I'm a traveller- AMA

[Pinkyyy]

I was actually asked on another post to start this thread, I've been debating the idea for a while but usually decide not to because I've seen threads like this turn sour before. Hopefully I can avoid that and actually provide information and educate people on a way of life they may well know very little about.

I invite you to ask any questions you may have, and I will do my best to answer them all honestly. I ask that you don't bother to comment if you're going to bombard me with racism and ignorance. If you'd like to question a common stereotype, by all means go ahead but I will not respond to those who are simply here to be hateful. I also hope you'll respect that I don't like to share too much of my personal details on here, so I'm aiming more to speak about travellers as a a whole and not so much about me personally.

So.... AMA

What's your ethnic background?

What languages do you speak?

Where do you live now? (Not geographical location: house, mobile home, park, transient).

What's your ethnic background?
Romany gypsy

What languages do you speak?
English and Romany (traveller's language)

Where do you live now?
In a house on our own private land

Do your extended family live on your land?

Are you still part of the traveller community?

Do your extended family live on your land?
We have one set of family living on here, in a caravan (we call them trailers)

Are you still part of the traveller community?
Yes, very much so

What do you think about the practice of traveller children (girls) not being able to complete a basic education?

What do you think of those C4 shows?

Have you lived on the road and if so, why do you now live in a house?

Hi Pinkyyy

I understand my DD has Romany roots as her grandfather on her dad's side used to talk about being descended from Romany Gypsies.

I'd love to help her trace her family tree one day but don't know how far back accurate records were kept.

Do you now your family tree and do you think it would be quite easy to trace as I'm not sure where to start.

Thank you

*know

If you live in a house, on land you own, on what way are you a traveller?

What do you think about the practice of traveller children (girls) not being able to complete a basic education?
I wouldn't say that it is very often a case of them not being allowed, for most it is a choice. It's also becoming more common for girls to stay in school longer, or do college courses.

What do you think of those C4 shows?
Just complete and utter rubbish

Have you lived on the road and if so, why do you now live in a house?
I've lived in a caravan on sites, but not on the road. I live in a house now because like many other travellers, we just made the decision to do so- mainly due to growth of the family and needing more space

Do you now your family tree and do you think it would be quite easy to trace as I'm not sure where to start
I'm afraid I can only trace mine for the last 4ish generations, I think you'll find it extremely difficult as there are very few records before then

If you live in a house, on land you own, on what way are you a traveller?
Because it is my ethnicity, it can be referred to a gypsy or traveller but it is in your blood

Travellers that get the bad reputation are quite rife, they go through towns and cities across the country causing chaos, crime is elevated, the filth they leave behind is abhorrent, pubs get wrecked, businesses close up so they can't get in etc etc - you say these types are uncommon, where do the travellers reside who don't behave like this? Is this just those who hook up on empty land they can get into ... do the travellers who are 'good' (for want of a better word) have different set ups?

@flumpybear there are 'good' travellers, as you put it, all over the country. The ones you speak of are a very small minority and tend to be of the very lowest class generally. It's very uncommon for travellers to live on the roadside these days. You are clearly coming from a place of prejudice.

@Coconutty thank you, I hope so too. My aim is to dispel some of the common stereotypes and give people some insight

I don't think @flumpybear is coming from a place of prejudice, I have only ever encountered travellers who have taken over car parks, local parks or the sea front where I live and left an awful mess/ damage for others to clear up and the local residents to put to rectify and often caused problems for the local community.

That's not to say I think all travellers behave in this manner at all - it is just the only first hand experience I've had.

I've always thought that there are several types of traveller, the traditional Romany gypsy travellers who roam the land freely, travelling and living their life well and taking care of their surroundings and not causing any trouble, settled travellers such as yourself who again seem very peaceful and respectful, and then the sort I have encountered every summer in my town who travel in convoys of caravans and cause havoc for the local communities which they travel to / across / through. Would you agree that there are all different types? You can't deny the latter do exist and cause a lot of trouble, as well as making a bad and unfair reputation for the majority of travellers, who on all accounts are very peaceful and respectful?

@Pinkyyy - not prejudice at all, just asking factually as it's common to see collections of trailers across the city and outskirts I live in where it causes huge problems for all those issues I mentioned. I was asking where travellers who don't behave in such a way do live, it would be good to highlight these as travellers do have a bad reputation due to these groups behaving in such a poor manner

@KarenDarling
Have you ever considered that you only notice the behaviour of the ones who act in this way? The majority of travellers just go about their life and don't cause trouble, so you'd have no reason to notice them. Yes, there are travellers who act in this way, but they are a minority and sadly cause the majority to be tarred by their actions.

@flumpybear there are literally travellers living all over the UK, who don't behave in this manner.

Would you say that overall the public perception of travellers is wrong? Just thinking about a lot of the programmes and media articles. I always have wondered how realistic the C4 show was!

Are you married/have DC? Do you work?

What do you think of New Age Travellers? Are there any of them still around?

I wouldn't say that it is very often a case of them not being allowed, for most it is a choice.

The law requires children receive education. It isn’t “a choice”.

@KarenDarling - yes exactly

@Pinkyyy - yes that's exactly why I was asking. You can't get prickly if you've said AMA but start telling me and others we're being prejudice when we're just asking about the those travellers who don't behave in that lawless type way

I actually went to school with a girl who was from a travelling family who had just settled and built a house in the area and started my school. She and her family were lovely, absolutely clearly traveller as their accents and voices/language was clearly traveller - I never see this type of family now other than when the local area has a group visiting locally

@newestbridearound yes I would, I'd say that most people's idea of travellers is of a small minority. The TV shows are an incredibly poor representation and I no longer watch anything of the nature. Yes I am married, have DC and work.

Hi OP, are there differences between Romany and Irish travellers in terms of culture, beliefs, lifestyle etc? If so, what? And do the two communities mix? Thanks.