Village news

[Plantaholic]

Yesterday two caravans arrived on our village back common, presumably just testing the water before the rest arrive. It was very late when they arrived so not much could be done. We have a Charter Fair on the front common in September so perhaps they are early for that. It isn’t long since we had a problem with travellers on a piece of ground, they broke a lock on the metal gate and were there for a long time. They left a terrible mess including human faeces. They also took over part of a car park near Waitrose and the children were constantly stealing from the shop. . Do you have a problem with travellers?

[Oma]

We used to have a big problem with them on land by our Highway then the council blocked the only way in with enormous boulders , shortly after a Gym and B& M built on the land along with a costa and Mc Donald’s
The rubbish they left behind was disgraceful, all the plastic window frames from their business, along with rubble household stuff , It’s not far from a housing estate and people reported them prowling gardens late at night breaking into garages and sheds .
These are not true Gypsies ,
There is a Irish Gypsy family every year park on land by our beach they have traditional vans
They disturb no one and when they leave you wouldn’t know they had been there .
Polite children and are a bother to no one , I think that’s why the council and locals tolerate them .

[Gemini]

Oh dear Plant, that's not good.
I'm not aware if any problems, but there are an awful lot of big white boulders in certain places where travellers may be tempted to camp.

[Plantaholic]

Sil has been for a walk with H and he says there are about 10 there now. They can’t block the open common because there are some houses there. Local Council member are dealing with it. The Fair is due on the 8th so hopefully they are just a bit early and will then go.

[Daisy]

Plant, it's a worry, isn't it. I have no objection to travellers as such and have met some lovely travellers, but I hate to see the mess some of them leave behind, and the ones who go round intimidating people or stealing. It seems there are no sanctions to deal with them.

We have one week-end a year when there's some sort of meeting up, but I'm not sure whether they are travellers or Commoners (people who run livestock on the Forest) and other than making some areas busy I don't think they're a problem.

[Nanto2girls]

Fortunately we don't have this problem.
Maybe some travellers are decent people, but some aren't.
I always get the impression that some think they are above the law.

[WeeGranny]

Plant, I saw several caravans leaving your village this afternoon! Don't know if they were the same lot, but I thought it a bit strange to see so many at once. All pulled by vans, not cars, so obviously not people going on holiday.
They used to take up residence on the P&R sites in Cambridge. Always had an excuse e.g. wedding, funeral, sick relative in hospital etc.
I used to do supply teaching at several local schools and some of those had travellers sites in their area. I met a couple of children at one school then they left. Lo and behold they turned up at another school and they'd changed their names!!!

[Daisy]

WeeGranny, I think traveller families can be quite complex, but I'd no idea they changed children's names.

[Plantaholic]

Oh that sounds promising WeeGranny, I do hope so.