I am not a hippy. I’m not a crusty. I’m not a gypsy. I work for a living. I pay my taxes and I am a responsible citizen. I believe in recycling. I do not litter. But I want a simple life and so with my husband I’m moving into a van. Maybe we will hate it. Or maybe this is the beginning of a new life.

In search of another life

"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn..."

Jack Kerouac

Thursday, 29 July 2010

Sections

After we got our ‘section 77’ (the piece of paper left on our windscreen telling us to move or face a fine), we moved immediately and have not been back to that spot. But having met other van dwellers we have learned that everyone gets them at times and it’s just a game between the council and travellers.

Every so often the council will send people to whip round all the vehicles in an area and they all get ‘sectioned’. Some people move as soon as possible while others hang around to receive their section 78, which is a summons to court. Apparently it is not unknown for people to wait until the morning of the court hearing, move their van then call the council to tell them. The hearing is cancelled and no more is done about it.

But it's all very amicable. The coouncil have even put extra bins in Stanmer Park and they know van dwellers by name.
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