Travellers.......
Discussion
Sure I've told this story here before.
Worked on an out of town science park near reading a few years back. Come into work on Monday and notice on approach the metal bollards had been ripped of our the ground on the road way, just assumed a lorry had hit them or similar
Come round the corner and start to notice crap every where then see tons of caravan dwellers
Lots of mess, s
te and general skankynstuff for a week
Come in the following Monday and all of the landscaping shrubs had disappeared, not one or two but literally thousands
Sure it was not our nomadic friends, just a coincidence like
Worked on an out of town science park near reading a few years back. Come into work on Monday and notice on approach the metal bollards had been ripped of our the ground on the road way, just assumed a lorry had hit them or similar
Come round the corner and start to notice crap every where then see tons of caravan dwellers
Lots of mess, s
te and general skankynstuff for a weekCome in the following Monday and all of the landscaping shrubs had disappeared, not one or two but literally thousands
Sure it was not our nomadic friends, just a coincidence like
It's easy to stereotype but I wonder how many of the haters have ever actually had any interaction with Gypsies beyond watching feral traveller kids trashing the local park or Channel 4's latest offering? I live nextdoor to a small privately owned site with 4 vans and one extended family of English Gypsies, they were there before we bought the house and I'll openly confess that it was a cause for concern when we viewed and that my own preconceptions and prejudices made me question the location. However I'm a great believer in accepting people as they are and judging them by their actions. The two things that swung it for me were the fact that the house had stood empty for 18 months before we bought it as the old dear had been in a home and the son was hoping she would come back out, it wasn't touched and strangely every couple of weeks the grass got cut yet there was no gardener and the son didn't do it? Plus before we exchanged on it we stood in the back garden on a summers evening, unannounced and just listened. Sure enough on the other side of the hedge and fence we could hear children playing, but the thing was they were playing as a family, it was the sound of fun, laughter, and good healthy adult/child interaction, there was no shouting, no anger and certainly no swearing just the same sounds as you would hope to hear coming from any suburban executive home on a nice estate.
Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against.
Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the
site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against. Blue Oval84 said:
As a gayer myself I have to be honest that the particular Stonewall campaign you're referring to is, I think, one of the most offensive campaigns I've ever seen. I absolutely hate it and silently curse every time I see one of the "Get over it" posters. I fking hate them.
On behalf of the overwhelming majority of normal gays, I do apologise (and I'm not even being sarcastic lol)
They're the gay equivalent of the bloke down the pub who's forever punctuating conversations with "that's what SHE said!" and bragging about all the birds he's been fictitiously shagging. king hate them.On behalf of the overwhelming majority of normal gays, I do apologise (and I'm not even being sarcastic lol)
People don't think you're a t
t because you're gay, they think your a tt because you're a tt. And if your sexuality is the only thing about you that you think is of any interest (we've all got one) then you're a pretty boring tt too.amongst the varying services I've managed I had ownership as such of the staff/team/mgrs of a proper council travellers site.
very eye opening. some good people, some bad. mainly bad. Very annoying to see them smashing the living daylights out of the santitary blocks built alongside each caravan, bypassing the electric meters and so on.
you need some big balls to drive onto a site when the people don't know who you are. When they do, they are very welcoming and generous.
Ive also rehoused quite a few of them into conventional properties. Often those that have become disabled. As is the case it usually because they have snapped their spines in car crashes fleeing from the Police or being up to no good. But this is no different really to any sector of a community that is up to no good, you'll probably hurt yourself.
glad its a long time ago and I have nothing to do with them anymore.
very eye opening. some good people, some bad. mainly bad. Very annoying to see them smashing the living daylights out of the santitary blocks built alongside each caravan, bypassing the electric meters and so on.
you need some big balls to drive onto a site when the people don't know who you are. When they do, they are very welcoming and generous.
Ive also rehoused quite a few of them into conventional properties. Often those that have become disabled. As is the case it usually because they have snapped their spines in car crashes fleeing from the Police or being up to no good. But this is no different really to any sector of a community that is up to no good, you'll probably hurt yourself.
glad its a long time ago and I have nothing to do with them anymore.
Currently issues in the local town with the traveller kids taking over the local skate park, "borrowing" bikes, scooters etc from people there using intimidation and then kicking the hell out of any children who ask for their property back or challenge them.
