What is a Gypsy (1 Viewer)

[pappajohn]

I do not believe it is possible for anyone to constantly evade MOT, tax and insurance.

to be perfectly honest i dont think they(travellers) do.

dont forget, now the authorities can impound and crush your vehicle if it isnt above board.

from here on in i will refer to the folks in my tale as gypsies as they never objected to the word.

when i was a nipper we lived in a homebuilt caravan (built on a 4 wheeled drawbar farm trailer and towed with a 3ton bedford tipper truck)next to a Gypsy families "home" base on a local farm.....yes, most have a permenent base....and was freinds with the son, and his family including his romany grandmother. god bless her.

my dad took us all over the uk looking for work.....he was a joiner/carpenter and i do remember we wildcamped...a lot!!! so its nothing new.:thumb:

the gypsy families obligatory transit pickup (stereotyping)was always being repaired, washed and cared for.
if you werent going to insure, tax and test it why bother...you could always steal another one.(stereotyping againoh

their vans, both living and sleeping vans, where immaculately clean and you took your shoes off at the door...compulsory.

they paid the farmer rent on the land so in effect they paid rates, both general and water.

the majority of gypsies are no different to any of us except they choose to live in a box on wheels and come and go as they please as we did for the first 6 years of my life.

i can class myself as an "ex" gypsy and i aint offended.

that was from 1957 to 1963 when my father died.

i often wonder how long we would have continued "travelling" had he not died?

 

[theresa]

The definition a gypsy or not has nothing to do with evading taxes or anything you mention it is to do with the travelling the nomadic existance. It specifically does not mention being born to a way of life, as I originally said the definition in law covers travellers , new age old age, any age. Everything else is incidental and outside the scope of this thread. What you pay or don't is no ones business but your own. In Devon we pay the highest water rates in the country because of tourism, yet people have the temerity to question the fact that when elsewhere in the country I fill up with their water for free, but there you go you have side tracked me, hee hee

sorry wildman but we have the highest water rates in the country . in dear old cornwall because of the emmits:Blush:

 

[Blisters]

Bernie, whats wrong with having a hymer next to you

Sure having a Hymer next to you is like going out with a ugly friend (visually unacceptable to be pc), they make you look better

That said ugly friends tend to be reliable and never let you down:thumb:

Rog, I'm a little confused by you claiming to be a gypsy. By the definition, you should have a nomadic life style, i.e. be of no fixed abode, and you live on your smallholding, furthermore you're looking to open a CL which will tie you down even more, and I'm not going to go into the tax implications:Blush:

And mainly due to you being tied to the animals, you don't get to use the beast as much as you would like, therefore you use your M/H less than most of us, so doesn't this make you less of a gipsy

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[lady jann]

who says our freind is ugly !!!!!!:Sad:

 

[Wildman]

​

Rog, I'm a little confused by you claiming to be a gypsy. By the definition, you should have a nomadic life style, i.e. be of no fixed abode, and you live on your smallholding, furthermore you're looking to open a CL which will tie you down even more, and I'm not going to go into the tax implications:Blush:

And mainly due to you being tied to the animals, you don't get to use the beast as much as you would like, therefore you use your M/H less than most of us, so doesn't this make you less of a gipsy

I am not entirely sure I claimed to personally be a Gypsy, maybe I claimed so by including myself in a general statement. I am a gypsy in my heart, I.m a rover, a traveller. There have been times in my life when I have fulltimed and lived a totally nomadic existence so yes at times I have been a gypsy and great times they were. We are all getting tied up in unimportant labels. The fact that a man who travels to work everyday in a car or plane is travelling so why use the term commuting, he/she is a traveller a traveller is a person who travels at the time they are travelling. I have no problem being called anything I do not find the term derogatory but obviously a lot of people do. Yes these days my travelling is restricted by other lifestyle changes, just as yours will be shortly. However just because you will no longer have a motorhome does not stop you being a motorhomer. However don't forget the "nomadic lifestyle" bit, lifestyle refers to fulltime not now and again. So those of you who are offended by the term can convince yourselves you are not in the legal sense travellers.
However I do travel (even if it is only going into town to get the shopping) ergo I am a traveller.

