Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World Here!

[Evil Queen]

Didn't know of this show until I saw it listed here but looked it up. Came across this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3767087/Meet-Britain-s-gypsy-kids-s-REALLY-like-growing-traveller.html Seems the grandfather of one of the girls talked about in the article is Paddy Doherty from Celeb Big Brother. I was surprised to see someone that is in that culture actually say he wants the little girl to get more education and for the rest to as well and move along with the times. Good for him for saying that. I don't know how it is with schooling over there or driving but I know here in the U.S its a bit harder to just keep the kids out of school of any kind. Then the driving, I take it those 12 yr olds are probably not driving in cities but more rural type spaces. Otherwise I couldn't see them not getting in trouble for that. I found the first episode so am going to watch it and see how it is. 

Edited September 20, 2016 by OnceSane
Removed illegal streaming mention

[Evil Queen]

I found 3 and watched them all today. Its very different from everything else that has been on. I know this is media thread so not sure where to really discuss the shows though. Would it be here or the traditions thread? 

Edited September 20, 2016 by OnceSane
Removed illegal streaming mention

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Gypsy kids share their opinions on school education. At 12 years old, Oliver is already a dab hand behind the wheel, although his true passion is for horses. Perhaps unsurprisingly, school has little pull for Oliver, but for eight-year-old Margaret, leaving education at 11 as her sister did could mean giving up on the early promise she is showing there. Meanwhile, at just 13, aspiring model Sylvanna's mature attitude is put to the test when a lucrative casting opportunity requires that she cut her hair. Ultimately, she proves that her identity is not for sale.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Not to be held back by constant bullying at school, 12-year-old Ben has dreams of becoming a pilot and funds his £150 an hour lessons himself by selling eggs to the local cafe.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Twelve-year-old Royston is an English Traveller who, when he is not working with his Dad laying patios, is in the gym training. His first fight was with a bully at school, but now he is a multi-title boxing champion on course to turn pro. He wants to follow in the footsteps of Traveller heroes Tyson Fury and Billy Joe Saunders.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

13 hours ago, Evil Queen said:

I found 3 and watched them all today. Its very different from everything else that has been on. I know this is media thread so not sure where to really discuss the shows though. Would it be here or the traditions thread? 

FYI - I just created episode threads, but you can always do that yourself (in the Gypsy Kids forum as well as the other show forums here).

Edited September 20, 2016 by OnceSane
Quoted post was edited.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Although I definitely prefer the UK gypsy shows over the super fake MBFAGW (aka the weekly Sondra Celli commercial), this episode reminded me why the UK shows also made me sad. These girls are expected to leave school at the age of 11 so that they can wipe everything down with bleach and take care of their siblings. By the time they're 14, they're itching to get out of the house so they start looking for husband material and get married at 15, thinking that they're escaping but all they're doing is the exact same thing (daily bleach cleaning and watching kids) in a different house.

One thing I found interesting about this episode is that in the six years since the original Big Fat Gypsy Wedding special aired in 2010, we are now seeing a lot more gypsies living in houses instead of trailers. I think that although there will always be nomadic gypsies who don't want to be tied down to a house, there are increasing numbers of gypsies living in more permanent homes (even the prefab houses we saw in the original series) as a concession to the world they live in now. Like I said, there will always be some who refuse to give up the transitory tradition (and it looks like we are going to see some possible evictions in one of the upcoming episodes) but it seems like it's becoming more common/acceptable to live in a house rather than a trailer.

Really interesting that Paddy, who I remember as being fairly traditional in the original series, is now encouraging his granddaughter to stay in school and even go to college. I think he's seeing how much the times they are a-changin' and accepting that it's better to adapt to those changes for the next generation.

