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About the AuthorA wee bit of meThe third of four children, I was born in 1934 in a room and kitchen at 294 Charles Street, Garngad at that time one of Glasgow's many dreadful slums. The area was demolished and renamed Royston and the family moved to what was then called the "slum clearance" area of Balornock. My father was a miner all of his working life and my mother worked in various places from a nail factory to Hydepark Locomotive Works, shops and cleaning. I grew up in Balornock, Springburn in the north side of the City, left school at 15 and started work in Fairfield shipyard in Govan. First as an office boy in the timekeeping office and then as an apprentice fitter. It was at the shipyard that I consider my education started. It was here I met every political persuasion, even one Tory. His reasoning was that at least you expect the Tories to rip you off. It was here that I heard of all the philosophers, political theorists, learned about classical music and art and also learned of the movies outside of the Hollywood genre. In later years when asked where I was educated I tend to say Fairfield University. It was at Fairfield's that I played a minor role in the first apprentices strike since the second world war, merely distributing leaflets, though even that simple activity came in for some heavy handed treatment from the police. It was also at the yard, aged 17, that I first came in contact with an anarchist and found that his philosophy seemed to be the only one I could accept and I still feel the same today. Although political, I could never bring myself to join a political party, they always seemed more part of the problem rather than the solution with their divided loyalties and hierarchical structures. My time served, I was handed my notice and told as a Clyde trained engineer I should be able to get a job anywhere, but obviously not at Fairfields. I started in Metropolitan Vickers factory in Springburn, the contrast shattered me. From what I can only describe as the intellectual spirit and camaraderie of the shipyard to a piecework factory where everybody was only interested in their part of the job and would sink yours to make sure theirs went through for bonus just overwhelmed me. I lasted 18 months and left engineering for good. It also showed me how the system under which people work can dramatically change how they behave towards each other. I took up door to door selling and remained in selling for the rest of my working life. I spent 10 years or more with a Glasgow group of Amnesty International during which time I filled several roles, the last three years or so as Scottish coordinator for urgent action. After three years of receiving a daily deluge of information on torture, beatings, kidnappings and people gone missing, I felt I wanted to see if people still loved and had fun out there so I left the group. Some years later I joined the Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (SACRO). I stayed with them until shortly after I retired. During the miners' strike of the 80s I worked with the Clydeside Anarchists in giving support to the miners where ever possible and trying to raise support as well as raising money and collecting food, which went straight to the miners and not through their union. After the strike, like most on the left, I was filled with a feeling of disgust and bitterness, though I soon regained my optimism but never lost my disgust for a system that could treat such a large section of its working people with so much brutality. For the last couple of years I have produced and distributed a small free monthly hand-out called "The Anarchist Critic". I have always tried to stay true to my anarchist beliefs, not at all easy in this society and still believe that it is the only hope for mankind. Today it seems more applicable than ever as we appear to be approaching the point of no return in a downward spiral. Now however, I cover myself with the grandiose illusion that I am more a poet and propagandist than activist. |