Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 43
1 A. Well, there was no activity in terms of the group.
2 There was no, you know, no pickets. Well, there was
3 nothing between the October 1989 fayre and the 1990 world
4 day pickets. The only thing that -- the only reference to
5 McDonald's really was when other people brought up about
6 pickets organised by Hackney and Islington or other groups,
7 or when letters were read out that had been received at
8 London Greenpeace.
9
10 Q. I think we have heard that one day Jane Laporte and I think
11 it was Alan Clare, one of the agents, spent the day
12 answering letters, including letters about McDonald's. We
13 have heard that Paul generally answered letters about
14 McDonald's. Is it the case that Jane -- can you remember,
15 cast your mind back, did Jane Laporte help out as well with
16 answering letters about McDonald's from time to time?
17 A. I know Jane used to answer letters. I don't know that
18 I can specifically remember whether or not she answered
19 McDonald's ones or not.
20
21 Q. Right. That is what the notes of Alan Clare say, but okay?
22 A. Never wanting to get involved in answering letters, I
23 did not tend to be around when they were being answered,
24 so.
25
26 Q. Right. Did you ever see me answer any letters?
27 A. I don't remember you ever -- I don't remember ever
28 seeing you answering any letters.
29
30 Q. Right. You said about if people were new or whatever to a
31 meeting of the group, or were out of touch or whatever,
32 that somebody would explain the background of what was
33 being discussed on the agenda?
34 A. Yes.
35
36 Q. Say for example, as it is what we are interested in here,
37 McDonald's came up. You have said that that person, I
38 think you said that you yourself had done this, but you
39 gained that ability to do that from listening to other
40 people. It was not that you were involved?
41 A. Yes.
42
43 Q. Would it be fair to say though that somebody listening to
44 you giving that background, might come away with an
45 impression about your involvement in the campaign.
46
47 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not really think -- that is for me to
48 judge from what Miss Steel has said about what the practice
49 was and what she said on occasion and where she got the
50 information in order to say what she did on occasions.
51
52 MR. MORRIS: Right. Can you remember me doing that kind of
53 exercise at the occasional meetings I might have attended,
54 that kind of giving of background?
55 A. Yes. I mean you used to talk about the history of the
56 group from time to time, about what it had been up to in
57 the early 80's, explaining. I can remember you on a couple
58 of occasions butting in when people used acronyms and did
59 not explain what they were talking about.
60