I mostly liked Sylvanna. She seemed like a more modern gypsy girl and she was pretty mature for 13, but she lost me when she said she wouldn't hypothetically cut even a few inches of her hair. To be honest, she needs a trim so she should cut a good 3-6" from the bottom anyway just so it won't look so dry and scraggly at the ends. But beyond that, your hair is not your identity. You will still be you if you have a few less inches of split ends. That doesn't mean that anyone is trying to change you. The way she was talking about it, you'd think they had asked her to shave her head or dye all of her hair emerald green. It always drives me crazy when females act like cutting a few inches is the equivalent of chopping off an arm. I still see that reaction every year on Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team during makeover week. I used to see it almost every week on What Not to Wear whenever Nick suggested even a trim. They gasp and clutch their pearls and generally act like they've been propositioned to star in porn. An inch or two less of hair isn't going to drastically change the way you look. Unless you already have short hair (as in above your shoulders), most people probably won't even notice if you cut 2-5" off!

It was really nice to see that even though Oliver got expelled, he was still going to his lessons. I liked that his tutor was tailoring the lessons to relate to things he liked to keep his interest. Whenever these kids talk about how they don't need school because they're never going to need to do any of those things, I just shake my head. Like read signs (or comments on instagram posts)? Or add to make sure that your bill is correct?

[OnceSane]

Please do not discuss (or post videos) on how or where to watch the show illegally in the forums.

[Evil Queen]

I agree about  the schooling. It is refreshing to see so many in this seeming to want their kids to get that education instead of being like them or their ancestors. Especially more so when you hear the ones tell you what they want to do when they are older. 

Sylvanna and the hair thing was just silly. It wasn't even that much hair and it grows back. So if she doesn't have something happen from it, its because she won't give a little on a thing and you can't be that way as a model. The lady explained it well to her too so she could try to see where she was coming from as well. I also hate to tell her but her look is not original either. Also why was her mom not with her at this meeting on being a model? I thought that was odd for her age. 

I want to say I am glad to see Paddy trying to push his granddaughter to get more schooling and that he knows they need to change with the times as well. Which obviously some are with letting them have electronics that they do. 

I am glad to see this show though. They are showing true gypsies of all kinds and none of this fake stuff we have had on our tv for years now here. I wish it was on a channel here though. I think the youtube video off it was messed with so the voices sounded odd at times and then the 3rd one didn't look as clear as the other 2. I took it as a way for them to try to get around it being on there but whatever. 

[Evil Queen]

I think it was this episode that Tyson gave his nephews some good advice. Told them to only hit if they are hit first. Something I have always told my own kids. Words are just that words and you can walk from those. If you show the kids acting like brats that the words said do not bug you they will stop as well. Which btw, I kind of thought they were a little bratty in another episode. Came off as some kids around here that behave that way but they aren't gypsies. LOL 

The one girl though bugged me with her snotty attitude she has learned from her mother. I think her name was Annie??? She thinks kids/adults won't like her if she doesn't have overpriced brand name purses at her young age or dress in overpriced clothes as well? Yet if only she could understand that if she actually dressed normal, didn't need the flashy purses, nails, drop the I am better than you 'tude and all that those same kids/adults would actually probably like her. Waxing her eyebrows? UGH why did she need that at all? This is one of those cases of pushing them to grow up to fast. Sadly you see that though in all walks of life.

I was excited seeing the one boy (can't remember his name) get to fly for the first time. Glad he is wanting to do what he has to with school to be able to fly and get a pilot license one day. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ben's story was the most positive of everything we saw in this episode. I hope he sticks with his schooling so that he can become a pilot. Too often on these shows, the boys end up paving, fighting, in and out of prison, etc. so being a pilot would be a nice change. His sister's singing was not great though. I wish that voice teacher had told her to knock it off with all the melisma.

One thing that really annoys me is when they try to paint the various traveller groups as victims when they are evicted. The narrator sadly telling me that these people have no running water is supposed to make me feel sympathetic but my reaction is well DUH, of course they don't have water if they're living in a parking lot. When the guy with the baby said that he had to go to the gym to shower, I thought well, do you expect KFC to provide a shower for you? I mean, seriously. You choose to live in a trailer. You choose not to live at an authorized site. And then you whine about how you can't shower in the parking lot? What really gets me is that he got belligerent about the police (who were just doing their job, mind you, since they don't make the laws). Dude, YOU are the one who is doing something illegal but you're going to be an ass and act like you're the victim?

