Nomadland

[Wannabeanomad]

Ever since I first watched this film a few weeks ago, it has been making me think about so many aspects of modern society. I have also got hold of the book upon which the film is based. I fully empathised with Fern and her fellow nomads. But would people in UK be as understanding of people living such a lifestyle? I know the film included bits about how to disguise living in the van or what to say to police, but would there be more or less 'hassle' in UK today?

I doubt many people would be that interested unless the van was blocking their driveway. Why would they be, when it wouldn't have any impact on their lives?

I have seen a few MN posts about vans being parked on their street and it discomforting them. I wondered if the assumption would be that they were travellers and should be moved on sharpish. I do get that in the film it is made clear that for example when Fern worked for Amazon that the company paid for camp site fees for the duration of the work period.

I follow a 'vanlifer' in the USA on Instagram.

I think what makes it possible in the US as opposed to hear is the sheer vastness of the country. We don't have the huge national parks, shopping malls with huge car parks etc where they park up and have laundry and shower facilities.
Although most of the younger vanlifers appear to earn a living by being content creaters and influencers, the scale of the continent, industry and farmers means that they can follow the seasonal jobs around.

Someone was living in a van in my street for a several months whilst their house was being renovated, it was a pain in the neck with trailing power cables etc across the pavement and water filling up the drains and gutters

This lifestyle is perfectly respectable if you're like a former colleague of mine and romping round Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, or France in a nice little camper van, stopping off now and then for a bit of brie and baguette or whipping up a cassoulet in your charming Lakeland remouska. (Replace with appropriate food choices for the first three locations.)

Strangely it's not quite as acceptable, somehow, if you're doing it out of financial necessity.

Have a look at reactions to van dwellers in Bristol if you don't believe me.

Oh I do believe you! You have summed up my thoughts exactly. Watching the film I became so grateful that despite redundancy and bereavement I have been able to secure ownership of my small flat. Not perfect and sometimes I yearn for maybe a garden of my own. But in reality I am very fortunate.

I can well imagine that's true, @Desperada68 .

A little like the recent film with the non stop swearing (was it Wicked Little Letters?) Foul language is disgusting and uncouth when ordinary people use it, but when it's posh people do it's hilarious

It's easier in the US because of the weather and terrain

There are lots travellers living an alternative lifestyle

There are lots travellers living an alternative lifestyle in the UK

The weather shown in the film was not all compatible with the lifestyle. Fern had to clear snow from the van and it must get very cold (remembering the scene where the concerned fuel station lady mentions a church run night shelter). I do some volunteer work with homeless people and I have come to the conclusion in my mind that there is a big difference between someone living in a van or motor home travelling about but with money put by so that when the novelty wears off or something untoward happens having the option of settling down. In comparison there are those as portrayed in the film who had no money to rent a place and would probably be on the road living the nomad life, seeking work to keep them going until they died.

I watched this last year with some people from a social group I'm in. The general consensus was that it wasn't realistic because by the time you were however old the woman was meant to be, you'd have paid off your mortgage and therefore wouldn't become homeless.

Yes they are clueless about a lot of things! When I mentioned not everyone has a mortgage they seemed to think that was a moral failing on their part and they should have got one!

Not really what you asked, but no, I don't think it would be seen the same in the UK.

There are many people living in vans and cars in the UK but its very hard to do so here. I have a very close friend who has found this the only way to afford living and he works in a professional job. Your question about visibility and tolerance in the UK? I would say its not very good. He came to visit me and within hours someone had raised it with the neighbourhood watch. The language used was about 'the suspicious looking van that parked on one side of the road and then moved to the other'. I live in a busy street where parking is never easy but still an outlier was quickly spotted for doing something we all do - move vehicles nearer the house when spaces become available.

There are also lots of bylaws in the UK that will quickly get you moved on. That said cost of living and our ongoing housing crisis means vanlifers are very much a part of our community as are people who have to live in their cars.

But the film explained that in Fern's case, the closure of the works meant that all that geographical area was abandoned. She couldn't have sold the house because no noone was going to live there that was clearly shown when she went back towards the end of the film. It's a bit like houses built in this country of concrete or on old works with methane risk, the properties are worthless. Also the 2008 financial crash wiped out the savings of lots of people. They might well have 'saved for old age' but they lost all that invested money. I agree with you that some people have no idea of the realities of life. People can 'do the right thing' and still end up in abject poverty.

I only read the book (nonfiction), have not seen the movie (I think is very fictionalised?)

I know travellers in UK / Europe with itinerant lifestyles.

Yes I know. I guess because we don't have housing linked to jobs in quite the same way here they didn't understand that it is a real situation in the US.

@QueenOfTheEntireFuckingUniverse, we did have entire communities built around industries creating jobs locally - coal mining is an obvious one, but the uk is still a small country , and very few places are sufficiently remote that when a big employer closes, that the area is "cancelled". I live in the South Yorkshire Coalfield. In the last 30 years the pit villages have been redeveloped as dormitory commuter towns for Leeds and Sheffield, as well as warehouse business -Evri, ASOS, Amazon - evolving. In Nomadland, once the gypsum plant had closed, there was nothing for miles and miles.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads yes that's what I meant when I said "in the same way" you just worded it better than me.
Where I live was originally built for local factory workers. But when the factory closed there was enough other industry around that there were still jobs available.

America is so different in that sense.

I loved this film so much. And that most of the 'characters' weren't actors. I don't think it's a way of life that's sustainable here in the UK - we don't have those wide open spaces where you can park up for free and get a temporary job like they do in the film. Here it'd be on a grotty trading estate in Slough, or if you tried to park up in an AONB I reckon you'd be moved on pretty quick.

There is a documentary on Netflix called Desert Coffee that shows people living a similar life, I recommend it.

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll look out for that one.