Blizzard

So much has happened, and is happening: a blizzard of gigs, cancelled gigs, rebooked gigs... and of course, leaving my University job and taking a leap into new waters. 

I am leaving because of a 'last straw' situation. For all it's statements about equality and diversity, ever since I started there I have been subjected to a constant stream of misogyny and in one case, a sexual assault. The very first time this happened I reported it to the then course leader, who completely gaslighted the situation. I realised through watching his interaction with another female member of staff that he was going to hush up anything else that happened. This hushing up continued with later course leaders for fourteen years, with a short break when there was a more enlightened course leadership situation. You'd be astonished and appalled at what has gone on. 

The fact that outside my job I have had a lot of respect, not just from the music community but also from the academic community for my writing, was a massive support. However, this year I have witnessed a new member of staff experiencing a very similar situation to mine, and when I protested on their behalf, the hushing up was deafening.

I have decided to walk.

I have a few months to wait before I reach retirement age, but I'm so glad I have handed in my notice. Last year a pro rata bonus was given to all staff because of the extra work we did during the pandemic. Not much at all, but a token amount that helped with morale. This year, staff like me who have been there longer and who are on an earlier version of the employment contract have been excluded from it. Therefore the more experienced staff, and older staff, have been discriminated against. Can you imagine how it would feel to work side by side, doing the same amount of work or more than colleagues, and knowing this? 

I'm glad I have decided to walk.

There is infinitely more, including a member of staff who's doing a PhD using fellow members of staff as guinea pigs without our consent in writing: such bad ethics. It would not surprise me if the whole University collapsed... but it won't, because all of these working practices are part of the spirit of the age.

I am walking!

Now I will be a musician and illustrator, just as I was before I entered academia. I will do some lecturing at more honourable institutions that I've freelanced at before, with more enlightened managers, and better due diligence. I will also campaign against discrimination at any opportunity I have, and I will be able to set aside the heaviness that you carry when you are subjected to discrimination yourself.

So on to music... my brother James McCallum has been writing songs for the better part of a year. We are going to do two gigs together so he can play his stuff, and at his suggestion we will be playing one or two (or three) Chefs songs. He was one of the guitarists in the band, and I've occasionally played them live, so we'll work on them as guitar versions. We have two gigs, at The Betsey Trotwood on 16th of November and also supporting Wasbo Derek at The Prince Albert in Brighton in the afternoon of 26th November.

It also looks like me and Robert will be playing together supporting Darren Hayman's band Hefner at the Ivy House in October: more news on that soon, plus other gigs to come. I need to do one of those posters, don't I? But before then I have to send off the new CD to be manufactured. The artwork is ready, the tracks have been mastered, but I needed a holiday with the Offsprogs, and we've just done that.

Oh, the restorative power of tattie scones!