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Travellers move back in

1:28pm Friday 16th May 2008

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TRAVELLERS are back on private land - days after another group left.

Travellers left the grassland between Fernhill Heath and Martin Hussingtree on the A38 on Sunday.

But another - bigger - group of eight caravans arrived on the site yesterday, to the frustration of North Claines Parish Council, which expects more invasions over the summer.

John Carter, chairman of the parish council, still believes a ditch could keep the travellers out, but Wychavon district councillor Alan Fisher believes the travellers will simply lay planks over it.

Mr Carter said Worcestershire County Council, which owns the land, was "dragging its heels" over the problem of traveller invasions.

It had cancelled a meeting at County Hall in April and had not rescheduled it.

Mr Carter said: "Nobody wants to know and everyone passes the buck. The caravans there now are more like mobile homes - they wouldn't be able to get them across with a ditch."

Plans were discussed to split the £1,400 cost of a ditch three ways between North Claines Parish Council, Hindlip Parish Council and Worcestershire County Council, but Hindlip has since pulled out.

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire County Council said highways officers and police would meet the travellers next week to discuss a solution.

She said: "It is vital that the solution that is decided upon does not compromise highways safety."


Your Say Your Worcester

Sir Smeg, Worcester says...
2:16pm Fri 16 May 08

Why should everyone else have to foot the bill yet again to stop these people setting up on common ground.

If a trench has to be dug, why not dig it while the caravans are still inside it, then make the travellers pay a hefty fee to get out.

chippie, Worcester says...
2:21pm Fri 16 May 08

Couldn't agree more - why are we always **** footing round these people.

Biggles, Worcester says...
2:23pm Fri 16 May 08

There was an article recently on culling pigeons, as they were considered a nuisance.

Travellers are a nuisance....so cull them

Problem solved

George, Pershore says...
2:42pm Fri 16 May 08

Biggles - you are a nasty, spiteful imbecile. Try to remember that within living memory the culling of gipsies has been tried - by the Nazis. But then, I suspect that you, along with many of the regular contributors to this comments section, would feel quite at home in the Third Reich. Again, Biggles - you are a cretin; think before you speak and hang your head in shame.

Mark, Worcester says...
3:24pm Fri 16 May 08

George wrote:
Biggles - you are a nasty, spiteful imbecile. Try to remember that within living memory the culling of gipsies has been tried - by the Nazis. But then, I suspect that you, along with many of the regular contributors to this comments section, would feel quite at home in the Third Reich. Again, Biggles - you are a cretin; think before you speak and hang your head in shame.
George, perhaps you could accomodate the gypsies? in your garden maybe or as you are so fond and considerate, in your home, you can then experience the mess and damage that I have had to encounter from having them use land adjacent to my home in the past.

George, Pershore says...
3:49pm Fri 16 May 08

Actually, I do accommodate some in my own home - they're called my family. but perhaps you're right, next time they're too messy I should cull them all. Any suggestions as to how? You can cull pigeons with peregrine falcons, but in my experience this course of action just makes the gipsies more fractious and noisy.

ken18, worcester says...
4:43pm Fri 16 May 08

Well well, what a suprise -I wasn`t expecting that!!BUT I`m not suprised at the reaction of the County Council and the police, who will have a talk with the travellers next week -about what? Whoever is responsible on the County Counciul for allowing this farce to continue time and again in Worcestershire should be named and maybe steps taken to sack him/her as he/she is clearly not doing their job.it would soon happen to a shop or factory worker but then again these people live in an ivory tower compared to the rest of us. Perhaps the Worcester News would let us know who it is letting the local taxpayers down?

Biggles, Worcester says...
5:33pm Fri 16 May 08

George.

Off you go then, you can clean up after these people, you can also collect the "rent" for their land use and pass it onto the council.

