victor: At oe Anti-Colour Bar Organisetion)
j i i loyees at the A tial victory has been won over the licensee and emp ‘Mechantel Arms", the colour bar pub in Nottingham which was the subject of an article in the last issue of The Week. On Friday, June 30th, between 30 and 40 people, black and white, went to the pub soon after 6,30 pm., intending to hold a "drink=in" if coloured men were not served. That is, they would each have one small cheap drink which would last them until closing time - a ploy which can result in cutting the pub's takings to an all-time low. Although the first group of about ten, including one West Indian, was not initially able to buy drinks, the situation changed as more mixed groups came into the pub and everybody was served, It was noticeable, however, that the licensee's wife avoided serving coloured people, turning her back on those who requested drinks while her husband took over the orders! The reason for this apparent change of attitude is twofold: we have reason to believe that the police have added some pressure to that already provided by demonstrations reported last week, Of course the police have acted all along in such a way as to play the whole thing down, even giving the lice ensee no assistance when he wished to turn cut the demonstrators. On Friday however, policemen remained outside the pub for most of the evening in a police car, and a Black Maria was spotted in the area! At a further meeting in a more congenial pub, it was agreed that this matter must not rest there, as the colour bar may well have been lifted for the pleasure of the Nottingham City Police for this one occasion only, and that it would be necessary to carry out more individual test cases sporadically in the future, It was also agreed that an organisation be set up to fight the colour bar in Nottingham and a Committee was duly elected, consisting of Mr, Lyn, Comrade Homri MacLean, George Dowe, Ernest Whittingham, Roy Whittingham (all West Indians), Dennis Smith (Guinanian), June Carr, Barry Donlan, Bob Gregory, Brian Simister and Jill Westby (English), The Committee is to hold its first meeting this week, and the future development of the Mechanics issue in particular, and the activities of the new organisation will be further reported in The Week,