Caley Corner

Social Murder? With David Walsh From Glasgow University

This podcast sees me chatting with David Walsh who's a Professor of Health Inequalities at Glasgow University. He's also co authored a book with the same title as the podcast.
We talk about the shocking impact of austerity policies on life expectancy and what kind of political decisions have triggered this and some policies that could be changed to improve things. Austerity on its own sounds like any other noun but, when you break down what austerity actually does, the human impact of austerity policies and ideology then, the data and the figures revealed in the book is pretty horrific. We delve into that here, please help to spread the word about this by listening or purchasing the book which whilst a heavy subject matter is a fascinating read.  

Binman to SAS Who Dares Wins Champion: Grant Flynn The Muscle Hamster

From Binman to SAS: Who Dares Wins Champion In this episode, I sit down with Grant Flynn, the "ninja binman" turned SAS: Who Dares Wins Champ. Grant is a fitness fanatic with an incredible story that takes him from working on the bins to competing and succeeding in one of the toughest reality TV challenges. We kick things off by discussing what it’s really like to work on the bins and the misconceptions people have about the job. Grant shares what he wishes more people knew about the hard work and dedication it takes. From there, we dive into his experiences on reality TV, including his time alongside ex-special forces members from around the world. As one of the winners of the hugely popular SAS: Who Dares Wins, Grant takes us behind the scenes of the show, revealing what it was like to endure grueling challenges, the mindset needed to push through, and some hilarious and inspiring stories from his journey.
 
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Assisted Dying & Scottish Witchcraft With Hugh McLachlan Retired Professor of Philosophy & Sociological Theory

Hugh was a Professor of Applied Philosophy at Glasgow Caledonian University. He taught, classical sociological theory and medical ethics. The latter of which takes up the bulk of today's discussion as we chat about the assisted dying bill or, assisted suicide as Hugh termed it that is currently making it's way through the Scottish parliament. We also talk a bit about Scottish witchcraft towards the end of the chat. Hughs authored a few books as well as some short stories as part of Battlefield writers that you can check out here https://battlefieldwriters.com/

Jeanette Findlay - Professor Of Economics Glasgow University - Chair of Call It Out & Trade Unionist

My guest on this episode is Jeanette Findlay. Jeanette is a Professor of Economics at University of Glasgow. She is also a committed Trade Unionist as the head of UCU Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and activist on various issues. She is also the chairwoman and founder of Call It Out which campaigns against anti catholic bigotry and anti Irish racism. We talk about what economics actually is and some of the research that Jeanette is interested in. After that we delve into some of Jeanettes trade union work and some of her activism which includes helping to coordinate Fans against criminalisation which was a working class led campaign to repeal some poorly implemented laws drafted by the SNP government. There’s a theme of working class issues throughout the chat.

Growing Up In A Cult To The Light Of Stand Up Comedy With Nicola Mantalios

My Guest on this episode is Nicola Mantalios who hails from South Shields. She starts off by discussing some activities that she got up to as part of bucket list of 30 things to do before she turned 30. We then discuss the benefits and natural high you get from some low level crime (sorry local supermarkets) Nicola was brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness and she explains what that was like. From there, she takes us on a journey to how she started stand up comedy and how that pursuit led to her being shunned and ex communicated from her family and congregation. There is humour shared throughout despite the tough subject matter. Nicola is a proper 'Jarra lass' in her own words and she has got an incredible and inspiring story, listen in to find out what she is all about. If you enjoy the podcast please do consider following and leaving a rating as it costs nothing and means allot. 
Alternatively you can head over to Patreon.com/CaleyCorner if you're still reading this (well done) and you can help contribute towards the production costs incurred thus far if you can afford it. 

BBC Bias During the 2014 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Referendum? With Alan Knight London Calling Documentary Director

Joining me on today's episode is Alan Knight a film maker and documentarian. Alans films included him directing a documentary called London Calling which shone a light on BBC editorial bias during the Scottish Independence referendum so, we chat a bit about that and some of the stories that were covered in both the documentary and a book about the same subject. Alan also talks about some of his other work, including some animations that he directed that were voiced over by Succession star Brian Cox and other films he recommends.

People of Glasgow Creator Darren Bleakley - Photographer & Videographer Episode 23

Joining me on episode 23 is Darren Bleakley who is a photographer and the creator of the People of Glasgow. We talk about his inspiration for getting into photography and some of the ethics around taking pictures in the street. Darrens a funny guy who has a big interest in MMA and Jiu Jitsu as well so, there's some chat about that also. 

In Conversation With Kevin From Aslef The Train Drivers Union

Joining us today is Kevin Lindsay from Aslef, he gives us a detailed background of the recent disputes between Aslef members both at a UK wide level then he gives us a detailed insight of things from a more local Scottish perspective. Hear why Kevin see's himself as a baby in the game with his 22 years of trade union organising (Aslef were founded in 1880) Kevins a staunch defender of his members and talks in great detail about why Train drivers deserve a good wage with the critical work they do and the unsociable hours they sometimes have to work on a 24 hour rail service. You'll get a good history of how the railways have operated over the last 30 years or so if you do decide to give this some of your time.
There's also some good discussion about the recent scandal of the Scottish Govt trying to bring back peak rail fares in Scotland. There's also chat about what can be done to modernise the railway fleet, have an integrated ticketing system between bus operators and the rail providers as long as making travel cheaper. There's some good patter as well but, you need to listen in for that.
If you like this episode please do consider following and leaving a good rating (5 stars preferrably) as looking to get similar guests lined up in the future. 

Scottish Independence Referendum: Ten Year Anniversary With Tommy Sheridan | Hope Over Fear

Tommy Sheridan makes his return to the podcast and we have a varied chat about all sorts of topics relating to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 independence; The pre cursors to 2014, some moments from the campaign trail and what we would like to see to put Scottish independence back on the table given the multitude of things that have changed over the past ten years. There’s also some chat about his upcoming Hope over Fear rally next Saturday in George Square If you enjoy the podcast please drop a follow, leave a rating (5 stars) or, recommend to a friend as looking to get similar guests lined up in the future.
 
Thanks for all the support so far, grateful to everyone that gives this some of their time and listens. 

Steven Purcell Ex Glasgow City Council Leader On His Life; Politics, Recovery & Housing Episode 21

My Guest on this episode is Steven Purcell who was previously the Labour leader of Glasgow City Council. We talk about his early introduction to politics and his journey to becoming the leader of the Council. He also talks about his addictive personality and subsequent recovery from alcaholism. There's some chat throughout about the state of housing in Scotland and why the 2014 independence referendum turned into a class issue for Steven which is what ultimately swayed his vote.