From the Telegraph:
An everyday story of tax-paying, settled folk
By Nick Britten
(Filed: 07/09/2005)
An MP has asked for £48,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make a film about "the settled community" after it gave a similar grant to producers of a film on gipsy culture to be shown in schools.
David Davies said the "interesting, vital and culturally relevant" film would redress the balance and inform travellers of the "ancient traditions and communal practices of another group of people called settled folk".
In a barely veiled swipe at travellers, he said the film would feature the "ancient code" of planning regulations, the "time-honoured custom of clearing one's own rubbish" and the annual tradition of people buying a "cardboard circle" from the post office, "known as a tax disc".
Last month the Heritage Lottery Fund agreed a grant to Hampshire county council aimed at giving schoolchildren a greater understanding of gipsy and traveller culture and lifestyle.
A learning pack and DVD, to be sent to 540 junior and senior schools, will concentrate on the traditions and heritage of gipsies and will not touch on the sensitive issue of the problems some communities face from travellers.
The project, called The Living Album, will also feature a touring exhibition and include a website. The scheme resulted from a suggestion by a gipsy artist, whose work had been on show in the county.
However it has incensed Mr Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth. In his application to the Lottery Heritage Fund, he wrote: "Following on from the £48,000 you gave for the production of a video aimed at giving schoolchildren a greater understanding of the culture and traditions of 'gipsy travellers', I am very keen to commission an equally 'useful' and 'informative' piece of film that will serve to educate said 'gipsy travellers' on some of those who we might call 'settled folk'.
"I use the term to describe that large group of people in Britain who opt to live their lives in houses or flats. Although large in number, 'settled folk' often face prejudice and misunderstanding from gipsy travellers when they come into contact with them.
"I should like my film to focus on such issues as the importance which the 'settled community' place on property rights, their rigid adherence to an ancient code which they refer to as 'planning regulations', and the time-honoured custom of clearing up one's rubbish.
"Should time allow we could also include a section about the cardboard circle which settled folk purchase annually from post offices and use to adorn their vehicles - known as a tax disc.
"The film could then be distributed to traveller sites across the country to give travellers an insight into the customs of the settled community. I am sure you will agree that this film will be as worthwhile and relevant as the one currently being made in Hampshire."
Mr Davies said yesterday: "On the surface it is a perfectly polite letter and there is a serious point to all this. On the basis that I might just not be successful in my application, I would still like the Heritage Lottery people to have a think about their double standards.
"They seem to think that what they call the settled community are always prejudiced against gipsy travellers, and that gipsy travellers can do no wrong.
"We have as much right as any community to say that we want to make a film about people who live in houses to show to gipsy travellers and make them more aware of our needs and traditions. I want these people to start thinking about the double standards they impose when they throw large sums of money around to all sorts of minority groups."
He said travellers in his community had caused problems, including "flagging down motorists on a dual carriageway and offering to sell them second-hand generators". He added: "Perhaps I am also displaying my own prejudices but I suspect the generators hadn't been sourced to the local cash and carry."
Mr Davies said a local farmer had been forced to go to court to evict travellers from his field, and a local pub landlord accused gipsies who had set up camp next to his pub of theft.
He added: "There are probably many gipsy travellers who lead law-abiding lives. But there are others who don't.
"The Gypsy Council does not seem to be very interested in addressing the fact that a significant number of their people behave in an anti-social fashion. I'm not suggesting that all gipsy travellers are all bad, and that we are all good. People in bungalows and houses act in an anti-social way. But the reason that there is a negative feeling about gipsy travellers is because of the behaviour they sometimes exhibit."
His letter has angered officials at Hampshire county council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
A spokesman for the lottery fund said that out of 16,000 projects it supported, only 11 had focused on the travelling community.
He added: "It is nonsense to suggest that there is any kind of prejudice against settled communities in our grant giving - we simply reflect the vast range of heritage in the UK."
A source at Hampshire council, which houses the National Association of Gypsy and Traveller Officers, said: "He may be trying to add to the debate but his language is somewhat inflammatory and does not add to anything."
The Gypsy Council was unavailable for comment.