I'm not actually in favour of nazi's, but don't you consider it strange that nobody wanted them then, and nobody wants them now ?

easy_life, Droitwich says...
5:51pm Fri 16 May 08

I feel so sorry for these people. No Council Tax to pay, No Motgage, No car Tax, Insurance or MOT to find. They get free health care, handouts from the Government and are treated like they are wrapped in cotton wool. It must be hell!

Turkey Neck, Wuster says...
6:22pm Fri 16 May 08

easy_life wrote:
I feel so sorry for these people. No Council Tax to pay, No Motgage, No car Tax, Insurance or MOT to find. They get free health care, handouts from the Government and are treated like they are wrapped in cotton wool. It must be hell!
Hey come on, lets not forget their contribution to society.....anyone?

truthteller, worcester says...
7:03pm Fri 16 May 08

Sorry Turkey Neck, can't think of any contribution they make. Is leaving a mess when they leave classed as a contribution?? I don't think so. Shove them off this land and point them in the direction of George from Pershore.

cmot, Worcester says...
10:00pm Fri 16 May 08

ken18 wrote:
Well well, what a suprise -I wasn`t expecting that!!BUT I`m not suprised at the reaction of the County Council and the police, who will have a talk with the travellers next week -about what? Whoever is responsible on the County Counciul for allowing this farce to continue time and again in Worcestershire should be named and maybe steps taken to sack him/her as he/she is clearly not doing their job.it would soon happen to a shop or factory worker but then again these people live in an ivory tower compared to the rest of us. Perhaps the Worcester News would let us know who it is letting the local taxpayers down?
Perhaps ken18 you will take the lead and try and find out who this member of council staff is and request that they are made accountable and then sacked. Then you can take that person's job and show how it should be done, and maybe highlight the apparent ineptitude of all council workers.

hotfuzz, Stourport says...
10:29pm Fri 16 May 08

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire County Council said highways officers and police would meet the travellers next week to discuss a solution.
She said: "It is vital that the solution that is decided upon does not compromise highways safety."


Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The 'solution' always is - that that the law is never applied - the travellers move whenever they feel like it, to wherever else they feel like - Another lot take their place and the whole circus starts over again.

It's something that fits into the too difficult / can't be arsed category for both the police and the council and the rest of the community can get stuffed!!!

Stan Parr, Pershore says...
10:57pm Fri 16 May 08

Every country has them - and in every country they seem to be a problem.

The 1939-45 episode didn't seem to reduce their numbers much - certainly not over here.

Couldn't something constructive be offered to them?

If they can work and are basically all self-employed with good vegicles and earning money, then they should surely pay tax, as I did - or the wrath of God descended on me!

They are not stupid - au contraire - they outwit the lot of us, but it's OUR society in which they choose to live...and despoil.

Why are they allowed to "get away with it", I wonder?

ken18, worcester says...
1:25am Sat 17 May 08

cmot
"ineptitude of all council workers".Where did that come from?

George, Pershore says...
1:29am Sat 17 May 08

Few things I'd like to quote:

"Travellers are a nuisance....so cull them"

"I'm not actually in favour of nazi's, but don't you consider it strange that nobody wanted them then, and nobody wants them now"

"Every country has them - and in every country they seem to be a problem"

What I'd like to know is if any of you would walk into a pub (no, not your local where you've got lots of similar tossers to agree with every word you say) and say any of the above in a loud voice. No. You wouldn't. Maybe you're too polite and too decent, hate to offend anyone, n'all that. Maybe you're all just cowards. But sat in your little houses in front of your keyboards you are perfectly ready to **** a whole race of people (and advocate their genocide) knowing that you're anonymous.

You are all on the internet, so you are all able to research what has happened to English gipsies since the war, and in particular since certain parliamentary acts of the 1960s.

George, Pershore says...
1:36am Sat 17 May 08

I must add: The "****" in my previous post was not a swear word (as far I'm concerned). I wrote dam, with an 'n' on the end. As in 'to commend or impel a person or thing to damnation'. Nothing sweary or offensive about that, was there?