If I am fancy free
And love to wander
It’s just the gypsy in my soul
There’s something calling me
From way out yonder
It’s just the gypsy in my soul

I’ve got to give in
To my emotions
I’m only content
Havin’ my way
There is no other life
Of which I’m fonder
It’s just the gypsy in my soul

No cares
No strings
My heart
Has wings
If I am fancy free
And love to wander
It’s just the gypsy in my soul​

 

[Sundowners]

Having read all of your thoughts on this subject, has anyone even considered if the 'Gypsies' would approve of us being categorised as being part of their culture, we think not. It's not to say they wouldn't accept us, but at the end of the day we are from a different culture.

As far as assuming that they are all known for flytipping, thieving, ripoff antisocial parasites, what about your 'next door neighbours'. These issues crop up in all walks of life, again people are tarring with the same brush.

That's one of the reasons we have decided to have wheels on our house, so that if we come up against any of these issues we can just move on to a more desirable spot should the need be.

Going back a few years to our 'New Age Travellers' existence, the first thing at hand in the boot of our bus was a rake, so that we could clear up the mess which had been left by other people on wild camping spots, and they were not from the gypsy fraternity.

Nigel and Pamala

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[6pm Cowboy]

Going back a few years to our 'New Age Travellers' existence, the first thing at hand in the boot of our bus was a rake, so that we could clear up the mess which had been left by other people on wild camping spots, and they were not from the gypsy fraternity.

Nigel and Pamala

I think there is quite a bit of 'never mind the gypos will get the blame' going on.

We have a group that spends a week or so every year just down the road from us ( about 3 miles ) who we pass on the way to and from work. When they leave the only sign they have been there is a neat pile of bin bags for the rubbish collection when they go past. ( which I guess could raise other issues but live and let live )

 

[pappajohn]

I think there is quite a bit of 'never mind the gypos will get the blame' going on.

We have a group that spends a week or so every year just down the road from us ( about 3 miles ) who we pass on the way to and from work. When they leave the only sign they have been there is a neat pile of bin bags for the rubbish collection when they go past. ( which I guess could raise other issues but live and let live )

same thing on the A64 near Ganton.

every year there are two small Gypsy 'camps' on the large roadside grass verge opposite a large layby.

when they are there the place is a relatively clean......the odd small pile of rubble and junk etc but when they leave there is nothing but a circle of stones from the open fire, binbags in a pile and the odd gas bottle that no-ones ever heard of. (where DO they get them?)

 

[Toffs-G]

same thing on the A64 near Ganton.

every year there are two small Gypsy 'camps' on the large roadside grass verge opposite a large layby.

when they are there the place is a relatively clean......the odd small pile of rubble and junk etc but when they leave there is nothing but a circle of stones from the open fire, binbags in a pile and the odd gas bottle that no-ones ever heard of. (where DO they get them?)

We used to have some Gypsies come around to East Grinstead, always they knocked on the door to see if we wanted any scissors, mower blades etc sharpened, they were always very polite and their sharpening was excellent. They came round every year for about 6 years but they no longer come.

Unforunately like so many the majority are tarnished with the label of the minority of their group usually the negative side, yes there are fly tipping etc etc Gypsies but they are not all like it but all get the tarnish of the negative.
Not all Muslims are terrorists only the minority, not all Brits abroad are lager louts yet we often get tarred with same brush.
In my case not all white South Africans are racist including me, however I have suffered what might be referred to as inverted racism especially when I first came here mainly because I am white from South Africa.

Incidentally I have an aunt that maintains my Great Grandfather was a Romanian Count, however my other Aunt maintains he was a Romanian Gypsy, hmmmm I wonder if that is where the desire to have a motorhomne comes from??

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[johng]

off topic but I am linving in east G at the moment, small world toffs

 

[pappajohn]

In my case not all white South Africans are racist including me, however I have suffered what might be referred to as inverted racism especially when I first came here mainly because I am white from South Africa.

off topic sorry.

