Travellers

Agree entirely Nanban - Well said!!!! We had a pensioner here in my city who decided not to pay her council tax as she did not think it fair that all the facilities were being axed (luncheon clubs, libraries,and social care) What happened....she served a couple of weeks in gaol and still had to pay it. Sorry Granny 23 dont believe what you said about traveller men. I dont think that they are away working - far from it. Perhaps they do not want to be seen and recognised by people they have 'worked' for and done a crappy job. Why dont they come on TV and explain their situation rather then leaving it all to the women??? I always thought the men were the head of the traveller family and womens business was cleaning and cooking. I'll stand by for an onslought, but its just my opinion.

I think you are right gma not wanting to be found after doing a shoddy job. I'll stand beside you because it is my opinion too.

Me too gma.

I think a lot of people are confusing the real Romany people with the layabouts or New Age Travellers that we have nowadays. To me, in my youth, Romany People or Gypsies were very clean people who travelled around the countyside in caravans stopping in fields (usually near farms) for a few weeks at a time. Nobody minded this and the farmer was often glad of the extra help on the farm.
The women washed, cooked and looked after the childen and sold lucky heather and other good luck charms door to door. They also told fortunes. The men worked at labouring on building sites, collected and sold scrap, worked on local farms etc for cash in hand. When they left they didn't leave any rubbish behind either, and dug out toilets to use while they were there. Unfortunately, todays travellers are a far cry from this and this is why they are not liked

Many of us live near people we should prefer not to live near, but we can't do much about it because they have the (house dwellers') law on their side.

People that live in houses don't always behave as other people would like them to, so why should travellers have to behave perfectly to be acceptable?

As to why travellers sometimes behave in a hostile manner - it may be that they just like to behave that way - some house dwellers do too - or it may be that they are more used to hostility than to intelligent curiousity on the part of the rest of society.

I am sure the "real" Romany people (I am not really sure what the distinction is, but never mind) were picturesque and useful, but again, many house dwellers are neither picturesque and useful either, but they still have rights.

Yes, travellers may break the law in order to continue with their way of life, but it isn't their law that they are breaking - it is ours, written to protect people that have a permanent place to live.

It is not written to protect people that have a permanent place to live, many people do not have a permanent place to live but have to put up with grotty flats (my daughter at one stage) my niece and her husband who have 3 children in a 2 bed flat and are desperate to move to a house.

It is written to protect the land and unregulated development. My 2 children would have loved to stay in the town they were born in, as would their 3 cousins and where they can trace part of their genetic make up (family tree) back to 1597) On their Father's side they have a "showman" inheritance

However as people moved out of London to the "country" house prices have risen above what young people can afford. They have therefore had to move further north of the County. How far would my sister and I get if we purchased a field and stuck caravans on it to house our children and grandchildren - not far I bet.

We have a travellers camp near us that did all the usual, buy the field, start the work over a bank holiday (no local authority officers available) put in septic tanks etc etc. They have make a lovely job of the site, it is tidy etc and they have caused us no trouble.

My point is that there appears to be one law for them and one for us. This is not fair or equitable and causes resentment. Everyone should have to live under the same laws and rules.

I believe in live and let live - but people who live lives that infringe on the happiness and peace of others need to be taken to task. If they are breaking the law as well, then it is even more important.

Green belt land is there for a purpose - to make life better for us all - to provide green space for aesthetic and practical reasons. Building on it is just not on.Wanting to get rid of an illegal, noisy eyesore is fully understandable.

Where I live there is no traveller problem, but sometimes there is a noise problem when people play music with a lot of bass. My husband always goes and politely asks them to turn it down, especially the bass. Most people comply. One lot got nasty, so he simply came back with our two big, soldier sons standing with him.

They complied. Sometimes old fashioned ways work best.

Those who make life unpleasant for others around them, clearly don't believe in 'live and let live', so they should not be surprised they get hostility.

I also remember the old gypsies. Apart from scary dogs, I don't remember any trouble at all. They came, they did some work, sold pegs and lucky heather, and moved on.

Just seen what is happening on the TV - makes you proud to be British, does it not?

Having watched has gone on to-day at the site concerned I noticed that no men where in the crowd of people who where being evicted only the women.

Did anyone hear the excitement mount in the voice of the presenter on the Today programme?

Apart from the local bobbies, I don't think I like our police force anymore.

I think there may be more women there because it is their homes they are defending. Its what women do.

They have been given enough time to leave - looks like most of the protesters are no more travellers than I am. Whilst I can empathise with the travellers to a degree, I am sorry but the law applies to all with no exceptions.

I can understand us women standing their corner and fighting to keep their lome's but I would expect my DH to be there to support also.

True, Glamma.

Yes Pennysue and many on the illegal site have left or moved onto the legal site ...which I gather is the largest one in England.

Those left have invited in outsiders to protest in any way they feel is right ...militant behaviour ...by anyone is unacceptable.

Actually feel the 'media' should be moved away ...people are playing to the cameras!!

I agree Jacey about the playing up to the media. And I do think it is the right to move them on, but am very uncomfortable about the use of Taser guns.

But I suppose GoldenGran the use of taser guns has to be weighed against the safety of the police ...but I do know what you mean.

I know, they did say they had information of weapons, some of them liquid, on the farm, but it still makes me uneasy.

No one has the right to tell where you should live and how many rooms you should have.
"An Englishman's home is his castle"
Perhaps they would like us to shoot ourselves and rid the world of our troublesome presence.
Who has the right to tell us where we should live.
l have raised my family here. I do not want to leave it.
We are staying put till they carry us out.
I hate being dismissed as a kind of general nuisance.

No, these are not quotes from the 'about to be evicted' travellers but rather from our own thread about expecting the elderly to downsize.

Perhaps I am comparing apples with pears but I could not help but notice the similarities between the reactions of 'them' and 'us' when our homes are threatened.

Some of those are my comments Granny23. I agree I would defend my home if necessary.

And? [shrug]

If you could just elucidate a little....

Sorry JJ, I thought it was self explanatory - just saying that the travellers reactions to someone threatening to force them out of their homes is remarkably similar to our reactions when faced with a similar threat.

No criticism intended of your 'downsizing' thread - indeed I agree with every word on there wholeheartedly.

mmm! ...but I don't think that many of us have 'broken' the law with our homes???

Yes, I agree Granny23.

Don't think I read your post carefully enough first time round. It is self explanatory. Sorry.

Understanding what you saying granny23 and agreeing on both count's as in elderly downsizing and traveller's losing their home's,there is one big difference I think the traveller's have been proved to have done this site illigally and do not pay Council tax or Income tax or any other tax for that matter,whilst we who own or rent our propertie's pay our way in society and count the cost if we don't do so.I still feel though that there should be legal site's for these people so they can continue the lifestyle they have chosen,but being 10yrs at one site is not what I would call a travelling lifestyle.