Turkey Neck, Wuster says...
7:55am Sat 17 May 08

What I'd like to know is if any of you would walk into a pub (no, not your local where you've got lots of similar tossers to agree with every word you say) and say any of the above in a loud voice.


If I did I would imagine i would probably get agreement from about 90% of the pub. The other 10% would be the ones in the corner wearing arran sweaters witering on how disappointed they are that the police haven't met this months targets!

Zero Tollerance, Malvern says...
12:06pm Sat 17 May 08

GEORGE... You said.
'Maybe you're all just cowards. But sat in your little houses in front of your keyboards you are perfectly ready to **** a whole race of people (and advocate their genocide) knowing that you're anonymous'.

Have you wondered why people chose anonymity?
The travellers that you so lovingly defend have a reputation.

Unfortunatley its not a reputation to be proud of....for the law-abiding, hard working tax payer.

The appellation 'Traveller' is something they are also very proud of. I for one cannot understand why. Anyone care to enlighten me?

fronkthegonk, Babylon says...
12:55pm Sat 17 May 08

While the settled community are so separated and suspicious even of each other it is hardly any wonder that the traveller community is proud of it's own heritage. At least they have some sort of solidarity where as ours is just a greedy, blind, ignorant, stupid society that barely deserves to be called civilised.
Before you mouth off about how scummy these people are look at your own mess, you might not s**t in your own garden but you certainly do it all over the rest of the planet. Very few of us can claim to lead an exemplary life as far as the environment is concerned and most people break the law at some point in their lives.
Travellers can be as unpleasant as anyone else, more so you might say, but think carefully before damning another group in society for their lifestyle when your own is likely to be questionable.
Travellers have been exploited and abused for generations while they have worked the land for pennies and been driven off by the constable or thrown in prison for being vagrants. They are our lower caste or untouchable people that have done the scummy jobs and lived poor short lives, no schools, no health care, no representation in politics, no right to stay more than a few days and in the past no right to exist at all . For most, the way of life is not a choice but the way it is, just like us living in our brick boxes. They might rip us off or annoy us but look at what we are doing. Using 3rd world slave or cheap labour for our goods, polluting our lands and fighting wars thousands of miles away that bring suffering and misery to millions.
Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury.

cvj, Worcester says...
2:03pm Sat 17 May 08

fronkthegonk wrote:
While the settled community are so separated and suspicious even of each other it is hardly any wonder that the traveller community is proud of it's own heritage. At least they have some sort of solidarity where as ours is just a greedy, blind, ignorant, stupid society that barely deserves to be called civilised. Before you mouth off about how scummy these people are look at your own mess, you might not s**t in your own garden but you certainly do it all over the rest of the planet. Very few of us can claim to lead an exemplary life as far as the environment is concerned and most people break the law at some point in their lives. Travellers can be as unpleasant as anyone else, more so you might say, but think carefully before damning another group in society for their lifestyle when your own is likely to be questionable. Travellers have been exploited and abused for generations while they have worked the land for pennies and been driven off by the constable or thrown in prison for being vagrants. They are our lower caste or untouchable people that have done the scummy jobs and lived poor short lives, no schools, no health care, no representation in politics, no right to stay more than a few days and in the past no right to exist at all . For most, the way of life is not a choice but the way it is, just like us living in our brick boxes. They might rip us off or annoy us but look at what we are doing. Using 3rd world slave or cheap labour for our goods, polluting our lands and fighting wars thousands of miles away that bring suffering and misery to millions. Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury.
hahahaha
and you are the biggest hypocrite of all!
have you actually READ what you have written! - now that you are sober

cmot, Worcester says...
2:31pm Sat 17 May 08

If North Claines parish Council believes the county council are dragging its heels, then why don't they make public who at the councty council is reponsible for not doing anything? Or do they actually realise that just implementing a solution isn't quite as easy at is seems, despite their criticism of the county council.

