So the day finally arrived without the usual warnings that allowed rent-a-crowd to gather and chain themselves to things. Instead it was a sensible dawn raid through the back door.
What am I talking about? The eviction of the illegal traveller site at dale farm that's what. Previous attempts to move these people on have failed simply because the authorities warned them they were coming allowing them, and their hangers on, time to prepare. Finally someone had the sense to suggest not giving their plans away and, hey presto, they got in with relatively little resistance as all the protesters were kipping out the front.
I know some are sympathetic to the cause but I am not. These people have got away with illegal activity for over five years. If I'd tried to build without planning permission on greenbelt land I'd have been out on my ear in weeks. I resent the fact that it is my money that has been used to prop up the lengthy legal process as they staggered from one appeal to another. I resent the fact that it will be in every newspaper and on every politics/chat show for weeks to come. Then of course there will be more legal wrangling over 'police brutality' etc, all funded by my taxes of course.
It's not even as though the travellers are poor or homeless. Most own very nice, expensive properties in Ireland, in fact they appear to have bought out a whole village much to the disgust of the locals. So why they have to come over here and begin throwing up their shanty towns I don't know. Especially as there are plenty of permanent traveller sites with spaces available dotted around the country. Not in the right areas though according to the travellers. Is there a right area if you are a traveller? And a lot of them can lay their hands on more ready cash than and you or I could put together, no poor they are not and yet they are using my taxes to bail them out.
Finally lets look at a much missed point. They call themselves travellers, well aren't travellers supposed to travel? They are not supposed to want to stay in any one place for very long, that is supposedly why they have abandoned the property in Ireland to live in mobile tin cans in this country. So why are they fighting so vehemently to stay in one place? Does it make any sense to you? No me neither. At the end of the day all they want to do is not obey any rules and not pay their way and to make sure they cause as much trouble as they can while doing it. We all know that what is happening today is not the end of it and until our legal and immigration systems grow backbones this will happen again, soon.
Ok, now I've got that off my chest what about my day. Well it was very much the 'do you want a ten minute argument or the full half hour' kind of day. Everyone was so grumpy and unreasonable. I had some idiot continually missing the point, I think he was doing it deliberately to make me lose my temper, I didn't but it was a close run thing. I can't say it was a boring day though.
The heating is on and I'm bathed in warmth again, stepping out of the shower this morning was the last straw, even my goose bumps had goose bumps. I think we've done really well though and kept the heating off for much longer than we normally manage.
Andrew has developed tonsillitis once again just days from flying out to Bulgeria. He's on antibiotics so I just hope it clears up quickly.
Last day at work for me tomorrow, I must say I've done so much better than I thought I would. I'm quite looking forward to doing the full four days next week.
What am I talking about? The eviction of the illegal traveller site at dale farm that's what. Previous attempts to move these people on have failed simply because the authorities warned them they were coming allowing them, and their hangers on, time to prepare. Finally someone had the sense to suggest not giving their plans away and, hey presto, they got in with relatively little resistance as all the protesters were kipping out the front.
I know some are sympathetic to the cause but I am not. These people have got away with illegal activity for over five years. If I'd tried to build without planning permission on greenbelt land I'd have been out on my ear in weeks. I resent the fact that it is my money that has been used to prop up the lengthy legal process as they staggered from one appeal to another. I resent the fact that it will be in every newspaper and on every politics/chat show for weeks to come. Then of course there will be more legal wrangling over 'police brutality' etc, all funded by my taxes of course.
It's not even as though the travellers are poor or homeless. Most own very nice, expensive properties in Ireland, in fact they appear to have bought out a whole village much to the disgust of the locals. So why they have to come over here and begin throwing up their shanty towns I don't know. Especially as there are plenty of permanent traveller sites with spaces available dotted around the country. Not in the right areas though according to the travellers. Is there a right area if you are a traveller? And a lot of them can lay their hands on more ready cash than and you or I could put together, no poor they are not and yet they are using my taxes to bail them out.
Finally lets look at a much missed point. They call themselves travellers, well aren't travellers supposed to travel? They are not supposed to want to stay in any one place for very long, that is supposedly why they have abandoned the property in Ireland to live in mobile tin cans in this country. So why are they fighting so vehemently to stay in one place? Does it make any sense to you? No me neither. At the end of the day all they want to do is not obey any rules and not pay their way and to make sure they cause as much trouble as they can while doing it. We all know that what is happening today is not the end of it and until our legal and immigration systems grow backbones this will happen again, soon.
Ok, now I've got that off my chest what about my day. Well it was very much the 'do you want a ten minute argument or the full half hour' kind of day. Everyone was so grumpy and unreasonable. I had some idiot continually missing the point, I think he was doing it deliberately to make me lose my temper, I didn't but it was a close run thing. I can't say it was a boring day though.
The heating is on and I'm bathed in warmth again, stepping out of the shower this morning was the last straw, even my goose bumps had goose bumps. I think we've done really well though and kept the heating off for much longer than we normally manage.
Andrew has developed tonsillitis once again just days from flying out to Bulgeria. He's on antibiotics so I just hope it clears up quickly.
Last day at work for me tomorrow, I must say I've done so much better than I thought I would. I'm quite looking forward to doing the full four days next week.
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