An everyday story of tax-paying, settled folk
By Nick Britten
(Filed: 07/09/2005)
An MP has asked for £48,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make a film about "the settled community" after it gave a similar grant to producers of a film on gipsy culture to be shown in schools.
David Davies said the "interesting, vital and culturally relevant" film would redress the balance and inform travellers of the "ancient traditions and communal practices of another group of people called settled folk".
In a barely veiled swipe at travellers, he said the film would feature the "ancient code" of planning regulations, the "time-honoured custom of clearing one's own rubbish" and the annual tradition of people buying a "cardboard circle" from the post office, "known as a tax disc".
Last month the Heritage Lottery Fund agreed a grant to Hampshire county council aimed at giving schoolchildren a greater understanding of gipsy and traveller culture and lifestyle.
A learning pack and DVD, to be sent to 540 junior and senior schools, will concentrate on the traditions and heritage of gipsies and will not touch on the sensitive issue of the problems some communities face from travellers.
The project, called The Living Album, will also feature a touring exhibition and include a website. The scheme resulted from a suggestion by a gipsy artist, whose work had been on show in the county.
However it has incensed Mr Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth. In his application to the Lottery Heritage Fund, he wrote: "Following on from the £48,000 you gave for the production of a video aimed at giving schoolchildren a greater understanding of the culture and traditions of 'gipsy travellers', I am very keen to commission an equally 'useful' and 'informative' piece of film that will serve to educate said 'gipsy travellers' on some of those who we might call 'settled folk'.
"I use the term to describe that large group of people in Britain who opt to live their lives in houses or flats. Although large in number, 'settled folk' often face prejudice and misunderstanding from gipsy travellers when they come into contact with them.
"I should like my film to focus on such issues as the importance which the 'settled community' place on property rights, their rigid adherence to an ancient code which they refer to as 'planning regulations', and the time-honoured custom of clearing up one's rubbish.
"Should time allow we could also include a section about the cardboard circle which settled folk purchase annually from post offices and use to adorn their vehicles - known as a tax disc.
"The film could then be distributed to traveller sites across the country to give travellers an insight into the customs of the settled community. I am sure you will agree that this film will be as worthwhile and relevant as the one currently being made in Hampshire."
Mr Davies said yesterday: "On the surface it is a perfectly polite letter and there is a serious point to all this. On the basis that I might just not be successful in my application, I would still like the Heritage Lottery people to have a think about their double standards.
"They seem to think that what they call the settled community are always prejudiced against gipsy travellers, and that gipsy travellers can do no wrong.
"We have as much right as any community to say that we want to make a film about people who live in houses to show to gipsy travellers and make them more aware of our needs and traditions. I want these people to start thinking about the double standards they impose when they throw large sums of money around to all sorts of minority groups."
He said travellers in his community had caused problems, including "flagging down motorists on a dual carriageway and offering to sell them second-hand generators". He added: "Perhaps I am also displaying my own prejudices but I suspect the generators hadn't been sourced to the local cash and carry."
Mr Davies said a local farmer had been forced to go to court to evict travellers from his field, and a local pub landlord accused gipsies who had set up camp next to his pub of theft.
He added: "There are probably many gipsy travellers who lead law-abiding lives. But there are others who don't.
"The Gypsy Council does not seem to be very interested in addressing the fact that a significant number of their people behave in an anti-social fashion. I'm not suggesting that all gipsy travellers are all bad, and that we are all good. People in bungalows and houses act in an anti-social way. But the reason that there is a negative feeling about gipsy travellers is because of the behaviour they sometimes exhibit."
His letter has angered officials at Hampshire county council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
A spokesman for the lottery fund said that out of 16,000 projects it supported, only 11 had focused on the travelling community.
He added: "It is nonsense to suggest that there is any kind of prejudice against settled communities in our grant giving - we simply reflect the vast range of heritage in the UK."
A source at Hampshire council, which houses the National Association of Gypsy and Traveller Officers, said: "He may be trying to add to the debate but his language is somewhat inflammatory and does not add to anything."
The Gypsy Council was unavailable for comment.
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