We're all Jippies now

Moving from tent, to converted camper van, and now to caravan, you get to experience the different forms of camping and the campers that go with it.

Despite the common denominator of enjoying life close to the outdoors and near nature, and the basic simplicities of camping /caravanning, there are also a lot of differences.

There seems to be a scale ranging from Gypsies, to new age travellers, to weekend campers, and to the more well off people in expensive motorhomes and caravans. A motorhome pulled onto the site the other day with a Smart Car being towed on the back! I mean whats going on now? The caravans are towing cars, yet the caravan is a car as well?!

I overheard a conversation with one of the full time residents, bemoaning the sudden influx of new campers due to arrive for the Easter break, they were genuinely appalled that all these people would want to come here, and pitch up for the weekend, wrecking their peace, rather than be excited that a whole load of like minded people were due to arrive.

Anyway............


So it got me thinking about Gypsies, travellers etc, the persecution, harassment they have faced over the years and us, and the people staying here, how we are one and the same, but also very different, how we would rather divide ourselves into our little groups of acceptability rather than unite and live under one big canvas roof.

So who am I? Who are we?

We are Jippies, a cross between a Gypsy and a Hippie, we're not travellers, old age or new, we don't go anywhere. We have electric, gas, Internet access, hot water etc, but hopefully have one love for all fellow campers and people who desire a way of life like this, to be at one with our environment and surroundings, to remove the complications of modern living, and get down to a more basic, simplistic connection with life.

Its all getting a bit deep eh?

I don't want to politicise in anyway, and I don't want to talk much about things I don't know a great deal about. Gypsies and travellers generally get a lot of bad press, and there is certainly a negative social view towards them, but in many ways, they just want a way of life that is suited to them.

A motorhome has just pulled on, its got a Satellite dish, and mountain bikes clipped to the back, a family has just poured out, eager for a nights camping.

Although not wholly relevant, but certainly thought provoking I insert a video.

This has happened in recent history in our own country

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3YtmBD_thM