I know I've mentioned this before, but this time it's even more personal.
First it was at my people's house in Shropshire where a 'Traveller' threatened to do serious damage to me, after I'd discovered him moving onto a small field at the bottom of our garden. It was a very unpleasant experience; he was a BIG man, and he wasn't kidding.
Then after this recent long Bank Holiday weekend, I see that some of them have moved onto a field in our lovely old Sussex village (above).
West Chiltington is a very pleasant, quiet (and expensive), village. It is filled with very beautiful old houses, and pristine gardens. The residents are mostly good honest middle-class professional folk, who care deeply about their surroundings. It is regarded as one of the most desirable villages in Sussex. This very pleasant house (below) is typical of the houses in West Chiltington (it was ours).
Then along comes this bunch of law-breaking, so-called, 'Travellers', who put two fingers up at authority, and dump tarmac over a large area, put up fences, and illegally invite their pals to buy a 'plot'.
This MUST NOT BE ALLOWED.
Sadly, no-one is prepared to go in and boot them out, and force them to return the field to its original condition.
Just imagine if YOU owned that lovely old farmhouse in the top right of the top photo. One minute you have all the peace and quiet you desire (and have paid through the nose for), the next you have a bunch of criminals moving their caravans up against your back garden. That is an expensive house too!!!
I AM aware that it makes no difference whether or not the location is 'desirable' or not, but somehow because I lived there, and knew many of the residents, it does seem particularly outrageous.
If the Police can't deal with these people, then bring in The Army. They have all the heavy moving kit they need, and could tow away any vehicles within minutes. And I'm sure there's a local 'Crusher' not too far away.
In another part of Sussex, in Clayton (above), the little darlings have even invaded the local Cricket Pitch. Is there no end to their disgusting behaviour !!!
If the authorities simply do nothing, these scumbags will see it as a sign of weakness, and move on to yet another field or Cricket pitch; and do the same again. Someone needs to act AT ONCE.
We had them here about half a mile away. Luckily they were only here for a couple of weeks and the council assisted by the police moved them on.
ReplyDeleteThey had chicken coops, lots of dogs and washing lines everywhere!
The mess they left behind was atrocious.
Dog walkers reported human excrement in several.places. Dirty beggars.
They seem to think that they can do whatever they want, wherever they want, and whenever they want. And sadly they can. You were very lucky to get rid of yours after just two weeks!
DeleteI despair, how the hell are these people allowed to get away with it? And yet if you or I put a foot wrong we'd be banged up in no time at all, it's just not fair. I fear that the world is coming to an end in that biblical sense, war, pestilence, overpopulation, climate - we're all like rats in a bag, glad I only have a few years left if I'm lucky.
ReplyDeleteI feel much the same. It'll be for others to clear-up all the mess; if they can be bothered. Europe has become far too liberal, and we now allow anyone to do anything; without incrimination.
DeleteSadly we have them locally every summer, one year they took over the local football fields, all clubs stopped for the entire summer, the fields had bolted gates, they just cut through them. We are already watching their movements via reports on facebook. They totally vandalized the football club, breaking into buildings and stealing, the one building they could not get into the set alight and blocked the fire engine. No wonder people dislike them so much. On the plus side a gofundme page raised enough to replace everything with a bit spare, the football club donated the excess to the local food bank.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like the people who pitch their tents in our churchyard. The least they could do is collect their own rubbish. But they can't even be bothered to do that. It's no wonder they're hated and mistrusted so much.
DeleteIt cost a local village £ 40,000 to clear up the mess left on their playing field and another village have dug unsightly trenches all around their village green.
ReplyDeleteWe have a well trained Army, who often do very little. Just give them the address and tell them to 'get on with it'. They could treat it as a Military Exercise.
DeleteWe have recently had such an invasion in Scunthorpe. They set up camp right next to a school. An order for them to disperse was taken out, and they decided to move on. They left behind a disgusting pile of garbage. Where do they come from I do not know.
ReplyDeleteIt's all very well organised. These people are no fools. It's just a shame that the authorities aren't as well organised.
DeleteThere are two different scenarios here. The cricket pitch invasions and the playing field invasions described are those where the authorities move them off for trespassing and they disappear once the paperwork has been finalised, or before if you're lucky. The other scenario you describe in the first example of the tarmac field next to the pleasant house is where the travellers, I assume, bought the land and then moved in and do what they want. We have a lot of that here and if they get planning permission they skew it a bit to suit what they want to do and then appeal and end up doing exactly what they want. I blame John Prescott if you look back into Labour archives.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a problem. They buy the land, offer plots for sale, tarmac over everything, put up fencing, and walk away; leaving a complicated legal mess.
