Left voices, unfiltered, unedited, Ungagged.
This week it was announced that 1,187 drug-related deaths were registered in Scotland in 2018, the largest number ever recorded. This caused a shockwave to run through Scottish politics, though it wasn’t such a shock to those on the front line who knew the figures would be terrible. But seeing anecdotal evidence of a spiralling […]
Original Article – “Children should be seen and not heard” – Robert Inch My dad died the night of Wrestlemania 21, the 3rd April 2005, and I was relieved. He was the greatest man you’d ever meet – when he was sober. Unfortunately, alcohol took over his life from when I was about 7 onwards, leaving […]
I went to A&E in mid-April 2017 with severe abdominal pain. Once they ruled out appendicitis, the male doctors all said that the problem must be food poisoning. I told them that I had lived in rural Senegal, I know what dysentery feels like. This was not food poisoning. They told me it was and […]
…lots and lots for you to do… Lots and lots for you to see… lots and lots for you to hear… You and Me , Me and You… Doo Doo, Doo Doo, Doo Doo, DOO DOOOOO” Oh the subliminal message of decency in the seventies… Available FREE on iTunes and Podbean Anyway on this third instalment, for […]
Theresa May danced on stage at the Tory conference, clearly relishing the opportunity to make a bit of a joke out of her recent Africa dance exhibition. If everyone else at the conservative conference is auditioning for the prime minister’s job, is she auditioning for the BBC’s Strictly? It’s nice to know that our […]
One in Five disability rights organisation in Scotland have written to Starbucks CEO, Kevin Johnson. International organisations representing over 500,000 disabled people have supported the letter. Ungagged are pleased to be included. The campaigners have challenged Starbucks to invest in the research and development of a new straw that will satisfy environmentalists and disabled people. Jamie Szymkowiak […]
I am privileged to belong to a group of passionate writers who are called Ungagged. I love them because they share voices that deserve to be heard and often are not. At the end of Carers Week, am proud to be writing for them. Once a year we carers get patted on the back and […]
The war on plastic is real, it’s escalating. Humans are devising new ways to tackle the ever growing problem that is plastic. We are recycling more, we have discovered plastic eating insects, We’ve deployed barriers across rivers to catch plastic, we have sophisticated tractor dragged rakes to pick up the plastic on our beaches. However, we […]
When Ungagged asked me if I’d like to write something about the baby box stooshie my initial reaction was to think it might be too depressing.  But then I thought no, that’s how the Tories want us to feel. So here goes. It all started with a Guardian story based on two pillars: one, […]
It’s not until you start paying attention you realise how ridiculous it is. ÂŁ2 for a tampon out of a machine. You must have the right change – 2 individual pound coins or you’re goosed. And that’s one of the cheaper scenarios! If you use the women’s toilets, have a look next time. […]