Additional documents for January-October 1977 can be found here.
(1) Letter David Webb/NCROPA addressed “Dear Sir”,
Although the above letter is dated January 9, 1983, it was found in a ring binder that contained documents that date March 1973 to April 1977. It was placed at the beginning of January 1977, an orphan. As the man who placed it there is not able to explain why, I can only assume that the letter was sent out at the beginning of January 1977 – see document (2) below – and so-dated later. Although people often misdate early January correspondence the previous year, I cannot imagine anyone could make this sort of error. I can only suggest that David Webb used it as a template. At some point I may be in a position to solve the riddle for certain.
(2) An undated two page list, circa January 9, 1977
Re the above, see document (1) for what it appears to relate to.
(3) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Jonathan Dimbleby re Sex In Our Time, January 12, 1977
(4) Handwritten letter of inquiry apparently to NCROPA, January 15, 1977
The above alludes to a letter in the Northern Echo newspaper.
(5) Anonymous letter apparently to NCROPA, circa January 16, 1977
The above letter had a cutting attached. The letter itself was in the file between one dated January 15 – document (4) – and one sent by David Webb on January 17, 1977 (not included here) so was presumably was sent about that date. At this time, letters inquiring about NCROPA membership etc were overwhelmingly handwritten. Today of course they would be overwhelmingly e-mails.
(6) Anonymous letter apparently to NCROPA, circa January 17, 1977
(7) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Police Commissioner Sir Robert Mark, January 17, 1977
(8) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Arabella Melville, January 20, 1977
(9) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to West End Central Police Station, January 22, 1977
(10) Press cuttings, February 6 & 12 1977
I could have linked the above cuttings separately, but they belong together. They concern the acquittal of Arabella Melville and Colin Johnson on obscenity charges at Leicester Crown Court. See also document (14) below.
(11) NCROPA Press release, re Jons Thorsen, February 10, 1977
Re the above, see also document (18) below.
(12) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Prince Philip, February 10, 1977
(13) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Bob Guccione, February 14, 1977
(14) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Danish Ambassador, February 14, 1977
(15) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Editors of Forum, February 14, 1977
(16) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Daily Mail, February 14, 1977
(17) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Arabella Melville, February 15, 1977
(18) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Home Secretary Merlyn Rees, February 17, 1977
(19) William F. Thompson by-election address, February 17, 1977
(20) Letter David Webb/NCROPA in The Stage, March 10, 1977
(21) Letter to David Webb from Myles Byrne of The Embassy cinema, March 11, 1977
(23) Letter in The Stage from Dolores Clew, March 17, 1977
(24) Letter S.J. Pike of the Home Office to David Webb, March 22, 1977
(25) Letter David Webb/NCROPA in The Stage, April 7, 1977
(26) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to all MPs, April 18, 1977
The above letter generated a big response. Some were positive, some negative, some non-committal, and some simply acknowledged.
here was a second, signed copy, of the above in the file.
(27) Copy press release David Webb/NCROPA April 20, 1977
I could find no other document in the file re the above as indicated therein.
(28) Letter Matthew Parris to David Webb/NCROPA, April 22, 1977
Re the above, “The Conservative Party is anxious to protect moral standards and family life” writes closet homo Matthew Parris. Of course you are, duckie.
(29) Letter Patrick Jenkin MP to David Webb/NCROPA, April 25, 1977
(30) Letter Peter Brooke MP to David Webb/NCROPA, April 27, 1977
(31) Letter Peter Brooke MP to David Webb/NCROPA, April 27, 1977
(32) Letter David Crouch MP to David Webb/NCROPA, April 27, 1977
(33) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Paul Raymond, April 28, 1977
(34) David Webb interview in The Silk
The above is from a photocopy in the file; I don’t know what date it is, but it was filed between April 27 & 28, so presumably it was published around April 25-7. Whatever...
