Clearwater Gypsies

We at Clearwater Gypsies are about to start a new project called “Planning Made Plain”.

This is to be an Audio guide to help Gypsies and Travellers navigate the local government planning process and will be available to download from this site.

Check back here and we will keep you updated on our progress.

From October, you will be able to advertise on our trading post website.

Advert will be limited to Gypsy memorabilia, horses, carts etc.

The fee will be £10 for an advert running for 8 week.

Payment can be made online using PayPal or a cheque via the post. Adverts will appear as soon as funds have cleared.

See the revamped trading post to be released in October for more details.

Dr. Angus Murdoch has now set up on his own in private practice, he has specialised in Planning work for Gypsys and Travelllers for more than 10 years.

Dr. Murdoch previously with the Community Law Partnership solicitors (C.L.P) has a P.H.D in the subject as well as a Masters in Town and Country Planning, he is also a full member of the the Royal Town Planning Insititute.

He has taken on many of the leading cases in this field including our own at “Clearwater”, as well as 2 cases in the house of lords both of which were successful.

He is now available for work on a private basis and can be contacted in the following ways.

Dr. Angus Murdoch
Murdoch Planning
PO Box 71
Ilminster
Somerset
TA19 0WF

Tel: 01460 57881
Mob: 07899908343

We are still URGENTLY looking for a venue to hold the Romany Roots event.

If you are or know of a Museum, Country House or other prestige venue please contact us.

This is not a charitable request, this event has the potential to generate a high foot fall and is a lucrative event for all concerned.

The Clear Water Gypsies in conjunction with West Sussex Traveller education service (Sheila O’Shea) put on a series of events at Portfield School in Chichester. These events centered around the main event of a visit of a traditional Gypsy Wagon which the children enjoyed inspecting and drawing.

Events included demonstrations of Painting, Wagon Art, Story Telling and featured Gypsies who had contributed to historical event or acts of heroism for example during the two World Wars.

The Film in which members of the Clear Water Gypsies featured which was made in the south of France last year (2008) is now available.

COMING AND GOING

“Coming and Going” filmed in and around the Gypsy, Roma and Travellers History Month,  takes a broad view of Gypsy history, starting in India and following the migrations forward through history to today.

The centuries of hardship and persecution have forged and iron resolve to protect and celebrate the culture through music, story telling, art and song.

We move from Appleby fair to Sainte Marie de la Mer, from the battle fields of WWI to the tragic event of the holocaust, from the Houses of Parliament to Bramsdean Common, from a wedding to a funeral.

“Coming and Going” features interviews with Gypsies, Roma and Travellers as well as Gypsy historian Janet Keet-Black, Arthur Ivatts OBE, Lord Avebury, Shirley Collins MBE, Lord Adonis and Gypsy story teller Richard O’Neil

Copies available from:

East Sussex Traveller Education Service in consortium with Brighton & Hove
c/o
Marshland Primary School,
Marshfoot Lane,
Hailsham,
East Sussex.
BN27 2PH

email: jackie.whitford@eastsussex.gov.uk or

phone: alembic tv - 01403 259706

The Romany Life Museum in Cranbrook Kent is unfortunately closing.

Henry Stanford and his wife Paula are selling all the Gypsy artifacts including the wagons from their museum .

If you want a piece of Romany history they can contact them on 01580 715825

URGENT APPEAL

This is an Urgent appeal to save “The Romany Experience” Exhibit.

A scene from the collection

A remarkable exhibition of English Romany wagons and life in the New Forest.

This unique collection, put together by English Gypsy wagon restorer Len Smith and which is currently exhibited by Paulton Park located in the New Forest, Hampshire is to be sold at auction on March 18th at Paultons Park.

We at Clearwater Gypsies believe that this will mean the break up and dispersal of the collection, never to be seen again in one place. This would be a cultural tragedy.

While the parks owners have said they would consider any serious approach to buy the whole collection time is fast running out.

Ideally we would like to find a museum, art gallery or some sympathetic group or collector that would like to own and exhibit this collection.

Alternatively we are considering the setting up of a charitable foundation to purchase and exhibit this collection of our cultural heritage.