This is about 100m from the Police Station, next to a leisure centre and a playground.
It's not a lovely town by any stretch of the imagination but things certainly go further downhill when they are in the area.
The number of cars being broken into has gone up massively in the past few months, a local chap caught two young lads at it outside his house a couple of weeks ago, gave chase and caught one. Turned out to be a recently-arrived traveller type who will no doubt disappear rather than attend court.
As the chap above has said they aren't all bad, it's just a shame the majority most of us get to interact with are.
This is about 100m from the Police Station, next to a leisure centre and a playground.
It's not a lovely town by any stretch of the imagination but things certainly go further downhill when they are in the area.
The number of cars being broken into has gone up massively in the past few months, a local chap caught two young lads at it outside his house a couple of weeks ago, gave chase and caught one. Turned out to be a recently-arrived traveller type who will no doubt disappear rather than attend court.
As the chap above has said they aren't all bad, it's just a shame the majority most of us get to interact with are.
mel said:
It's easy to stereotype but I wonder how many of the haters have ever actually had any interaction with Gypsies beyond watching feral traveller kids trashing the local park or Channel 4's latest offering? I live nextdoor to a small privately owned site with 4 vans and one extended family of English Gypsies, they were there before we bought the house and I'll openly confess that it was a cause for concern when we viewed and that my own preconceptions and prejudices made me question the location. However I'm a great believer in accepting people as they are and judging them by their actions. The two things that swung it for me were the fact that the house had stood empty for 18 months before we bought it as the old dear had been in a home and the son was hoping she would come back out, it wasn't touched and strangely every couple of weeks the grass got cut yet there was no gardener and the son didn't do it? Plus before we exchanged on it we stood in the back garden on a summers evening, unannounced and just listened. Sure enough on the other side of the hedge and fence we could hear children playing, but the thing was they were playing as a family, it was the sound of fun, laughter, and good healthy adult/child interaction, there was no shouting, no anger and certainly no swearing just the same sounds as you would hope to hear coming from any suburban executive home on a nice estate.
Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against.
as has been said previously - it's the 1% that have their reputations ruined by the rest.Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the
site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against. 
mel said:
It's easy to stereotype but I wonder how many of the haters have ever actually had any interaction with Gypsies beyond watching feral traveller kids trashing the local park or Channel 4's latest offering? I live nextdoor to a small privately owned site with 4 vans and one extended family of English Gypsies, they were there before we bought the house and I'll openly confess that it was a cause for concern when we viewed and that my own preconceptions and prejudices made me question the location. However I'm a great believer in accepting people as they are and judging them by their actions. The two things that swung it for me were the fact that the house had stood empty for 18 months before we bought it as the old dear had been in a home and the son was hoping she would come back out, it wasn't touched and strangely every couple of weeks the grass got cut yet there was no gardener and the son didn't do it? Plus before we exchanged on it we stood in the back garden on a summers evening, unannounced and just listened. Sure enough on the other side of the hedge and fence we could hear children playing, but the thing was they were playing as a family, it was the sound of fun, laughter, and good healthy adult/child interaction, there was no shouting, no anger and certainly no swearing just the same sounds as you would hope to hear coming from any suburban executive home on a nice estate.
Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against.
Nice to hear but inviting PH'ers to your wedding you're asking for trouble, I feel sorry for your neighbours.Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the
site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against. mel said:
It's easy to stereotype but I wonder how many of the haters have ever actually had any interaction with Gypsies beyond watching feral traveller kids trashing the local park or Channel 4's latest offering? I live nextdoor to a small privately owned site with 4 vans and one extended family of English Gypsies, they were there before we bought the house and I'll openly confess that it was a cause for concern when we viewed and that my own preconceptions and prejudices made me question the location. However I'm a great believer in accepting people as they are and judging them by their actions. The two things that swung it for me were the fact that the house had stood empty for 18 months before we bought it as the old dear had been in a home and the son was hoping she would come back out, it wasn't touched and strangely every couple of weeks the grass got cut yet there was no gardener and the son didn't do it? Plus before we exchanged on it we stood in the back garden on a summers evening, unannounced and just listened. Sure enough on the other side of the hedge and fence we could hear children playing, but the thing was they were playing as a family, it was the sound of fun, laughter, and good healthy adult/child interaction, there was no shouting, no anger and certainly no swearing just the same sounds as you would hope to hear coming from any suburban executive home on a nice estate.
Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against.
So just out of interest, have you asked how they earn money to live?Since moving in we've got to know them as neighbours, we've helped each other out, and chatted in the same way any other neighbours would. I've learnt a lot about their way of life because I'm the kind of bloke who will simply ask something if I don't know it and they have been nothing but open, friendly and above all honest. Our kids play together in the garden and you couldn't ask for a pair of nicer or more polite children (5 & 8). I could site dozens of instances I know of with them where they've received the rough end of life from bullying of children at school, to planning disputes, to active campaigns by neighbours who are not even close by to make their lives difficult, publicans who have barred family members not for anything they've done but just to try and keep custom from bigots and small minded villagers, and to losing work simply because people have found out where they live. I've employed them to help me with groundwork at my house and everything has always been above and beyond what I'd hoped for or was expecting to get for the price.
In summary the extended true English Gypsy family I live nextdoor to are in my opinion good people and good neighbours, most certainly better than lots of the neighbour from hell horror stories you hear of from lots of settled people living on "nice" estates. The site is immaculate and the grounds/gardens are most certainly in better condition and better cared for than mine and I actually like living next door to them.
Myself and my partner are getting married next year and the reception will be in a Marque in our garden, all of my neighbours from each side will be there as will a fair few PH'ers, friends and family. I'm not worried about my neighbours causing trouble at all, I'm more worried about less informed friends/family causing offence by not realising the company they're in and talking about "the
site" or "'s next door" I know my neighbours would let it wash over them as they've lived with it all their lives but I'd hate to think of any guest of mine causing offence, it seems they're just one of the last social/racial/ethnic groups that it is publicly acceptable to insult or discriminate against. I live a couple of hundred yards from a large traveller site. Unlike the poster above I didn't have much of a choice - they purchased the land after we'd moved in.
Have had zero problems. You simply wouldn't know there were there. No crime, no violence, no mess. Nothing
Maybe this lot just don't st on their own doorstep. Whatever it is, I'm happy.
Have had zero problems. You simply wouldn't know there were there. No crime, no violence, no mess. Nothing
Maybe this lot just don't s
t on their own doorstep. Whatever it is, I'm happy.Joey Ramone said:
I live a couple of hundred yards from a large traveller site. Unlike the poster above I didn't have much of a choice - they purchased the land after we'd moved in.
Have had zero problems. You simply wouldn't know there were there. No crime, no violence, no mess. Nothing
Maybe this lot just don't st on their own doorstep. Whatever it is, I'm happy.
there is a site closed to where i lave and yes they don't sh** on there own doorstep.Have had zero problems. You simply wouldn't know there were there. No crime, no violence, no mess. Nothing
Maybe this lot just don't s
t on their own doorstep. Whatever it is, I'm happy.djt100 said:
So just out of interest, have you asked how they earn money to live?
Yep, and they're perfectly open about it, the men work for £100/day and do garden maintenance, drives, block paving, decking, fencing plus a bit of soffits and fascias and roofing, general lower skill level but high labour content graft. As I said they've done some groundwork for me and fencing and I can honestly say that for the money you get a good solid hard days graft. Some of the wives work and generally have little cleaning/ironing rounds. I have no doubt at all that by there nature a lot of the work is cash and probably undeclared but I haven't delved any deeper or asked about their tax status, in the same way that I haven't asked any of my house dwelling neighbours the same question nor have any of them asked me about my tax affairs. That's between them and HMRC and frankly none of my business. I had them buy a piece of land near me so years ago.
After a year of smashed up pubs in the village (I witnessed one first hand) and generally causing havoc everywhere (stealing, bad behaviour, intimidation etc.) they left after the council had jumped through many legal hoops.
To a man and women they were the lowest form of scum I have ever had the misfortune to come into contact with.
After a year of smashed up pubs in the village (I witnessed one first hand) and generally causing havoc everywhere (stealing, bad behaviour, intimidation etc.) they left after the council had jumped through many legal hoops.
To a man and women they were the lowest form of scum I have ever had the misfortune to come into contact with.
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