(35) Letter Peter Fry MP to David Webb/NCROPA, April 29, 1977
The letters of April 29 – Webb appears to have written to a large number of people including MPs and the Prime Minister. Some replied positively, some negatively, some non-committally and some simply acknowledged.
(36) Letter Arthur Davidson for the Attorney General to David Webb/NCROPA, April 29, 1977
(37) Letter Andrew Bennett MP to David Webb, April 30, 1977
(38) Letter Hugh Rossi MP to David Webb, April 30, 1977
(39) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to The Stage, April 31, 1977
Yes, the above is dated April 31, although it remains to be seen if it were actually published that date!
(40) Letter Robert J. Bradford MP to David Webb, May 2, 1977
(41) Letter Alan Clark MP to David Webb/NCROPA, May 3, 1977
(42) Letter Kevin McNamara MP to David Webb/NCROPA, May 4, 1977
(43) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Alan Clark MP, May 4, 1977
(44) Letter Patrick Wall MP to David Webb, May 5, 1977
(45) Letter Joyce Butler MP to David Webb/NCROPA, May 6, 1977
(46) Letter Sir Michael Havers to E.A.C. Goodman, May 12, 1977
As Sir Michael was a future Attorney General, the above letter was not a good omen. This was not in the file but like many other such letters, in folders. Most of these latter are handwritten.
(47) Letter Lord Norwich to David Webb, May 12, 1977
(48) Letter Norma Brook of Norcol Enterprises apparently to David Webb, May 23, 1977
(49) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to E.A.C. Goodman, May 25, 1977
(50) Letter E.A.C. Goodman to David Webb/NCROPA, May 26, 1977
Part 2 of the above is here. This was an awkward document to copy with my limited equipment, so I scanned it in two parts – the bottom line of the top and the top line of the bottom overlap. If the edges are not clear, that is neither my fault nor the fault of my equipment but is how the document came into my possession. This was not included in the lever arch files but is the front page of a bundle which includes press cuttings and correspondence.
(51) Letter Kent Wisell of Private Press AB to David Webb/NCROPA, June 6, 1977
(52) Letter to Norma Brook of Norcol Enterprises, June 16, 1977
The above letter is apparently from David Webb/NCROPA; this appears to be the only copy in the file, and may have included Abolish Censorship Now! and/or other enclosure(s).
(53) Letter Joan Lestor MP to David Webb/NCROPA, June 21, 1977
(54) Letter Matthew Parris to David Webb/NCROPA, June 22, 1977
The above was written on behalf of future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was then Leader of the Opposition.
(55) NCROPA Press Statement June 24, 1977
Beneath the cutting on the above is simply a typed repetition to the effect that this communication was dictated by telephone.
(56) Letter Ian Percival MP to David Webb, June 24, 1977
(57) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to W.T. Garden, June 27, 1977
(58) Letter Lord Norwich apparently to the NCROPA Committee, June 30, 1977
The above is the best copy possible, and is complete. Attached to it was a poem by Kingsley Amis: New Approach Needed. Reference to the Kirkup poem will be found elsewhere on this site, though it remains to be seen if this piece of blasphemous sewage should ever have been called a poem.
(59) Letter Paul Raymond to David Webb/NCROPA, July 1, 1977
(60) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to Ian Percival MP, July 1, 1977
(61) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to Ian Percival MP, July 12, 1977
The above is the best copy possible.
(62) Letter S.J. Pike of the Home Office to David Webb/NCROPA, July 13, 1977
(63) Letter Matthew Parris to David Webb, July 14, 1977
Again, the above is a response on behalf of Margaret Thatcher, see documents (28) and (54).
(64) Letter Alan Haselhurst MP to David Webb/NCROPA, July 18, 1977
The above letter contains some advice about advancing arguments in moderate language, advice clearly David Webb never took.
(65) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to Any Answers, July 26, 1977
The above is the best scan possible.
(66) Agenda for NCROPA meeting, July 28, 1977
(67) Letter David Webb/NCROPA, July 29, 1977
The above was presumably sent to all NCROPA members with this.