On a related note, the narrator also tried to make us feel bad that some of these kids are missing school due to evictions, but that is just a load of crap. These kids can still attend school after they've been evicted from whatever site their parents have been squatting on. It's not like the police show up to an elementary school and say, "Hey, you know that little girl in fourth grade? Her family's trailer was illegally parked in a parking lot and we made them move. Now she's outside of the district for this school so don't you dare let her set foot in this classroom!" And let's be real - how many of these same kids belong to families where they are expected to leave school at the age of 11 or 12 so they can stay home and take care of their siblings? So it's a bit rich to make it seem like they are being kept from school by anything but their families' choices.

The fighter's wife was a wussy dingbat. First she said that she didn't really want her four year old attending daddy's cage fight, but only to the camera. If you think he's too young for this, tell your husband, not the cameraman. It's your job as a mother to set boundaries. Just because this kid says he wants to go doesn't mean that you have to let him do it. Just because his dad says it's okay doesn't mean you have to let him either. Then the producers asked her how she thought this kid would react to seeing his dad get hit during the match and she said, "Oh, no, I didn't even think about that!" Hitting is kind of like the point of fighting, but you didn't think of that?

I also rolled my eyes when the fighter said in gypsy families, the men are supposed to raise the boys and when he got back from his eight month stint in prison, his son wouldn't listen to him anymore. Dude, if you think that it's your job to raise your son then going to prison for almost a year is not the best way to achieve that. Eight months is a long time to a kid that age. It's not at all surprising that he didn't listen to his dad when he got back because HELLO, his dad was completely absent for eight months! My dad was gone for six months (for work, not prison) when my sister was a baby and when he came back, my sister treated him like a stranger because to her tiny baby brain, that's exactly what he was. You can't be gone for long stretches when kids are really young and expect them to act like you were only gone for a few hours.

But I will say that I liked that when his nephew said he wanted to become a fighter so he could beat up the bullies at school, his advice was to walk away from fights unless they were in the ring. I also liked that he said he was fighting so that his kid didn't have to earn a living the same way and that he wants his son to go to school and learn.

Edited September 21, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Evil Queen]

Agree with what you said all around. It was good the fighter didn't want his kid to grow up to be like him and what he told his nephew. Walk away because words are just that words. Of course his son wasn't going to listen to him. I had the same thoughts. He went to jail. I looked it up. Sounds like it was something with the fighting and eye gouging?? But this guy can't expect to be gone 8 months and life be the same as when he left. Especially with his son's age. Mom was dumb for sure with the not sure on the son seeing daddy fight. Well then don't let him yet. Not hard to say so. 

I hope the one boy keeps up so he gets his pilot license. He seemed one of the few likable kids on it. When it comes to schooling for these kids and then claiming to be bullied for being a traveler/gypsy, I question it at times. First why tell the kids that info if you don't need to and 2nd because of how some of them can be, I wouldn't put it past the traveler/gypsy kid in many of those situations to have started things. To me if they wanted an education for their kids and their kids wanted it badly enough to stay in school, they would keep certain things to themselves or for some behave in a better manner to get through it all, kwim? It goes for the whole being evicted...doesn't mean they have to stop going to school. If we move it doesn't stop school for my kids because of it. If they were to have to change schools because of it there might be a day or 2 delay in getting them in school but shouldn't be acting like they can't go to the same one when you aren't moving far. SMH Seems more of an excuse to not take the kids. 

