The Little Man

It is great when the “little man” wins and it is even greater for me, when that “little man” is one of my favourite people in the whole wide world.

Go, Doug.

Let me say, just to avoid any confusion at all, that there is nothing little about Doug.  He’s a fighter and always has been.  Even were he not a member of any minority grouping, he’d still have a strong sense of justice and be fighting for the little man and for what is right, ethical… and green. He’s also very TALL. Crick-in-the-neck tall.

I first met Doug in The Real Life at the same event where I first met Mr L. The two of them had met previously at another event, one involving a beer spillage (but that’s a whole other story). I fancied Doug; Mr L was slower to grow on me but as he bats for a more favourable side and is far closer to my age of course, he won 😉 I Stand by it, though – Doug is cute.

Doug is awesome. Intelligent, interested, political, campaigning… he never lets his disability get in his way and always has time to help others. When health issues meant that he had to leave full time university study, he soldiered on with the Open University to ensure his degree. He does a lot of voluntary and charity work because he doesn’t have a job – this is not because he doesn’t wish to work or is physically unable to but because red tape makes it impossible for him to work. This is one of the issues that have kept him campaigning for so long.  He campaigns even when it makes life difficult for him.

I am so proud to know Doug and I wish that I could be half the person that he is.

We miss him. It’s been a long time since we last shared a curry – thanks to Doug, by the way,  for introducing  us to the tasty but shockingly-named Spice-4-U curry house. (They do a brilliant aubergine pakora)

  • See Doug on Look North (last night) after winning a landmark case against First Bus under the Disability Discrimination laws.
  • Follow his blog
  • See his tweets

I think you will find him pretty awesome too.

Oh, and as a matter of Orkney pride, may I point out that our buses already carry notices requiring buggies and prams to be folded should a wheelchair user require the space.

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