(68) Letter T.J. Taylor to E.A.C. Goodman, August 2, 1977
The above is from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and concerns the banned film Salo.
(69) NCROPA Press Statement, August 4, 1977
(70) NCROPA Press Release with letter to the Home Secretary, September 14, 1977
(71) Letter S.J. Pike of the Home Office to David Webb/NCROPA, September 15, 1977
Re the above, see also document (69), August 4, 1977.
(72) Press cuttings including two letters by Eric Miller, September 20 & 23, 1977
(73) Letter K.J. Filmer of Cinecenta Limited to David Webb/NCROPA, September 28, 1977
(74) Letter J.A. Ingman to David Webb for the Home Secretary, September 30, 1977
(75) Letter Horace Cutler of the GLC to Eric Miller, October 5, 1977
(76) Letter Sir Reginald Goodwin Leader of the Opposition at County Hall to David Webb/NCROPA, October 21, 1977
(77) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to all GLC members, October 12, 1977
I found two versions of the above in the file; here is the other.
(78) Letter in THE TIMES by David Webb of NCROPA, October 14, 1977, page 15
(79) Letter in THE TIMES by Sir Horace Cutler, October 17, 1977, page 13
The above is a response to the letter by David Webb, see document (78), also previous by David Webb with the GLC.
(80) Letter Norma Brook of Norcol Enterprises, apparently to NCROPA, October 18, 1977
(81) Letter George Tremlett of the GLC to David Webb/NCROPA, October 18, 1977
(82) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to all supporters, October 19, 1977
(83) Letter in THE TIMES from the Bishop of London, October 19, 1977
The above letter from Gerald Londin, Bishop of London, appeared above the letter below on page 17 of the paper.
(84) Letter in THE TIMES from Raymond Blackburn, October 19, 1977
(85) Letter Robert Vigars of County Hall to David Webb/NCROPA, October 20, 1977
(86) Letter Sir Horace Cutler Leader of the GLC to David Webb/NCROPA, October 20, 1977
(87) Letter K.D. Skillern for the Police Commissioner to David Webb/NCROPA, October 27, 1977
(88) Letter H.P. Kaufmann to David Webb, October 30, 1977
The above includes a copy of a letter dated October 8, 1977 which Mr Kaufmann sent to Jon Davey of the Home Office Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship.
(89) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to all Committee Members, October 31, 1977
The above concerns a draft advertisement to be placed in the national press.
(90) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to Ian Percival MP, November 2, 1977
(91) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Evening Standard, November 2, 1977
(92) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA, to Clement Freud MP, November 2, 1977
(93) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Guardian newspaper (advertising), November 3, 1977
(94) Copy letter David Webb/NCROPA to the Police Commissioner, November 3, 1977
(95) Letter Richard Town of the GLC to David Webb/NCROPA, November 7, 1977
The above is a reply to document (77).
(96) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to Sir Horace Cutler, November 9, 1977
(97) Letter Michael Wheeler of the GLC to David Webb/NCROPA, November 10, 1977
(98) Letter K.D. Skillern for the Police Commissioner to David Webb/NCROPA, November 10, 1977
(99) Minutes of NCROPA Committee meeting, November 10, 1977
(100) Letter R. Creedon of the Home Office to David Webb/NCROPA, November 15, 1977
(101) Letter Sir Horace Cutler to David Webb/NCROPA, November 15, 1977
(102) Letter Andrew MacKay MP to David Webb/NCROPA, November 17, 1977
(103) Letter David Webb/NCROPA to THE TIMES, November 29, 1977
(104) Letter from THE TIMES to David Webb/NCROPA, November 30, 1977
The above asks David Webb if he would care to shorten his letter of November 29, 1977 for publication. As if.
There are no documents for December 1977 here, but see the agenda for the December 1977 meeting in the NCROPA Minutes Book.
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