| Description | Charles Parker talks to an unnamed traveller who is a scrap dealer from Spalding, Lincolnshire, possibly Mr Boswell, and his son, about changes in his life since the end of the First World War.
Track 1: he talks about the fight he has had throughout his whole lifetime. He identifies a sense of achievement that his whole family can read and write, and discuss business and world affairs with all classes. He emphasises pride of being "independent" in sense of self-sufficient, with his own small business 4.44 mins. Track 2: he discusses teachers making him feel uncomfortable at schools. No 'gypsy' is allowed to rise above his proper station in life. 1:27 mins. Track 3: he discusses experience of living around Spalding. He insists on the need to have 'gypsy' representatives on local councils who provide excessively high standards on sites which gypsies cannot afford. Explains that he never draws the dole, has always worked, always trying, struggling to be independent. He thinks that he is 'a useful man to the community, an asset' in working as a scrap merchant. He describes the struggle against large corporations, restrictive practices, and unfair competition with big business. He talks about the difficulty in getting places on council owned caravan site 5.06 mins Track 4: he continues to explain discrimination against travellers on council owned residential caravan sites, and talks about receiving complaints from other residents simply because they are travellers 1.16 mins. Track 5: Mr Boswell's son explains his constant feeling of having to fight against other people who seem jealous or frightened of travellers 0.24 mins Track 6: Charles Parker queries these feelings of persecution. He insists upon the psychological impact of fighting during the Second World War, and the feeling amongst travellers that other people are fighting against them, all their lives. He thinks that the settled community must be frightened or jealous in some way of the travellers' way of life 1.18 mins. Track 7: he explains the psychological problems which come from persecution by members of the settled community; hearing hostile songs from other children at school, his feelings of anger and revenge, and fighting to keep down these feelings.2.07 mins.
Total: 16.24 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA YL458D1010674 |