BIT
Encyclopedia
BIT was an information service, publisher, travel guide and social centre founded, in 1968, by John 'Hoppy' Hopkins
. It pre-dated the internet as a free service that would try to find any information asked for and derived its name from the smallest unit of computer information.
information service, which was being overwhelmed by the number of enquiries it was receiving, then subsequently took on a life of its own becoming a much wider organisation more akin to the later Social centres. Emerging from the UK undergound as a volunteer run business, it evolved into a collective and open house based in Notting Hill
.
Although often undefinable, one staff member, Ron Crust, tried with "We 're open every day of the year from 10am to 10pm (telephone 24 hours) and we give free help and information about anything to anyone who wants it. Dirty, untidy office; friendly, sometimes exuberant atmosphere, inefficient staff, confused clientele, aggressive cat. Free information, free bogs, free bath. free duplicator and typewriter, free kittens and puppies, free clothes, free food — cheap at other times but free if you're really starving, free people to talk to, free alternative library, free day-room to freak out in or sleep in, free crashpad, lots of other free floor space depending on the season, free optimism, free ecstasy, free lots of other things plus expensive travel guides to pay for it all."
, and were quite often an integral part of the organisation of Free festival
s such as Windsor Free Festival
. Alongside Release
, Festival Welfare Services
and more occasionally IT
, Oz
and the White Panthers they provided a countercultural safety-net, providing an understanding environment sometimes characterised as a 'Bad trips' tent.
The 7-7-77 Glastonbury Free Festival was organised by BIT, including activist Alan Strom.
John Hopkins (political activist)
John "Hoppy" Hopkins is a British photographer, journalist, researcher and political activist, and "one of the best-known underground figures of Swinging London" in the late 1960s.-Life:...
. It pre-dated the internet as a free service that would try to find any information asked for and derived its name from the smallest unit of computer information.
BIT
BIT was initially a partial spin-off from Hoppy's earlier International TimesInternational Times
International Times was an underground newspaper founded in London in 1966. Editors included Hoppy, David Mairowitz, Pete Stansill, Barry Miles, Jim Haynes and playwright Tom McGrath...
information service, which was being overwhelmed by the number of enquiries it was receiving, then subsequently took on a life of its own becoming a much wider organisation more akin to the later Social centres. Emerging from the UK undergound as a volunteer run business, it evolved into a collective and open house based in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
.
Although often undefinable, one staff member, Ron Crust, tried with "We 're open every day of the year from 10am to 10pm (telephone 24 hours) and we give free help and information about anything to anyone who wants it. Dirty, untidy office; friendly, sometimes exuberant atmosphere, inefficient staff, confused clientele, aggressive cat. Free information, free bogs, free bath. free duplicator and typewriter, free kittens and puppies, free clothes, free food — cheap at other times but free if you're really starving, free people to talk to, free alternative library, free day-room to freak out in or sleep in, free crashpad, lots of other free floor space depending on the season, free optimism, free ecstasy, free lots of other things plus expensive travel guides to pay for it all."
BIT Guide
The BIT Guide, an early duplicated stapled-together "foolscap bundle" with a pink cover providing information for travellers and updated by those already on the road, warned of pitfalls and places to see and stay. The first BIT Guide was produced by the BIT Information & Help Service in London in 1970. The BIT guide reached its peak under the control of Geoff Crowther, who arrived at BIT in 1972.Free Festivals
BIT also ran early festival services, providing help and information for festival patrons, which were rarely supplied by the organisers of big corporate events, such as the Isle of Wight FestivalIsle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
, and were quite often an integral part of the organisation of Free festival
Free festival
Free festivals are a combination of music, arts and cultural activities for which, often, no admission is charged, but involvement is preferred. They are identifiable by being multi-day events connected by a camping community without centralised control. The Free festival movement being the...
s such as Windsor Free Festival
Windsor Free Festival
The Windsor Free Festival was a British Free Festival held in Windsor Great Park from 1972 to 1974. Organised by some London commune dwellers, notably Ubi Dwyer and Sid Rawle, it was in many ways the forerunner of the Stonehenge Free Festival, particularly in the brutality of its final suppression...
. Alongside Release
Release (agency)
Release, founded in 1967 by Caroline Coon and the late Rufus Harris , is a UK agency that provides legal advice and arranges legal representation for people charged with the possession of drugs...
, Festival Welfare Services
Festival Welfare Services
Festival Welfare Services is a United Kingdom voluntary organisation established in 1972 to improve welfare services at pop festivals. Prior to formation of FWS a variety of voluntary groups were providing services at festivals which, at the instigation of Release, came together to improve their...
and more occasionally IT
International Times
International Times was an underground newspaper founded in London in 1966. Editors included Hoppy, David Mairowitz, Pete Stansill, Barry Miles, Jim Haynes and playwright Tom McGrath...
, Oz
Oz (magazine)
Oz was first published as a satirical humour magazine between 1963 and 1969 in Sydney, Australia and, in its second and better known incarnation, became a "psychedelic hippy" magazine from 1967 to 1973 in London...
and the White Panthers they provided a countercultural safety-net, providing an understanding environment sometimes characterised as a 'Bad trips' tent.
The 7-7-77 Glastonbury Free Festival was organised by BIT, including activist Alan Strom.
Links
Literature
- Beam, Alan (1976) "Rehearsal for the year 2000: (drugs, religions, madness, crime, communes, love, visions, festivals and lunar energy) : the rebirth of Albion Free State (known in the Dark Ages as England) : memoirs of a male midwife (1966-1976)" - an account of the early years of BIT, by Nicholas AlberyNicholas AlberyNicholas Albery social inventor and author, was the founder or leader of various projects related to the improvement of society, often known as the Alternative Society....
, with most names changed to protect the innocent.