Couperman Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Close to where I work is a small piece of what I can only describe as 'industrial wasteland' This site has a building that really desperately needs knocking down but as it contains asbestos it is very expensive to demolish safely and there is a primary school 500 yards from it. As a result the site has been securely fenced off for for safety reasons for several years whilst the powers that be decide what to do with it. Just before Christmas a bunch of 'Travellers' broke into the site and set up camp, not a problem as such other than the health risk to their kids who were playing in the said hazardous building, but they have left a huge pile of festering waste burning vehicles, gas cannistors, rat infestations etc. The devastation they have left behind is quite staggering, I didn't think that the said small piece of wasteland could be made to look any worse. There is a waste recycling facility less than a quarter of a mile away and yet they left a mountain of rubbish and I mean a mountain. And guess who foots the bill. I would like to think that the kids haven't come to any harm, but if they have then it is their parents fault. The HUGE signs on the fence declare 'DANGER, CONTAMINATED SITE DO NOT ENTER, ASBESTOS' I really sympathise with those who live in little quaint countryside villages when they turn up. If they can make the armpit of the country look worse, I dread to think what they can do with a nice place. They take everything out put nothing in. Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Sad isn't it Kev My friend used to be a traveller - I challenged her about this. Travellers took over a beautiful wood near us a few years back and completely trashed it - the trees were festooned with waste and old cars and buggies were scattered throughout the wood. My friend said that she was part of a small group who felt they were very conscientious, but if they found a good spot they would be joined by others who trashed the place, forcing the original people to move on. Like a lot of things, often the case of some spoiling it for the rest. But they really do spoil it in style don't they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emu Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 What is even more despicable is the landowners who 'purposely' feel obliged to sell on their land for undisclosed sums of money for travellers to create this 'cesspit' living as a permanent eyesore and living misery for so many taxpaying residents who are offered no compensation whatsoever for having to put up with this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 It is awful when such devastation is left behind. Living so close to nature (well, if you can class a building site 'nature' Kev?!), you'd expect there to be a natural born respect of the land in which they live. I do agree with you Snowy, that not all travellers should be judged by one group, but it is hard to be accepting of having travellers as your neighbours. I do think that facilities should be more available for people who like to live on the move. There are never enough standard bins around generally anyway, or public toilets or recycling facilities. It is a tough one, as I expect if the local councils did set up sites for travellers, many of them would avoid such places, as I guess it defeats the whole ethos of being a traveller and of course, as it's been said, one unruly group would spoil it for the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 ...if the local councils did set up sites for travellers, many of them would avoid such places, council tax bills are already high enough without providing facilities for travellers. My DH got a warning from a policeman once for dropping a chewing gum wrapper and yet they do nothing about travellers dumping all sorts of waste. Why aren't they arrested, it's a crime after all? We live in a strange world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 There are a lot of sites for travellers in the next town to me -usually one traveller buys a house & tarmacs the driveway to fit 4 caravans or more on. It annoys me, but at least that way, they are not littering the countryside. It's the dirty devil ones ~I can't stand - leaving dirty nappies everywhere, dog & human poo & food waste. As well as gas bottles, broken pushchairs etc. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 We used to have a couple of travellers who set up camp across the road from me They were a lovely couple and used to stay for about a week every couple of months because we have youth camp site nearby which has a water supply to it and they would never leave any mess apart from a ring of stines where they had a small fire to cook on The land owner had them removed a few years back and I haven't seen them since The youth camp however once had a group of young offenders from Stirling staying there and they terrorised one of my neighbours They discovered there was no pub or shop nearby so started knocking on doors to try to buy booze and the woman had her back door open so they just walked in when she was alone with her young son and terrified her Because there was no forced entry the police couldn't do anything and it was all filmed for some BBC documentary including the fact that the 'youth worker' with them had no control over these morons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Ther is a permanent traveller site in a village about 3 miles from us. It looks relatively tidy, but unfortunatley has been the source of lots of problems (including a murder) and is the first port of call for the police when they have any car theft problems. I do hate the way that they can take over countryside laybys and then wreck them - it takes years for the plants to regrow and the damage to be rectified. It's a shame, because I am sure that people wuld be more tolerant of them of they took more care of their camps and didn't leave such a mess behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 The London Borough I live in used to have a permanent travellers site about a mile from where I live. They caused havoc and mayhem locally, stealing from shops, nicking cars, making disgusting fires as they burned the plastic off wire to get to the metal inside which they could sell. Pubs started putting up signs saying 'travellers by appointment' which gets round the laws on discrimination, after much local protest the Council closed the site. I am all for people living outside the system and being free from the constraints of this increasingly police state, but don't expect to be given free