Gypsies

What are modern Gypsies? It has been said that there are no traditional romany gypsies around any more, who's to say?!

But with respect can todays gypsies really hold their hands up and say that they are travellers because it is in their blood and not because the cost of living is cheaper. There is no council tax, water rates, bills and probably no tax or NI to pay on what money they earn!

Is is fair that if someone leaves their gate open 'gypsies' can park their transit van and caravan on your property and stay in situ until they have got bored, leave a mess and then move on?

Where I live there is an area of verge that is quite grassy and frequently the 'gypsies' park there, burn the ground, leave a pile of rubbish and then leave, not exactly the neighbours you would request!

But is it really a bad lifestyle, depends if you like caravans I suppose! There is also the never putting down roots or feeling like you belong somewhere, maybe that's why they move about because of the freedom to come and go, to not be tied to a 9-5 job or the daily grind of routine. Maybe it is us that have got it wrong and they have got it right!!

Just a thought do we know the exact amount of travellers, do they have to fill in a census?

There is a couple of links I have found the first about 'gypsies' and their rights http://www.yourrights.org.uk/your-rights/chapters/rights-of-gypsies-and-travellers/index.shtml

The second is a government link that tells us what they are trying to do to stop people staying on unauthorised sites etc http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingmanagementcare/gypsiesandtravellers/