Know what you mean toffs,

'ex' girlfriend is a capetonian and it was 2 months before she told me her nationality for fear of me walking away.

not only is she non-racist but very anti-racist. (dont, on fear of death, crack a 'paddy' joke!!!...i know:Blush

she was born and raised in capetown (but adopted her English mothers accent)to English and German parents.

 

[Toffs-G]

off topic but I am linving in east G at the moment, small world toffs

As you say small world - EG that great tropical epicentre

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[Toffs-G]

off topic sorry.

Know what you mean toffs,

'ex' girlfriend is a capetonian and it was 2 months before she told me her nationality for fear of me walking away.

not only is she non-racist but very anti-racist. (dont, on fear of death, crack a 'paddy' joke!!!...i know:Blush

she was born and raised in capetown (but adopted her English mothers accent)to English and German parents.

I'll save the 'paddy'joke for later then

I actively dropped the SA accent shortly after arriving although it comes back when I am in other South Africans company

oops sorry gone right off topicoh:

 

[Wildman]

we are all travellers though life, each following an individual path. How we are remembered in the end is all that counts not what we call ourselves or what others call us. There are good and bad in all walks of life and to run down any particular group because of a few bad examples is grossly unfair to the rest. As people have responded to this thread it is obvious to me that they all see it from a different perspective, some that I had not thought of. In their own way none of them wrong. What has really stood out is how many people only see what they want to see and no amount of further explanation will enable them to see what is actually being said. It is a sad fact that some people will never understand and that is why the world is in such turmoil today.
A gypsy is a person who lives a nomadic existance..................................................
A traveller is a person who travels.......................why make it more than that.
Not always a Romany, or person of any other race or creed it is a person who lives a nomadic lifestyle, nothing to do with how they behave or interact with others, if they pay taxes, go to school, or anything else. Purely a person who leads a nomadic lifestyle
Everything else is conjured up by YOU.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

So who has got the fence is it the travelers or the gypsies
Brian and Marion

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[Wildman]

So who has got the fence is it the travelers or the gypsies
Brian and Marion

for me to know and you to find out, I'm sitting on it, hee hee

maybe it was the local drug addicts needing money for a fix.

 

[Landy lover]

we are all travellers though life, each following an individual path. How we are remembered in the end is all that counts not what we call ourselves or what others call us. There are good and bad in all walks of life and to run down any particular group because of a few bad examples is grossly unfair to the rest. As people have responded to this thread it is obvious to me that they all see it from a different perspective, some that I had not thought of. In their own way none of them wrong. What has really stood out is how many people only see what they want to see and no amount of further explanation will enable them to see what is actually being said. It is a sad fact that some people will never understand and that is why the world is in such turmoil today.
A gypsy is a person who lives a nomadic existance..................................................
A traveller is a person who travels.......................why make it more than that.
Not always a Romany, or person of any other race or creed it is a person who lives a nomadic lifestyle, nothing to do with how they behave or interact with others, if they pay taxes, go to school, or anything else. Purely a person who leads a nomadic lifestyle
Everything else is conjured up by YOU.

Roger - I think you have summed it up quite well there - In many ways it is not what you call someone it is the inference you put on it. Certainly if some one want to think of me as a traveller / Gypsy / Itinerant then they are more than welcome - when I was 'nought but a slip of a lad' the gypsies or mostly known as Romanies used to travel about around the farms working and they were respected for their work level and reliability - sure they had a very different life style. But they could be trusted. Since those days as in many walks of life things and people have changed some for the better and some for the worse. Personally I would object if any term was used in an insultiing or derogatory manner to me or about me without they know me - once they do then either I have been misunderstood or the term could be of endearment

As I said earier and nobody took me up on it ANY ONE FOR LUCK HEATHER

 

[Hayleylulu]

well i have a house and bills that come with it .put i still feel like a Gypsy as i spend as much time in are van as we can. only keeping house on for some where for the kids to live in

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