health care, free schooling, benefits etc., unless you are prepared to contribute like the rest of us. I try and be tolerant to my fellow man but I don't have a good thing to say about some travellers, they are selfish, scary and leave the world an uglier place Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 One Friday night there was a police helicopter hovering around for an hour or so. They were following travellers who broke into a football pitch just a few hundred yards up the road from me. The next day I saw the pitch ful of travellers and police cars there - this was in the morning, by the time we went out in the afternoon the police had moved them on but there was already loads of debris. Mind you these were actually travellers. A couple of miles from me (near my favourite farm shop) is a village school where there are no local kids enrolled because they might be the only kids there - the traveller kids don't even turn up. This is the school - note the lack of pupils in most of the pictures http://www.crayshill.essex.sch.uk/default.htm This is the problem http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4545929.stm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 There is a permanent site on the outskirts of my village, where they also have a huge caravan sales business and carpet business too. I have never heard of any major problems although the teenage boys pester my daughter and her friend when they're walking home from school. They have their own designated police officer, midwife, teachers and the Youth Connections place runs one night a week just for them. The children also get taken on several trips every year, free of charge........and outside every caravan is a brand new, top of the range Discovery/BMW/Mercedes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Ours all have top of the range cars too Fee, and private number plates too. One of the problems they have here is illustrated in the local sports centre, which I use. When the travellers are in town, the use the changing rooms as their own bathroom, despite regular security trawls. You can find women washing their smalls in the basins, shaving their legs, bleaching top lips, waxing bikini lines and dying their hair. They make a dreadful mess and noise and intimidate regular customers who want to use the facilities. It's just my opinion, but if they want some respect from the towns that they visit, then they need to make more effort themselves to show respect, integrate and give something back. It's not hard, but you can't go on taking all the time without giving something back; it's bad Karma apart from anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm with Popcorn on this one.... I have seen my fair share of repulsive traveler infestations - and lived alongside them.. but... the area I live in has seen many applications for permanent travelers or showman quarters screamed and shouted down by nimby local residents. There are no permanent sites nearby - so they are forced to use laybys or fields or to break planning law by setting up semi-permanent sites on land meant for something else... and then the locals all shout that they should follow planning law like everyone else - YET... whenever reasonable proposals are brought forward for decent permanent sites - a special anti-showmen/travelers campaign group is set up to scupper the plans.... A site was recently proposed not far away from where I live - near where i walk the dog - well out of the way and perfect for the purpose. A blue-rinse lunatic resident - from miles away - knocked on my door asking me to sign a petition opposing the plans. i asked her if she had seen the plans. She said "No". I asked her where she thought the showmen might go. she said "Not here" I told her where to stick her petition! Phil PS - Couperman... having lived in Teesside - i find it very hard to believe any traveler's site could make it look ANY worse!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Revnev - there is a lovely showmans site quite near you. Its as you drive down the lanes towards Aveley. You don't often get to see in though as it has a high fence and huge gates but I went there once and it was very nice. Funny, after posting this I've been searching for jobs locally (just don't ask - I've had an extremely bad day!). The school I did the link for earlier have written their advert really well. "Ours is no ordinary school, and our unique challenges bring us special rewards. Visits to the school are essential." I'm tempted, many days the teachers outnumber the pupils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Revnev - there is a lovely showmans site quite near you. Its as you drive down the lanes towards Aveley. You don't often get to see in though as it has a high fence and huge gates but I went there once and it was very nice. I have been there several times to visit a church member... (I don't count Aveley as nearby! must be 3 or 4 miles away ) Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 PS - Couperman... having lived in Teesside - i find it very hard to believe any traveler's site could make it look ANY worse!! LIke I said at the top of the post they DID make that little bit of Teesside hell much worse. and not necessary at all, I just hope they are all immune to asbestosis Did you live in all of Teesside Phil? or just the bad bits? Yes it has it bad areas, but where doesn't?, London maybe? Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Did you live in all of Teesside Phil? or just the bad bits? Yes it has it bad areas, but where doesn't?, London maybe? Kev. I'd love to live in Teesside again - I will one day... My heart beats with a northern rhythm - I don't understand Essex folk! Hartlepool was my particular corner of Teesside - with frequent forays (work-wise) into Stockton and Middlesbrough... I still miss driving up the A19 - seeing the Billingham chemical works - and knowing I was home! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I have been there several times to visit a church member... (I don't count Aveley as nearby! must be 3 or 4 miles away ) Phil ROFL thats about half the distance to my nearest.....petrol station, supermarket, chemist even my Doctors surgery is 8 miles away. I guess when I lived in Elm Park I woul have thought it was a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Phil, You would have loved the professional looking sign erected at the lovely resort of Seaton recently. It read 'Welcome to Seaton Canoe, Twinned with Panama' It was only there for three hours! But very funny. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...