PATIENTS' ASSOCIATION [1981] - PHOENIX PATIENTS' COLLECTIVE [1983] - HMHAG [Hackney Mental Health Action Group [1984]. CHC User's Group 1991 and City and Hackney Mental Health News April 1991. Also a "Patients' Voice. General" file for national and international oddments: Includes leaflet about BRIXTON COMMUNITY SANCTUARY, Spring 1992. Photography exhibition by Survivors at Shoreditch May 1993.

    1971 Scottish Union of Mental Patients [SUMP]

    PLASTIC FOLDER: SUMP SCOTTISH UNION OF MENTAL PATIENTS. This contains a brown notebook and a folder of papers.

    BROWN NOTEBOOK: Has two items, each beginning at one end of the notebook:

    Journal of SUMP's DAYS

    SUMP Membership ["Turn book upside down for Journal"]

    FOLDER OF PAPERS: "SUMP DOCUMENTS: Property of Thomas Ritchie, 12 Berwin Road, SE24. 01-674-7611" (Andrew Roberts' handwriting)

    A photocopy of the SUMP archives, made 23.6.2012, has been deposited in the Oor Mad History archive in Edinburgh.

    1972- Madness Network News

    MAGAZINES BOX

    Vol.2 no.1 1973
    Vol.2 no.2 February 1974
    Vol.2 no.3 June 1974
    Vol.2 no.4 September 1974
    Vol.2 no.5 December 1974 Special Issue: Prison Psychiatry.

    Vol.3 no.6 February 1975 [That is what it says]

    Vol.3 no.1 April 1975
    Vol.3 no.2 July 1975
    Vol.3 no.3 October 1975
    Vol.3 no.4 December 1975

    Vol.3 no.5 March 1976: Third World Issue
    Vol.3 no.6 1976: Women Look at Psychiatry

    Vol.4 no.1 October 1976: Sleep-in at Gov. Brown's Office

    Vol.5 No.1 Late Summer 1978 "To Hell with Their Profits. Stop Forced Drugging of Psychiatric Inmates"

    Vol.6 No.2 Winter 1981 Page one: The European Movement from an ex-inmate perspective, by Swan, an American activist travelling in Europe.

    Vol.6 No.3 Summer 1981 Starting page 12: European Convention on Human Rights and An Evening with Frits Winterwerp, by Swan.

    Vol.6 No.4 Winter 1981-1982 Page 8: NAPA Pickets Shock Shop, Berkeley, California, by Anne Boldt and Disabled Hold Law Conference, Toronto, Canada, by Judi Chamberlin. Starting page 10: The European Movement, by Swan includes PROMPT, INQUEST, MATTHEW O'HARA COMMITTEE and HACKNEY MENTAL PATIENTS' ASSOCIATION Page 16: "Democratic" Psychiatry in Italy by Swan

    Vol.6 No.5 Summer 1982
    Vol.6 No.6 Fall/Winter 1982 -1983

    Vol.7 No.1 Spring 1983
    Vol.7 No.2 Summer 1983
    Vol.7 No.3 Winter 1983-1984

    Vol.7 No.4 Fall 1984
    Vol.7 No.5 Winter 1985
    Vol.7 No.6 Summer 1985

    Vol.8 No.1 Fall 1985 "Fight Co-Option in the Anti-Psychiatry Movement"

    Vol.8 No.2 Spring 1986
    Vol.8 No.3 Summer 1986

    1973 Mental Patients Union [MPU1973]

    Irwin, Eric; Mitchell, Lesley; Durkin, Liz; Douieb, Brian. 1973 (December 1972?) The Need for a Mental Patients' Union. Some Proposals. [The Fish Pamphlet] MPUCABINET. FISH PAMPHLET. Letter about from Clive in Local Groups file.

    MPU PILOT COMMITTEE LEAFLET A Mental Patients' Union MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS.

    MPU PROVISIONAL DECLARATION. 21.3.1973 Headed: The Mental Patients' Union and final hand draft MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS. See also minutes of inaugural meeting.

    MPU DECLARATION. 7.4.1973 (and amended up to August 1975) Mental Patients Union Declaration of Intent
    MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS. Also in Rat Myth and Magic (45p edition) pp 60-61

    MPU ORGANIZATION, including
    Organisation of the Mental Patients' Union 7.4.1973
    MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS

    MPU INTRODUCTION LEAFLET An Introduction to the Mental Patients Union (Different versions) MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS

    MPU NEWSLETTER 1 (May/June 1973?), MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS

    MPU PARIS 30.6.1973. a) Article MPU News August 1973 b) Mental Patients' Union Attend Paris Conference. (leaflet) Both MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS People's New's Service 14.7.1973 reproduces leaflet; c) People's News Service 7.7.1973 "Protests at Treatment of German Political Prisoners" (A different report) MPU SCRAP BOOK p 17.

    MPU NEWSLETTER 2 (August 1973) MPUCABINET/PUBLICATIONS

    Mind Out No.1 Spring 1973

    PROMPT - CAPO - FRANK BANGAY

    ALPHABET CABINET/PROMPT

    FOLDER: FRANK BANGAY

    Contents listing

    Lawletter

    From November 1979 to December 1973.

    Fifteen of the 17 issues BROWN-CUPBOARD-A5

    1985

    Survivors Speak Out

    Perceptions. The Magazine of National Voices Forum

    Index

    1899 - 1962 - 1963 - 1968 - 1971 - 1985 -

    BIT

    CAPO

    COPE

    Frank Bangay

    Ingrebourne 1963

    Lawletter

    Madness Network News

    Mental Patients Union/s
    Mental Patients Union 1973

    Mew family 1899

    Middlesex University

    PROMPT

    Scottish Union of Mental Patients 1971

    Survivors Speak Out

    Valerie Argent 1962/1965

    Voices - Perceptions