fronkthegonk, says...
4:01pm Sat 17 May 08

cvj wrote:
fronkthegonk wrote:
While the settled community are so separated and suspicious even of each other it is hardly any wonder that the traveller community is proud of it's own heritage. At least they have some sort of solidarity where as ours is just a greedy, blind, ignorant, stupid society that barely deserves to be called civilised. Before you mouth off about how scummy these people are look at your own mess, you might not s**t in your own garden but you certainly do it all over the rest of the planet. Very few of us can claim to lead an exemplary life as far as the environment is concerned and most people break the law at some point in their lives. Travellers can be as unpleasant as anyone else, more so you might say, but think carefully before damning another group in society for their lifestyle when your own is likely to be questionable. Travellers have been exploited and abused for generations while they have worked the land for pennies and been driven off by the constable or thrown in prison for being vagrants. They are our lower caste or untouchable people that have done the scummy jobs and lived poor short lives, no schools, no health care, no representation in politics, no right to stay more than a few days and in the past no right to exist at all . For most, the way of life is not a choice but the way it is, just like us living in our brick boxes. They might rip us off or annoy us but look at what we are doing. Using 3rd world slave or cheap labour for our goods, polluting our lands and fighting wars thousands of miles away that bring suffering and misery to millions. Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury.
hahahaha
and you are the biggest hypocrite of all!
have you actually READ what you have written! - now that you are sober
Why am I a hypocrite?

Alan2, Worcester says...
7:08pm Sat 17 May 08

I know where you are coming from fronk, I totally disagree with the nonsence that these travellers get up to and in my present situation I would not like them within some distance of me but, I can remember a time when in a very senior, responsible and "conforming" job, in a strange sort of way, I admired those who opted out of the rat race, threw of all man made conventions, adopted a free spirit philosophy and roamed the highways and byeways without a care in the world or a thought for tomorrow. I was within a hairsbreadth of throwing off my suit, saying b....r the job, the mortgage, the lot and having the life of Riley. In a warped sort of way I admired those who had the courage to do this and lead this life when I, after considering everything, chickened out and continued the straight role until my retirement. Even now I look back with some regret for making that decision. Unfortunately, modern society doesn't allow for the non-conformists and free thinkers amongst us - certainly the travellers with the modern caravans, the Sky TV and all the rest of the paraphenalia of modern luxury living bear little resemblance to the free spirits that I thought of joining. These people conform when they wish to gain an advantage, they demand their rights when they are confronted by officialdom and they abuse their relationships with others by failing to comply with many social norms at even a basic level. If they were of the "New Age" - I would find it fairly easy to be more tolerant but the caravanners and mobile home type who opt "out" and "in", depending on the prevailing circumstances at that particular time, they do indeed try the reasonable patience of many people, myself included. For yourself fronk, continue to think as an individual, think as much of the fellow next to you as you do yourself, have original thoughts and a free spirit because there are far to few people like that and, if there were more, the world would be a better place.
What a sad place the world would be, if, after all the trying of everyone to conform, they all succeed and we become one huge anonymouse grey pile in a colourless mass.

Stan Parr, Pershore says...
11:13pm Sat 17 May 08

Alan - we all now live too close together for people to enjoy the liberty of "pleasing themselves".

This is not the 1300s when there were about 2 million in the entire country and plenty of space to litter and muck up where and when you pleased!

We are now so short of space, we are even building on our farmland!

How crazy can you get! Starvation will follow - it's inevitable.

Anyway, the Travellers/gypsies can no longer enjoy the luxury of ruining the world for everybody - it has to stop.

Why not ask them to try and be tidy - or even pay some tax?

