God I wish I could go sailing.

[Peppermint]

Since Wednesday night Aylesbury, the nearest town to my rural hideaway, has been largely shut owing to an influx of "travelers". They turned up for a burying allegedly, wrecked a pub and since then all the town center pubs have shut up shop. It's Friday night so of course me daughters, who are big enough to know better, want to have a night on the town. I've suggested they try someone elses town.

I don't even need me drive tarmacing.

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[jimbouy]

Funny. My daughters moaning too. I'm unfortunate enough to live south side (posh....honest) of the mentioned market town.

<hr width=100% size=1> <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoonlight.co.uk>http://www.bluemoonlight.co.uk</A>

 

[Shakey]

Eeeeh, these so called travellers make my blood boil. They swan about wherever they want, don't pay any taxes, don't contribute anything to society, live by their own rules not society's, it's shocking.

I don't know what this country's coming to.

I'm going to pack it all in and go blue water cruising.

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[BrendanS]

They have some wonderul traditions that bigots like yourself want to stomp all over and persecute out of being. Happy now you've had your say?

Peeps go all gooey about government and rules, but when a few actually live outside those boundaries, all hell lets loose.

Good luck to them, they live a life some wish they had (liveaboards) and far more environmentally friendly than the rest of us who will have to cope with fuel inefficient homes and the like in years to come

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[Shakey]

Errrrr, it was meant to be ironic.....

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[machurley22]

Well anyway, I thought it was ironic - but what do I know?

Dave

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[ShipsWoofy]

er, they can only live like that, because the bigots as you say choose not to.

So it is every bigots right to complain drop outs, they after all pay for the infrastructure.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>All New website</A>

 

[mirabriani]

Actually Shakey it was clearly ironic.
Brendans reaction made it funnier IMO

Reminds me of a story.
Some years ago when I was trail riding. You need to picture the scene:-
Green lane in the middle of the country. Light rain, rather a grey day.
We came upon a group of traditional Romany gipsy ladies in light
rain huddled around a camp fire with horses and vans nearby.
I have to point out that dearheart, who was not with us is used to the better things in life and not at all used to deprivation, in any way, shape or form.
Anyway, after a brief chat, we rode on.
A good friend who knows dearheart confided "I can't help feeling Barbara would not enjoy that sort of life"

Regards Briani

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[oldharry]

I do not know what is happening at Aylesbury, but I suspect the culprits are not the genuine 'Romany Gipsys' but the parasitic group known as 'travellers', who are living a false 'alternative' lifestyle which far from being environmentally sound, is a mess. Refusing to acknowledge any form of control or authority, and making no contribution to society or the economy - other than the illegal drug trade, they are largely dependent on the welfare state for their existence, yet are the first to yell if their 'rights' are infringed in any way.

Gipsys on the other hand, while not being any paragons of virtue, do have a cultural and historical heritage, and can be likened to long term liveaboards in terms of their lifestyle. Unlike the 'traveller' they are a proud - and therefore frequently difficult - minority. The only pride the 'traveller' has is in his ability to work the system he despises, yet depends on for his existence.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Cheerful folk of the countryside

I think not.

Wonderful customs like surfacing an old couples drive, charging well over the odds. suggesting that they don't run the wheelchair on it for three days, trapping them in the house. The material used was black paint mixed with sand.

Customs like moving onto a school playing field in huge numbers, wrecking the gate, threatening the headmaster and quad bike racing over the pitches. The clean up bill was 10's of thousands.

When I was in Highways departments we had to move them on and pick up the pieces. They fall into two distinct groups. Those that move through the countryside
with barely a ripple. Their homes clean and neat, not aggressive or loud, leaving the pitch as clean and tidy as they found it. They often work as tree gangs and seasonal farm labourers and follow a regular route from job to job. They are in a minority. They are the first to clear off if the other sort turn up.

The others are aggressive and criminal, live and cause their families to live in squallor, boost the crime statistics where they stop and leave ratepayers with amazing bills for cleaning up behind them. They dress up their vans for respectable trades with mobile phone numbers and overcharge the vulnerable for shoddy work.

It's a scandle that local authorities don't meet their requirements to provide sites. If they did the new rash of field takeovers and illegal developments would be easier to fight.



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[robp]

Fond memories of my first cottage in Chinnor and then Longwick. It was easier then, couldn't afford the Chalfonts, so went West and bought.

Oh...travellers that's right. Sorry I digress!

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by robp on 20/11/2004 10:30 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[snowleopard]

I think intolerant people should be shot.



Sorry shakey, we all have to learn round here that irony, however obvious and heavily laid on, is too subtle for some.

And no-one picked up on your well-made point about liveaboard cruisers :-(

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[Parsonsheath]

Trouble is, if you do shoot all the intolerant people you will need tolerant people to finish off the slaughter, and because of their nature they will refuse to do so!

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

On the "gypsy" comments, years ago I came across one family, sat and squatted on land, claimed adverse title, nice people whose children attended the village school, been moved on without help or backing for years, so good luck to them.

Next experience, little old lady, big field with locked gate, early one morning white van stops and gate forced, within hours influx of vans who just happened to notice the open gate from the dual carriageway. Neighbour remonstrates with arrivals who then telephone police who arrive, complete with social and educational workers, police warn against taking any action, promises to leave in few days, weeks later still there, proceedings issued, tyey take no part but leave as hearings come to court, result? One traumatised old lady, with legal bills, and then the local authority chase her to clear the site, at a cost of several thousand. The second lot were the sort that get the bad press for anyone .

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