However in order to accomplish this money would have to be raised to make the purchase. To this end we would like to hear from any individual, group, museum or company that would consider pledging fund toward the purchase of this collection, valued at around £300,000. While we realise this is no trivial sum especially in the current financial climate we note that £50 million can be raise in only 5 month for a single artwork when public interest is stimulated, nothing like that amount is required to save this collection.

If you would be prepared to pledge any amount of money, large or small, towards the purchase and preservation of this collection please make yourself known to us by

• pledging a sum of money.
• or if you would like to get personally involved send us an email.

Have no fear we are not asking for you to hand us your cash, we are only asking that you register a pledge towards creating a fund for the purchasing and housing of this collection, before any monies would be requested a limited company with trusees would be formed to hold and manage these monies.

The British Red Cross have offered to make “Certificated” First Aid Training available to members of the Gypsy and Traveller community Southern Network. This training is free of charge as it is provided under their community-based First Aid Scheme.

Working in partnership with Clearwater Gypsies and Friends, Families and Travellers, the British Red Cross hope is to provide First Aid training to the Gypsy and Traveller Communities initially in Kent and Sussex then, over the next two years, across the U.K.

These courses will initially be presented in Hove or Crawley and travelling expences are available to course members.

If you are interested in arranging a place on one of these courses or just want to discuss your options, email us at ClearWater Gypsies or call us on 01243 572367 or Mobile 07770 499589

Courses available:

Practical First Aid - Certificated
2 Days or 14 Hours
Covers all the practical aspects of First Aid.
Does not cover theory/underpinning knowledge. Useful for applying in the home or for leisure interests.

Basic First Aid Course - Certificated
5 hours + 2 hours for additional modules*
Core programme covers CPR [adults], management of unconscious casualty and bleeding; recognition and general principles for management of fractures, general treatment for burns.

*Modules which can be added to the above Basic First Aid Course:

Emergency Life Support: Certificated
4 hours
Emphasis on practical first aid with only short theoretical sessions.

Save a Life - General: Certificated
2 hours
CPR. Management of an unconscious casualty, basic treatment for a bleed.  CPR for children & infants is also demonstrated.

Save a Life - Child: Certificated
2 hours
Covers all the basic life saving procedures for a child.  Includes CPR, management of unconscious casualty, & basic treatment for bleed

Save a Life - Infant:  Certificated
2 hours
Similar content to above course [child]

INCLUDES FIRST AID FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

In using the collective term of ‘disabled people’ we include:

• People with long term health conditions e.g. cancer, diabetes, HIV etc
• People with physical or sensory impairments
• People with mental health problems
• People with Autism
• People with learning difficulties

Inclusive First Aid fosters an approach whereby the delivery and content of first aid training are led by the needs and abilities of the participants and includes an adaptable assessment system.   BRC Trainers would need to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in their training delivery.

Programme Structure:
      Incident management
      Calling the emergency services

• Caring for an unconscious casualty who is breathing
• Caring for a casualty who is not breathing normally
• Choking
• Management of blood loss and shock
• Management of burns and scalds
• Management of fractures and spinal injuries
• Unconsciousness
• Health and safety awareness [accident prevention]

I am sorry this is all I can call this film currently as there is no title or release date yet decided upon.

This documentary film was recorded in part at this years (2008) Saintes Maries de la Mer festival.

More details to follow when they become available.

There has been no progress at all from Crawley Borough Council on either permanent or transit site provision since the completion of the work Clearwater Gypsies were engaged to do for the public consultation stage.

This appears to be due to the change in local government.

No progress on the Southampton transit site since it recieved planning approval.

There is also no indication from the council as to when any action may take place.

The Response form

Although we have been working with the South East England Regional Assembly throughout this process in an advisory capacity, the document entitled “Somewhere to Live: Planning for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in the South East” was prepared and sent out without any prior consultation with any of their Gypsy, Roma or Traveller advisors.

In our opinion there are so many faults with the process and this document, including the amended response form that we, Clearwater Gypsies, will be challenging this and the Gypsy Traveller Accomodation Association (GTAA) at public examination. The date of this is still to be arranged.

This challenge is supported by a raft of Gypsy & Traveller groups and Clearwater Gypsies have recieved funding to allow us to employ professional assistance through this process from the Travellers Aid Trust.

We have now started work on the planning for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history Month scheduled for June 2009. We are working in conjunction with the Traveller Education Services, Government and the Derbyshire Gypsy Liason Group.