Born in Glasgow in 1965 and brought up in Clydebank, in the shadow of the John Brown cranes, Derek Stewart Macpherson’s earliest memory is attending the launch of the QE2 at the age of two. Since then he has been a student activist, traveller, father of two, public servant, negotiator, political strategist, campaign manager and trade union official, having brought together a broad left faction within the CPSU (Australian public sector union).
He is a Scottish-Australian dual national, having taken out Australian citizenship in 1985, and insists on his right to comment and participate fully in the politics of both countries. Returning to Scotland in 2014 for the indyref, he joined the grassroots campaigners of Yes Clydebank, while completing his acclaimed five-part series of articles, ‘The Hitchhikers’ Guide To Scottish Independence.’
These days he is a musician, writer, pro-indy blogger and economic and political commentator. He is also the founder of The Babel Fish Project, which was conceived in May, 2000, as a way of drawing together the many artists from disparate backgrounds and disciplines he had met in three decades of playing music.
Derek plays guitar and other instruments, sings, arranges and produces the music of The Babel Fish Project but would also like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the many musicians and others who have contributed musically, technically and administratively to the project.
Val was brought up in the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire before Thatcher and Co scalped it of its industry, and subsequently does not think that Ken Clarke talks sense by any stretch of the imagination. She had the dubious honour of being the first person in the family to go to university, but […]
Joe Solo is a musician, writer, historian, broadcaster and washing machine engineer from Scarborough. His musical odyssey began in 1987 fronting a bash-em-out band at school, and has seen him play seven countries either as lynchpin of pop-punk upstarts Lithium Joe or hammering out his unique brand of Folk, Punk and Blues in his own […]
Matt Geraghty has played the part of; soldier, photographer, poet, jazz club entrepreneur, (very amateur) boxer, journalist, designer, event director, PR professional, theatre manager, brand director, and Dad. Matt is now Assistant Editor at both The Holborn Magazine and The Chap Magazine – as well as writing forSabotage Times and, of course, Ungagged. You can read more […]