| Description | Charles Parker talks to an unidentified man from the Ringwood area who works for a local council, who is responsible for providing housing for travellers.
Track 1: They talk about numbers of travellers in the area. He tells Charles Parker that the Council has housed 57 'gypsy' families and has provided new sites for travellers, 3.08 mins
Track 2: He talks about the new sites and explains how the Council plans to improve living conditions. They talk about the Caravans Act, 2.01 mins
Track 3: Another man says that travellers' children now go to school. He says that the County Council is planning to establish a site in the Thorny Hill area which will be better than their present accommodation, and will have a Warden. He says that compound dwellers are living on Crown land (such as the New Forest) and therefore not subject to public health legislation, 1.55 mins
Track 4: They say that the Council has no power on Crown land. They talk about a recent change in the Ministry's policy, which allows them to house families. They say that there are some 'problem families', about ten per cent of the total, 2.27 mins
Track 5: He says that the behaviour of the ten per cent affects the residents nearby and so the Council feels that they should be isolated from the rest of the community so they don't affect ratepayers. He talks about families who ill-treat their houses and fight and talks about evicting one family, 3.14 mins
Track 6: He says that 'intermediate accommodation' could have been provided for 'gypsies' many years ago and that 'bad families' should go into campsites with 'trained wardens' and this will fit them for going into housing. He talks about leaving out the fittings from the houses so that they will be less easily damaged, 2.37 mins
Track 7: Another man talks about the problems caused by travellers living constantly on one site, 1.23 mins
Track 8: Sound of dogs barking, 2.13 mins
Mr and Mrs Tom Baker talk to Charles Parker. A man called Mr Smith is also present.
Track 9: Charles Parker asks Mrs Baker how long she has been in Poole: she says she has always lived in Poole but her family 'went backwards and forwards', 1.24 mins
Track 10: They say that she was born in a caravan in Bourne Hill and worked in the hopping and fruiting in the summer. He says his people were travellers and he has always lived in the area. He says he is a 'proper gypsy bred and born' and he speaks Romany. He tells Charles Parker some Romany words. He says he was born in a tent and still travelled - in those days travellers could stop anywhere. He lists the places he would travel to - he used to travel in a horse-drawn van, 3.52 mins
Track 11: He says it was a good life. Charles Parker asks about his trades: he talks about making tables and chairs, and rugs. He says his father decided when they would move and his father's parents were Spanish travellers. Charles Parker asks why he and his wife settled in Bournemouth. Mrs Baker says her people were travellers from (probably Wallisdown) and they settled there because there was a permanent site. He talks about people pulling his trailer out and pulling it back in, 3.21 mins
Track 12: Mr Baker talks about the history of the ground: he says that the ground used to be a forest and it was claimed gradually - his great-grandfather told him this. He says that his father stopped at a place for ten years and if he'd stopped for 12 years the ground would have belonged to him, 2.59 mins
Track 13: Charles Parker asks about other stories his grandfather told. They talk about the old Roman road nearby. He says he feels he and his family have a right to the ground - it is his home. He says that the Corporation is buying land and driving people out of their homes. He says that he doesn't think he should buy the ground and he can't find the money, 4.04 mins
Track 14: They talk about the trailer - they talk about whether trailers are better than horse-drawn wagons. Mr Baker says he has never had a trailer - he is used to horses and caravans. He says he last had a horse 3 years ago. He talks about his horse. Charles Parker asks about names for caravans, 2.48 mins
Track 15: He talks about the cost of making a caravan. Charles Parker asks about the custom of burning the wagons. He says he has never seen it done. Mrs Baker says that she has seen her mother's spirit, 2.11 mins
Track 16: She describes seeing her mother's spirit, 1.27 mins
Track 17: Charles Parker asks about the design of the new caravan, whether they suit their way of life: Mr Baker says it's easy to pull the old-style caravans away. He says he can't roam about like he used to because there is too much traffic on the road. He says people don't buy clothes pegs any more. Mrs Baker talks about making clothes pegs and Mr Baker shows Charles Parker how to whittle a clothes peg, 3.25 mins
Track 18: Sounds of whittling wood. Mr Baker talks about whittling a peg and making things out of sweet tins, 2.58 mins
Track 19: Charles Parker asks about other trades: Mr Baker talks about stand making and explains how to make mops out of jute. He says he last sold a mop 17 years ago but he can't get jute now, 1.51 mins
Track 20: He says jute is used to lag pipes now and so you can't get it. He says that everything today is made by machinery instead of by hand. He talks about making tables, chairs, and stands with a wicker chain and rush and says that you can't get the stuff today. He last made a table or chair 30 years ago, 3.23 mins
Track 21: He says his father taught him how to make chairs. He talks about making rugs and mats with rush and willow but says he can't get the material any more, 3.25 mins
Track 22: He says he misses making things and doing nothing makes him miserable. He says he is always happy and a horse is happy if he can work and a man is the same. He tells Charles Parker how he occupies himself and says he used to work on the buildings, 2.59 mins
Track 23: Charles Parker asks about china fixing with rivets: he says he didn't do that but explains how his grandfather did it. He talks about making wooden skewers for meat - both men and women would do this. He explains how a family would decide what to make. He talks about 'making swag' during the spring and says that they didn't make things in the winter, 2.54 mins
Total: 1.02.11 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF549C0515680 |