| Description | Charles Parker talks to a traveller, whose name is not given, about his religious beliefs.
Track 1: Clip of Ewan MacColl talking about the Romany language. A traveller asks Charles Parker how he would explain his Christian beliefs. Charles Parker says he would tell him stories and the man says that he does not like stories, he likes facts. He says that he shot a copper once, and talks about how Christ helped him and explains how he came to Christ. He says that 'true gypsies' will pray to the Lord for advice, 3.22 mins
Track 2: Charles Parker asks what he knows about Christ if nobody told him and he doesn't read the Bible. He says that Christ is the one man he can trust and he is the ruler of the world and he will show himself one day. He says he knows more about Christ than the people in the village and says that travellers are more religious than the people who go to church. Charles Parker asks whether he knows any Bible stories. He says that Christ couldn't read and there was no scholarship when Christ was about and the Bible was written after Christ was gone, 3.03 mins
Track 3: Charles Parker says that people should know about Christ and believe in him and that he is surprised that he does not know any stories or carols about Jesus. Sounds of conversation and car engines, 2.16 mins
Bryan Long, the Hampshire County Welfare Office talks to Charles Parker about 'gypsies' in Hampshire.
Track 1: Bryan Long talks about the history of travellers in Hampshire - they travelled in the New Forest. He says that they were put into compounds to prevent them from moving around. He says that they were near the starvation limit 60 or 70 years ago - they made pegs and sold rags to earn a living. He says that travellers in the forest have regular employmend and work as Council roadmen and this gives him hope that they can be rehoused. Charles Parker suggests that the local authority's aim is to turn them into good citizens, 2.32 mins
Track 5: Bryan Long says that the traveller children are prone to worms. He says that the change to a council house is too great and they have to move into prefabs which will be taken down when the problem is solved. He says that they will be taught to use baths, sinks, basins, and boilers in preparation for living in a council house, 2.30 mins
Track 6: He says that the first problem is to gain the travellers' confidence and willingness to co-operate. There was a delay in setting up the camps because of finding the site, getting planning permission and getting the owner to sell it for that purpose. He says that they are not almost ready to go with the first site in the Forest. He says that the delay has lost the travellers' confidence but he hope this will change when the first site is ready. He says that all the settled families want to be rehoused, 1.48 mins
Track 7: He talks about the difficulties with education and that says that television will change their way of life and encourage fathers to get regular jobs and mothers to keep their houses clean. He says that most travellers could not cope with living in a house, 1.41 mins
Total: 17.16 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA DH444B0886874 |