Unauthorised Encampments

Back to the Advertiser and I was reading the article about the Travellers who have taken up residence at the park and ride at Sheriffhall and previously elsewhere in Midlothian. prompting NIMBYs and NIMPARs (Not in my park and ride) to rear up in protest.

I was given a slightly different take on the situation this evening, in a discussion with a group of friends one a former council official in West Lothian. He believes that the situation of illegal encampments in Midlothian is due to lack of Local Authority sites in the county. Edinburgh. East and West Lothian all have sites; Midlothian has not and the others are at capacity. He believes that this series of high profile camping is a subtle lobbying to force Midlothian into providing a site. He also claimed that there is non traveller negotiating with the SGTA (Some association) to try and source a suitable piece of land to turn into a privately managed Travellers site. Vacant land in Straiton and near Penicuik were being explored.

I don't know anything about a subtle campaign but Midlothian and East Lothian Councils have a joint travelling people's site down by the old Dalkeith Colliery (between the campus and Whitecraig).

Subtle, I think was the key word. Those of us not in the know would not notice.

Evil Edna wrote:

I don't know anything about a subtle campaign but Midlothian and East Lothian Cthe ouncils have a joint travelling people's site down by the old Dalkeith Colliery (between the campus and Whitecraig).

Midlothian does not have a Travellers' offficial site. Saying it shares a site with a neighbouring county is like saying I do not have a lawnmower I use my next-door neighbour's. With the number of illegal camps regularly hitting the press, perhaps the current arrangement is not meeting the needs of the travellers.

What finacial contribution is Midlothian giving East Lothian for this arrangement?

ah thoght dalkieth wis in midlothan

Quite, Sybil. The shared site is in Midlothian. So what does East Lothian contribute towards this set up?

I think the issue of sufficient official sites is something that has to be explored not only in Midlothian. As far as I'm aware Edinburgh only has one site which lies between Duddingston and Craigmillar. And I'm not aware that East Lothian has any further provision other than the shared site at the Old Dalkeith Colliery.

omala, with respect I suggest you ensure the data are correct before pressing the 'send' button.
The travelling people site at Smeaton Colliery is jointly owned by Mid and East Lothian so your lawnmower analogy doesn't work. If you don't know what the local politics are then ask first, eh?
Midlothian has been bedevilled with travelling folk for pretty much of the whole 40 years I lived in the county. Whether it's the proximity to Edinburgh I wouldn't know but there was a time when any small piece of ground that wasn't barricaded (or mined, for all I know!) would attract half-a-dozen caravans like flies to sh*t. And I use the comparison deliberately because that was almost invariably the state of the site after they'd gone.
The Smeaton site improved things a bit but it seems that there is another round of freeloading under way judging by recent reports. If they want to travel, let them travel; of they want a permanent place to live let them join the rest of society with the rest of scoiety's rules.

yistae come tae the schol ever year when ah wis a bairn when the shows wis oan and thered be couple o tinks in maist clases

When I went for a run on my bike the other week I saw a couple of caravans and a dog kennel down at the site of the Dalmore paper mill. I went back recently and they had gone, leaving the usual mess. However, three large concrete cylinders have now been placed at the foot of the hill. Let them try getting past these monsters. Hopefully it will also keep out the fly tippers as well

It's a bit of a sledge hammer and nut scenario but I think it will deter the travelling people.

The problem


The solution

sybil wrote:

yistae come tae the schol ever year when ah wis a bairn when the shows wis oan and thered be couple o tinks in maist clases

Interesting, how the memory can play tricks. Next time you take the children to the shows, trying calling a showperson a "t"**" and you will not need Madam See Front to predict your future.

ahm no talkin abut these day this wis moren 50 year past they wis tinks then an nae shame tae it

sybil wrote:

ahm no talkin abut these day this wis moren 50 year past they wis tinks then an nae shame tae it

The outcome would have been exactly the same 50 years ago and 100 years Not because we are now enlightened and pay lip service to political correctness, but because they are two totally different social groups.

Exactly, Omala.

them that run the shows yistae stey in glaskhill terace fifty year ago as ah mind

sybil wrote:

them that run the shows yistae stey in glaskhill terace fifty year ago as ah mind

Seems that you are well acqainted with Jack Hall. If you are trying to extract the golden fluid, from me, the former, current and future residents of Glaskhill Terrace, keep drawing. Beware of splashback. This was intened as a serious thread. If you want to post 1960s replies, start a junior thread in the lounge. With all the respect I can draw on.

the boys in glaskhill yistae run the walzers and thae sort o rides an thats truth an if you dinna ken that then ye wurnae there

sybil wrote:

the boys in glaskhill yistae run the walzers and thae sort o rides an thats truth an if you dinna ken that then ye wurnae there

Did they camp all year round in Glaskhill, or did they just go home to Mum's house for Tea.

the boys that run the wallzers wis at scool they didnae own the hole shows it was like a saiterdy job but it was eveer nihgt the shows wis in hays park

So they were neither Travellers or Showpeople. Didn't live in a a caravan or a Tent, they lived in a house...Your point?

sory ah thocht ah wis aloud tae talk jist like you

As did I, but you are for some reason trying to kill this thread with a pretend persona, discouraging the other forumers from taking the thread seriously. What concerned the individual that alerted me to this was his concern that a privately owned Travellers site would appear in S/W Midlothian. Perhaps in a field near you.

ah wis jist jinin in the crack ah thocht ah wis aloud to jine in but you muss ken beter an me onyways theres nae feilds near me ah jist sayd travelers wisnae aye bad an you jumpd oan ma heid

If you feel that I have overstepped the mark and accuse me of bullying, then perhaps we refer this to an administrator to adjudicate. I never jump on peoples heads, or seek to provoke, unlike...............

Okay lets not let this discussion get out of hand. This kind of topic has already been discussed recently due to the travelling people taking over the park and rides. There was some friction there as well. I don't want to start being heavy handed but I would be grateful if we could all try to be a bit more tolerant of each others views.