A Personal Account of Poverty in the United Kingdom: Entrenched Difficulty and Tenacious Myths

I live in Edinburgh, capital city of Scotland, and a place of inequalities.  Walking from the new town at the centre of the city, you can go in several directions to find sink estates built of concrete modules to a plan which had either forgotten to incorporate important social and economic infrastructure or deliberately omitted it viewing it as a cost. Read more…

An Interview With Dr Tuppy Owens; Human capabilities and supporting disabled people with their sexual lives

Dr Tuppy Owens has long been a part of disabled peoples communities supporting everyone’s right to a sexual life. This interview with the pioneer of The Outsiders Club shares some of the frank work which she has been involved in and the issues which she thinks about.  The disabled community is more often than not disabled by societal attitudes more than anything else.

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The Future of Education: My Perspective Given to Students

This is a summary of two presentations which I gave to students at Blackburn College when I was invited to share by teachers there who are teaching students to become teachers.  The main theme was the future of education. I was asked as it was felt that what I could offer was a different and complimentary viewpoint to the various speakers who had shared in the course. You can listen to the podcasts and also read through some of the annotated sources here on the internet.
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Leith Lives: The Country Within The Country

Having spent a good part of my life in the very heart of Leith, I have watched the place change over time. Of all things Leith has is soul. It is the country within the country having a long and distinguished history of trade and commerce with all parts of the world.  Before oysters and claret were the trappings of the wealthy, these were eaten and shared in the everyday lives of the workers of Leith. Read more…

Sustainability and Education by Bob Cranwell

I should say, if you have an interest in this area of our development, that this is a wholly opinionated piece with few references, relying mainly on experience, observations and memory. Some of this turned out be entirely contrary to my own view at the time and thus I had some thinking to do. Hard thinking is something missing in modern life, sadly; but since we are actually talking about areas which require an entire shift from convention, this is only fair to point out. Read more…

Podcast and Annotated Transcript: I Daniel Blake – The Benefit Cuts Debate with Jeane Freeman MSP Social Security Minister, Paul Laverty Screenwriter, and others

“I am not a client, a customer nor a service user. I am not a shirker, a scrounger, a beggar nor a thief. I am not a national insurance number, or blip on a screen. I have paid my dues, never a penny short, and proud to do so. I don’t tug the forelock, but look my neighbour in the eye and help him if I can. I don’t accept or seek charity. My name is Daniel Blake, I am a man, not a dog. As such, I demand my rights. I demand you treat me with respect. I Daniel Blake am a citizen, nothing more and nothing less. Thank you” Read more…