DeleteCome to Norfolk and see it all over the place. The "complicated legal mess" ends up not particularly complicated when the local authorities give in to the travellers and let them have whatever they want.
DeleteI can understand your anger because I would not want such a pop up traveller settlement in my back yard. Fortunately, around Sheffield, there have been very few problems with invading travellers. On the edge of the moors up near Redmires reservoirs there's a small licensed traveller site with hard-standing and access to water, electricity and waste disposal. As far as I know, they have not caused any significant problems.
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be more such sites for Travellers. Away from housing, and with plenty of dustbins. Any litter would mean being moved on. These people must live by certain basic rules; like the rest of us.
DeleteWhen the country is dysfunctional you have to look for a patsy. So now travellers (1/2 a million murdered in concentrations camps , refugees ( (of course all criminals, rapists and killers with machetes). The Uk longs for right wing extremists like Robinson , a real criminal. I hope you will all wake up and not throw all people in the same basket.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing comment. I have to presume that you have a perfect life, and you couldn't care less about law-abiding people who suffer at the hands of criminals. Just wait till something nasty happens to you.... you might change your nasty attitude.
DeleteYou are completely wrong, I work with zravellers and know very well how they are pushed out of society. You have of course criminals in their communities, like in the white British community.too Can you exlain what is nasty in my comment ? Some of your followers are unite uk fans which is really nasty.
ReplyDeleteI hope that none of my readers are racists or extreme Unite UK fans. All that 'normal law-abiding people' want is that we are all treated the same. No special rules for travellers, religions, ethnic groups, etc. This is Britain, where all people are equal.
DeleteI know that all you people like to remain 'Anonymous', but could you please sign your comments with a proper name; then at least I would know which ones to delete.
DeleteI'm Juliette.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThis really has become a problem and if they are buying the land, where does the money comes from? Presume it's purchased by one person who applies for planning premision and then the rest move in.
ReplyDeleteHere we get squatters who take over empty properties and if they can claim residence for a certain time they are almost impossible to evict!
I wonder why Anonymous, above, doesn't give his or her name and where he/she gets their information? From the nuance of the comments I suspect that he/she isn't British or actually living in the UK, but viewing the problem as seen from news items and relating the situation to their own country. The comment about 1/2 million murdered in Concentration camps indicates somewhere other than the UK. Not every Traveller has been pushed out of Society, many of them embrace the life - this is obvious when you see how well organised they are!
Coppa's Girl
She has an extreme left-wing view of life, which makes her angry and contrary. I think she is the same person who drove John Gray crazy for years. He banned her!
DeleteSupposing things doesnt mean they are true.
DeleteI see that Anonymous has now given you her name!
ReplyDeleteYou comment under coppa's girl which is not a real name. Fancy and funny all in one.
DeleteJuliette
At least it's a name that we all recognise and respect.
DeleteI'm reminded of a quote from a former president, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'" This is why we hold onto our 2nd amendment so desperately. My parents had rules. We broke them and we suffered. Even the animal kingdom understands this. I know America is a joke to Europe but there's a reason Trump is president and the whole nation is turning "red". People are fed up with the malignancy that is called "the government". Folks just want to live in peace. We are "throwing the bums out" by the dozens. We just got rid of 3 of the most entrenched. I long to see your Western nations be sovereign again. You are a kind people. There's a time for everything under the sun. We will pass from this earth but our kids still have to deal with the mess we have permitted. I say We because it appears to me Western Culture is under attack. I hear about the "rape gangs" your families are dealing with and it horrifies me. The barbarians have breached the gates. I for one am never giving over! Perhaps farmers need to surround those encampments with stinky manure piles. Fire with fire. The newest thing here are businesses run by folks that successfully dealt with the squatters that took over their homes. They are inventive. Sorry for the long post. I feel deep indignation for you wonderful folks.
ReplyDeleteYou describe perfectly what is happening here, and you might have seen just one comment about how we shouldn't be nasty to these people. Our society has totally changed over the past few decades. People/Governments have been far too liberal, too welcoming, and too generous; and it's still going on. People are blinkered, and they will only realise what's happened when it's too late.
DeleteAbout 20 years ago some travellers moved onto a field near our village. It was 4 caravans, trucks even a kennel. Immediately word went round and eventually about 40 plus tractors, cars and villagers from surrounding villages lined the field, on the road, on 2 sides. The police came and after talking to them said they would leave the next day. The owner of the field said no, other travellers would have arrived by then, he wanted them off immediately. The police wouldn't do anything but because of the ever increasing number of villagers the travellers decided to move on. They said they felt intimidated although no one did anything. Taste of the own tactics
ReplyDeleteGood organisation by the locals is probably the best answer. A dozen or so BIG tractors to tow away the caravans, etc, would be more effective than the police.
Delete