English 'Free' Campers aka Travellers

Long Weekend · Guru

English 'Free' Campers aka Travellers

Mike Harding · Guru

Gypsies in the UK are a waste of space.

To my knowledge they do not have *any* special rights in regard to camping but they are somewhat of a law unto themselves.

As best I remember a court order is required to remove them from (certain?) lands upon which they camp and it is the time taken to obtain such an order (and appeals) which allows them to illegally camp for a considerable time. Then they move five miles and the process begins again. I do not believe they have any right whatsoever to camp on private land.

I recall, many years past, driving a truck on a long straight road in East Anglia one day when all the traffic was stopped in both directions by some gypsies in order that they may stage a horse and buggy race between two competitors. No doubt much *cash* was depending upon the result; gypsies do not pay tax.

dogbox · Guru

"TRAVELLERS" in the UK refers to what use to be referred to as "GYPSIES" some of which use to be the back bone of the labour used to harvest crops and other seasonal work, usually cash in-hand. a lot of that work is now been done by eastern europeans and asians. the carnivals that travel around the country being operated by them .

Mike Harding · Guru

dogbox wrote:
"GYPSIES" some of which use to be the back bone of the labour used to harvest crops and other seasonal work

Not in my lifetime they were not.

Brodie Allen · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
dogbox wrote:
"GYPSIES" some of which use to be the back bone of the labour used to harvest crops and other seasonal work
Not in my lifetime they were not.

Je suis Charlie --- Je suis Samuel

Not even in Australia any more!

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dogbox · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:

dogbox wrote:
"GYPSIES" some of which use to be the back bone of the labour used to harvest crops and other seasonal work
Not in my lifetime they were not.

i have work alongside them when i lived /worked in the west country (UK) for some of the biggest produce merchants in the country .
the "them and us" sediment is very strong and all work was for cash in hand therefor no tax ,and if you valued anything you didn't leave it laying around . one friend of mine had the boys tarmac his driveway, beautiful job but it was less than 10 mm thick didn't last long, an that lot was long gone by the time he realized.

Magnarc · Guru

When I was a youngster we lived in the Fenland County of Cambridgeshire and I remember the gypsy women in their colourful clothes, would come around selling pegs for the washing line. Woe betide the person who did not buy any, they would put a "curse" on you and yours.

In Cambridgeshire they were known as Didecoys. I recall that they had beautifully decorated horse drawn caravans and camped on the same ground everytime they came into the area. You never left anything of value around when they were in town!

I think they were largely tolerated as they would camp for a few days then move on.

dogbox · Guru

didecoys are the ones of mixed blood

Mike Harding · Guru

Do you recall that some parents would tell their children that if they were naughty "The gypsies will take you away"?

I sometimes think it's amazing that most children make it to adulthood without a basket full of psychosis....

Dick0 · Guru

This may be of interest:

History of the Gypsies - Owlcation

tea spoon · Senior Member

so are the free campers here gypsies .........or what eh

dogbox · Guru

tea spoon wrote:

so are the free campers here gypsies .........or what eh

no! I don't think being referred as "gypsy" is quite as romantic as it may seem

Possum3 · Guru

As a child I remember when the Australian Gypsies Families used to prey on unsuspecting travellers in rural areas. For some inexplicable reason the families used straight eight Packards - they would "park" in remote section of road, lift the bonnet and have one of their teenage girls or young woman flag down passing motorists. When some traveller would stop to render aid, the "Family" would emerge from the bushes and theive just bout anything of value. Robbery complete they would purloin the victims car, leaving the good Samaritan to walk to next town, where his vehicle would be left intact. Reason being this afforded the time for the Highwaymen to disappear.

The tactic of choice was always the hand bag left on side of road, whilst young men would hide in bushes. When a motorist stopped the same scenario ensued, robbery, car theft with car left in next town.

Australia in the 40's. Back then they were often called Rommanys.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

We toured the UK by motorhome a couple of years back.
England was difficult to free camp in. Caravan parks were typically very expensive and many were owned by caravan "clubs". The English tended to travel in their caravan from home to a park, stay there for the duration and then drive home again. Those who went to Continental Europe were different and would tour, but mostly touring was in motorhomes, not caravans.
Scotland on the other hand was easy and friendly.
A Scot once told us that "You can walk across any farmer's paddock at any time. The bull might kill you, but otherwise there was is problem."
And "If you ever see a 'Keep Out' sign in a property in Scotland, it would be owned by an Englishman."
Cheers,
Peter