Substack • 5 March 2026

The Abstract of Fear

On 26th January, I did something that terrified me.

I’ve spent my career as a journalist sticking to the facts, asking the questions, scribbling in the notebook and platforming other people’s stories. Yet, somehow this was different. This was something incredibly personal to me and to say I was shaking is a huge understatement. My entire body vibrated; my legs felt like they would cave in and all I could visualise was my body melting into the ground as the heat of the dozen or so cameras shone a vulnerable light...

Heather Campbell • 2 March 2026

What Jennette McCurdy teaches us about feminist rage, desire and healing - while on a bullet train

A splash of raincoats queued outside the Assembly Rooms in the pouring February rain. The chatter was nervous but eager as avid fans of Jennette McCurdy waited to hear her talk about her debut novel Half His Age. The 33 year-old former child star is currently in the middle of an international book tour and recently made her first ever visit to Scotland...

Mancunian Matters • 12 February 2026

Japan takes to the stage as anticipated film festival returns

Forget the long-haired ghosts crawling out your TV – the real horror is happening in society, says Junko Takekawa. The Senior Arts Programme Officer for the Japan Foundation shared...

The Scottish Sun • 11 May 2023

Scots conman who lied about being nurse & defrauded customers out of £130k struck off

A Scots conman who lied about being a nurse and pocketed over £130,000 in a funeral service scam has been struck off the register.Barry Fisher, who has also gone by Barry Stevenson-Hamilton, was convicted of fraud in a crime which saw him defraud 49 people across Fife in a three-year span from 2016-2019.The 41-year-old pocketed an eye-watering £130,207 from elderly and vulnerable clients of his company, Stevenson Funeral Directors.The former support worker’s scheme involved falsely leading custo...

The Scottish Sun • 11 July 2024

I spend £2.5K entering my kid into beauty pageants - trolls say I'm traumatising her

A beauty pageant mum, who spends £2,500 a year on competitions and clothes, says she doesn’t care about being slammed by other parents. Catherine Oliver’s five-year-old daughter, Ava, has been taking part in...

The Telegraph • 29 November 2023

Pandas are a bellwether of relations between China and the West – now, the last ones in Britain are going home

If Tian Tian and Yang Guang are nervous about their upcoming big trip, they are hiding it well.Edinburgh Zoo’s most famous attractions roll, walk and snooze in front of the thronged tourists and locals, who have braved a frosty morning to pay their respects and say...

The Daily Record • 23 September 2023

Traitor Champ Troll Hell: Scottish reality TV star's online abuse

The Traitors winner Meryl Williams has told how online abuse gave her sleepless nights. Meryl, from Edinburgh, became a household name last year when she was one of the three "faithfuls" who beat the traitors and each won £33,000 on the hit BBC reality show. Meryl, who has achondroplasia, where your torso is..."

The Scottish Sun • 23 November 2022

My Miracle Dad: Daughter Relief As Billy Talks Again

A biker critically injured in a smash with a deer is out of his coma and talking - days after medics took him off a ventilator to die peacefully. Billy Shanks, 60. was hailed as a "miracle" by daughter Milly after his eyes started flickering and he woke up as they held a bedside vigil waiting for him to pass...