Big Fat Gypsy Wedding 25/01

[CaveMum]

I can't see another thread for tonight's episode, so here we go.

Pull up a chair!

I have just deleted my second attempt at an answer due to a fecking laptop keyboard (I trained as a typist - it happens all the bloody time).

Summary

pooka you are right, everyone should be treated equally. I dont think travellers are and that the planning laws are used a stick to beat them with. I dont think, in many cases, they have done anything that causes nuisance or danger. I dont think Mr Smith should have to pull down his extension if it doesnt harm anyone either.

Fact is, there are tons of developments that flout the laws and if you have enough money (ok TONS of money) chances are you will get away with a few tweaks.

My lovely Middlesex Hospital is no more. All that is left is the chapel, marrooned in a sea of rubble. A historic, beautiful building knocked down to provide overpriced lux apartments. These are not even going to be built now! Dont tell me that Messers Candy and Candy didnt have a team of lawyers sorting out how to get round planning laws.

OK its not Green Belt land but to some of us Brown Sites are just as important.

From what I have seen of gypsy sites in semi rural areas, you cant see what is on them anyway. The city ones are different because they are squashed on to teeny sites. The one in Camden town was miniscule and tbh manky as it was, it hardly dragged the area down.

Bloody hell, managed not to delete myself. I am off to start a thread on keyboards (yawn).

I always feel uncomfortable when folk are taking a potshot at the travelling folk. Substitute the words travellers or gypsies for old non pc terms like paki and nigger, reread some of the comments and hang your heads in shame.

There are good and bad folk from all cultures but even now in the 21st century it's still OK to poke fun at the gypsy community.

There is nowhere for these people to go. They cannot travel anymore because they cannot park up anywhere. I'm not from a travelling background but I do holiday in a caravan and understand their sense of freedom. It's not for everyone but live and let live!

Also there is a huge difference between a tennis court and a families home

I yearn for a static caravan (I know I should whisper that on here). I stayed in one last year and fell in love.

Of course mine wont be all draylon and beige. It will be wonderfully shabby chic and yummy.

Not the same thing at ALL as a traveller but sort of connected

I find their lifestyles and antics fascinating. There should be far more programmes featuring travellers on TV. They really know how to throw a party, albeit, in my opinion, a rather gaudy one.

MrsDeVere - I think I love you (especially your comment about the Anthea Turner tennis court tragedy)

i do think this show is painting them i a bad light.

Thank you formerdiva

Ok, really serious question here...what do they do with the dresses after the big day?

No, really, I'd have trouble finding somewhere in my house for one of those...frivolities, and I cannot imagine where you would find room in a caravan for one!

My aunt was told by a site manager on a caravan site not to buy a specific brand as "that's what all the tinks use and we've banned them."

Interesting parallel on tv this morning. Lots of expats having their houses bulldozed by Spanish gov. Nothing but sympathy all round.

I feel awful for them too. Horrible. People think they have settled for life in their dream homes.

But the homes are built on 'rustic' land and are 'irregular' so they have to go.

I didnt hear ONE comment about it serving them right for building there in the first place but a lot of calls for a planning amnesty across the whole of Spain (for these types of building).

Double standards - much?

MrsDeVere, the only difference is that (most?) people who built houses in spain did so thinking it was legal.
the travellers (shown in the program) built despite knowing they didn*t have the proper permissions.
I still feel for them, though. having their homes destroyed must be so unsettling in all meanings of the word.

very sad that Patrick (who married non gypsy girl this week in pink dress with lights)
died :( :(

He was killed in a car crash.

No he was not, that was a misprint in the newspapers.

how odd, every one i looked at had his picture next to story! silly papers

I've been told by a planning inspector who specialises in Traveller planning issues that a lot of the problems are caused by a half-hearted, badly thought out reform of the law in the 1980s.

The idea was that, just as council tenants were invited to buy their houses, and the council should not be providing houses to the same extent, so travellers should buy their plots, and councils should not provide them. Councils were strongly encouraged to divest themselves of their plots, and everyone was told that travellers should buy their own plots. However, this should have been attended by a change to the planning laws to allow an appropriate number of plots to legally become traveller plots, to replace the former council run plots. The change wasn't made, with the result that travellers were being encouraged to buy plots, but they couldn't gain planning permission to put a trailer on. However, there is a loophole in the law, widely exploited by businesses, that is also used by travellers, which means you can legitimately use a property for an unauthorised use while you are putting in a planning application, and while you're appealing against the application being turned down.

Result - general screw up all round.

There are a lot of gypsy's called Patrick.

The person who died is called Patrick but is only 18 (the one who called Patrick who got married was 21) and his Dad was also called Patrick and his memorial service will be in an upcoming episode.

The only reason the married Patrick's photo is shown is because the article is about the series.

I think his dad was the pretty handsome bare fist boxer in the original programme.