Moving on: The Gypsies & Travellers of Britain, by Donald Kenrick & Colin Clark

[marki_brown]

MOVING ON:
The Gypsies and Travellers of Britain
by
Donald Kenrick and Colin Clark

Ref: www.herts.ac.uk/UHPress/movingon.html

This book is a must for anyone wanting to understand the situation of 
Gypsies and Travellers in Britain and their struggle for 
justice." "Overall this is a particularly comprehensive, accessible 
and stirring account of the current circumstances of Gypsies' and 
Travellers' lives."

Sarah Cemlyn, Community Care, May 2000

"This is an important book which should be on the shelves of every 
public body in the country, and high on the reading list of of those 
who professs to believe in equal opportunities and above all good 
race relations." 

Robert Dawson, Traveller Winter/New Year 2000.


Gypsies arouse strong passions but there is growing interest in who 
they are, where they come from and how they have survived centuries 
of discrimination. This is the only general introduction to the 
struggle of Gypsies to survive as a people in Britain today. The 
illustrations show the reality of life now that caravans have 
replaced bender tents and vanda (horse drawn caravans).

Gypsies are often 'moved on' by the police but a new generation hope 
for a better future. The title of the book is taken from a poem by a 
Gypsy girl studying for a law degree. A profile of the Gypsy 
community, their origin, work and where they live, including refugees 
from eastern Europe and the Balkans, is followed by chapters on the 
Kalé of Wales (who spoke pure Romani until recently), the Nawkens of 
Scotland and, more controversially, New (Age) Travellers.

Finding sites is the key to survival but planning law often stops 
Gypsies from living in a caravan on their own land. They find it 
increasingly difficult to pursue their traditional way of life, 
suffer a lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality rate and 
have low rates of literacy. This illustrated pocket guide will help 
open minds as the Gypsies of Britain 'move on' into an uncertain 
future.


Contents

"Moving On", a poem by Hester Hedges, a Gypsy girl who is studying 
for a law degree at De Montfort University

Introduction and acknowledgements; by the authors

Foreword by Peter Mercer MBE, Hon. Vice-President, Gypsy Council for 
Education, Culture, Welfare and Civil Rights

Glossary

Chapter 1: A profile of the Gypsy and Traveller community

Who are the Gypsies? Travellers in Northern Ireland; a brief history 
of the Romanies; Work; In caravans and houses; 'Travellers without 
trailers'; Immigrants and refugees; Travelling Showpeople

Chapter 2: Wales

Introduction; Numbers; Gypsy Traveller support; Accommodation; 
Housing Gypsies; Education; Research and reform; The Future

Chapter 3: Scotland 

Introduction; Numbers; The official counts; Origins; Under James IV 
and V; Persecution and discrimination; The Trespass Act of 1865; The 
Advisory Committee; Local authority sites; Access to caravan sites; 
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994; Health; Work; 
Education; Self-representation; The future


Chapter 4: Gypsies and race relations ­ theory and practice

Romanies and other ethnic minorities; Romanies are a race; The roots 
of prejudice; Stereotypes; Women; In the media; In children's books; 
Prejudice in practice ­ opposition to caravan sites; Incitement to 
racial hatred

Chapter 5: The struggle for caravan sites

The disappearing 'hatchin tan' (stopping place); Moving on; The 
Caravan Sites Act of 1960; In and out of Parliament ; The Caravan 
Sites Act of 1968; The Cripps Report; Designation ­ Gypsy-free zones; 
Life on a council site ; Transit sites; The Courts and the Ombudsmen; 
The Public Order Act of 1986; The General Elections of 1987 and 1992; 
Department of the Environment Circular 1/94; The 1994 Criminal 
Justice and Public Order Act; The Local Government Commissioner since 
1994 ; Department of the Environment Circular 18/94; 1997 ­ New Labour 
in government; The Code of Good Practice


Chapter 6: New Travellers 

Definitions and labels; Origins and early history; Numbers; 
The 'Battle of the Beanfield' and beyond; The next generation: in 
search of an identity; 'Operation Snapshot'; The Criminal Justice Act 
1994 and New Travellers; After the Criminal Justice Act 1994; 
Education; The Traveller School Charity; Health; Work; New Travellers 
and Gypsy status; Self-representation: Friends, Families and 
Travellers Support Group

Chapter 7: Private sites

Background; The planning process; Private sites and planning law; New 
hurdles; Inspectors at work; Enforcement; Who is a Gypsy? ­ (1); Who 
is a Gypsy? ­ (2)

Chapter 8: Gypsies and majority society

Discrimination ; Police ­ 'Gypsies are trouble'; Social Security; 
Health; Education

Chapter 9: Civil rights and international action

Self-representation: The Gypsy Council; The International Movement; 
European organisations ­ The Council of Europe; European Convention on 
Human Rights; European organisations ­ The European Union; By way of a 
conclusion

Appendices

Appendix 1: Addresses and websites

Appendix 2: Bibliography and further reading

Appendix 3: Chronology

Appendix 4: Resolutions by international bodies

Appendix 5: CRE Guidelines for the Press

Appendix 6: Gypsy and Traveller languages

Tables and graphs

Tables A-D: showing population figures and counts of Gypsy caravans; 
Table E: Moving into housing; Graph F: Pitches on unauthorised, 
council and private sites (1986-99)

Illustrations

Map showing migration route of Roma from India ; Meeting family, 
making new friends and doing business at Stowe and Appleby Fairs; 
Travellers are barred from most touring caravan sites in Britain; 
Site access blocked by a local Council in Scotland; Nawkens at a 
Summer camp in Norfolk; Press coverage of a Gypsy wedding in 
Cheltenham's Pump Room; Born in a 'bender tent' but raising a family 
on a council caravan site; Plan of Gypsy site from DoE Circular No. 
28/77; Horse and 'silkie' in front of a 'mobile home'; The 'mopping 
up' brigade on an unofficial site in the London area; New Travellers: 
Laura, Jim and Sid with their new home; The Travellers School 
charity's Geodesic Dome school; Protesters occupying housing in the 
path of the M11; A privately owned site for 'mobile homes' in 
Hertfordshire; 'No Travellers' sign at a popular riverside pub in 
Hertfordshire; A Traveller child joins in the 'Literacy Hour' at her 
local school; Initial assessment of a Traveller child on joining the 
local school; The 'Playbus' on a weekly visits to a council 
site; 'The Battle of Rose Hill' in Merton, south London.

Published: 28 October 1999, 204 pp, ISBN 0 900458 99 2, paperback 
£9.99. Place an order Now with University of Herts Press
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