Alan2, Worcester says...
10:34am Sun 18 May 08

Stan, I agree with everything you say. We are now so packed that before long we will be like lemmings ready to charge off to our own destruction. In an age when China, India, Brazil etc etc etc are taking all the world's resources it will become encumbent on many other countries to become self sustaining in food and many of the basics. What do our idiots do, when countries should be looking to reduce populations, they throw open our borders - tell all and sundry to come and cram into our overpopulated Islands and, whereas before it would have been difficult to sustain ourselves - we will have to sustain a few million more the way things are going. There will be little green space left before long as you say to grow things on. That having been said, (and I do not include the caravan and mobile home dwellers in this because I regard them as parasites - you know the ones in this category)it takes no little courage to opt out of the hurly burly of modern living, yes, some would say that it is irresponsible and selfish, some would say it's mad but in your wilder, dafter moments have you never wished for an unconventional life style, answerable to nobody but yourself and your immediate family, go where you want, when you want and b....r everyone else. What a wonderful existence - but now totally impossible and impractical. I suppose I could always get a boat and sail off into the wild blue yonder but having seen huge sharks in a wild ocean, the thought frightens me to death and I think I will just soldier on here living in my own little box, crammed in by neighbours but admiring in a twisted sort of way, those that have the courage to say that there is another way and doing something about it. Ah! me.

hotfuzz, Stourport says...
2:22pm Sun 18 May 08

They are not displaying
courage to say that there is another way and doing something about it.

They are just doing their own thing, not giving a **** about anyone else - not contributing to anyone else and just taking.

In this world we need to consider our actions and consequences of such. If we all did our 'own thing' like these people, where would resources and money come from to run the country, provide for those less able etc etc. There would be no schools, hospitals, or indeed any structure to our society.

It is a pipe-dream for some to admire these types of 'free spirits' - but they're not free - the rest of us pick up the cost!!!

Zero Tollerance, Malvern says...
8:19pm Sun 18 May 08

Well said Hotfuzz... The rest of us pick up the cost!

hotfuzz, Stourport says...
7:45am Mon 19 May 08

P.S.

John Carter, chairman of the parish council, still believes a ditch could keep the travellers out, but Wychavon district councillor Alan Fisher believes the travellers will simply lay planks over it.

They'll never know unless they try and my suspicion is that they wont - the only planks around are those on the District and the County councils!!!

Alan2, Worcester says...
7:00pm Mon 19 May 08

Some of us seem to be getting mixed up here over the term "travellers". There are (a) the type at Martin Hussingtree in their smart 4x4s, exotic Mobiles and huge modern caravans who I regard and mention above as "parasites" and (b) the "New Age Travellers" who few on this post would have met up with. These generally are youngsters in the main, (though I have met older ones) as fronthegonk says, usually, with many, well educated and from good families and who drive along in convoys of clapped out (usually taxed etc but not always mechanically sound) buses and other live- in type vehicles. They are frustrated and overwhelmed by the conformity, rigidity and all the other negatives of modern life. I sympathise with this view and have regard for those who do something about their lot.
They are two totally different groups and never the twain shall meet.
I have contempt for the former (a) and a sneaking admiration (because I lack their courage and irresponsibility) for (b).
Yes, both groups have caused problems but never in a month of Sundays can one compare the problems caused by New Age travellers with the extent, much deeper and widespread problems caused by the Martin Hussingtree type.
Indeed, apart from the one off gathering at Castlemorton, perhaps any of those who have posted here could tell me when New Age travellers have caused any problems in this area within their knowledge.

hotfuzz, Stourport says...
5:06pm Tue 20 May 08

Oh look - word certainly gets around - there's at least 17 caravans plus various assorted lorry, 4x4s, livestock etc churning up the land now - all because the authorities in the area are a soft touch!!!

I guess that once these lot are shifted, it wont be long before the next arrive and the whole pantomime starts over again!!!!

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Travellers set up on Sandyway on the A38 between Fernhill Heath and Martin Hussingtree, near Worcester. 19388501 ON SITE: The last group of travellers

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