With that the way it was with all the talking to try to make you feel sorry....they want to live that way and know what can happen so its hard to feel bad for them. They could change that situation if they wanted. The dad with the baby starting up with the cops...what an idiot. Not one of those other people could have moved the one families trailer while the mom was in a hospital (love how they use those but live as they do) giving birth...instead of oh poor so and so, why not get it out of there for them since they are suppose to be so close?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yes, I thought it was stupid for all of them to gather together to talk about how awful it was that the one lady's trailer was confiscated while she was giving birth. First of all, the trailers were all in a pretty small parking lot. It's not like they were in a 1000 acre forest and everyone was too far away to know what was going on with her (both the fact that she was in labor at the hospital and that her trailer was being taken away). So not one of her alleged friends/family/community who pride themselves on looking after each other thought to move her trailer for her? Nope, let's just watch it happen and then moan about how it ain't right that she's now homeless with a newborn. But let's also put some of the blame on the pregnant woman too. The police never just show up out of nowhere to evict people. They are given notices (here in the United States, there are several noticea) saying that they have to leave. If they don't, they are notified when the eviction will be. Unless this woman was in labor for a month, she knew the eviction was coming and she should have asked someone else squatting in that parking lot to move her trailer (either before she left for the hospital or she should have told someone to move it if the police came while she was at the hospital).

I also hated when a bunch of the kids said they lost their homes. No, you still have your trailer, which is a roof over your head. Your parents just need to park it somewhere else because the parking lot behind KFC is not zoned for residential living. Only two trailers were confiscated during that eviction so everyone else was just told they had to move their trailers. The KFC parking lot is not your home, kids. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Sylvanna and the hair thing was just silly. It wasn't even that much hair and it grows back. So if she doesn't have something happen from it, its because she won't give a little on a thing and you can't be that way as a model. The lady explained it well to her too so she could try to see where she was coming from as well. I also hate to tell her but her look is not original either. Also why was her mom not with her at this meeting on being a model? I thought that was odd for her age. 

You really don't have the right mindset to be a model if you are unwilling to snip even a few inches of dry split ends off your hair. I thought the woman at the agency explained it well but Sylvanna still didn't get it. No matter how pretty you are, a model is just a blank canvas for companies to use to sell things, whether it's clothes, booze, etc. If you aren't willing to look the way they envision, then you won't be hired. And the really ridiculous aspect of her refusal to consider cutting her hair is that, as you pointed out, hair grows back. It's not a permanent change.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ugh, this episode reminded me why I get so annoyed when they claim something is part of their culture. Leaving school is "part of the culture" because God forbid they let these girls become literate or proficient in math. Annie and her mom both admitted that Annie can't read or write, but that's okay because she doesn't need to know any of that stuff. How can you say that a person doesn't need to know how to read, write, or do math? Since Annie is only 11 years old, it's not like we're talking about how the average person doesn't use calculus in their day to day life. At the age of 11, we are talking about addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and simple geometry. Everyone should know the basics of math so they can do things like add up a bill, calculate the approximate price on a sale rack marked 20% off, figure out the cost per item so you know how much you are paying per ounce, per egg, etc.

Later Annie said that she would never go out without her hair done because it's shameful. First of all, you're 11 so what are you really doing to your hair before you leave the house besides washing it and brushing it? Secondly, you know what's more shameful than a girl who leaves the house without her hair done? A girl who can't read or add. 

It is terrible that Annie is only 11 years old and she already has that woefully misinformed view that anyone who insults you is jealous. When I say a girl needs to cut her hair, it's because it's damaged and dry at the ends, not because I'm jealous. And look at her diplomacy skills! Her solution is to say, "Go away or I'll hit you." Notice that her hairdresser was only allowed to trim about an inch off of her hair. I guess I should just be glad she was getting a trim at all. Annie is also pretty judgmental for someone that young. Track suits are bad but a ruffled blouse from the 80s is good? And how is a track suit bad but a cropped t-shirt with cut out shoulders and black pants that have track stripes up the sides is considered dressing good?

I had to roll my eyes when the narrator said Annie has found it hard to make friends. You think that threatening to hit people has anything to do with that? Annie said she doesn't mix with gorjas so that might be the other reason she's having trouble making friends. Unless you're going to go to an exclusively gypsy school, then you're probably going go school with a lot of non-gypsies. Another possibility: her snotty attitude about having Chanel purses and Louis Vuitton bags is not exactly endearing. I couldn't believe she said, "You might think I'm spoiled but I'm not." Oh, okay. But you think you're better than non-gypsies because you have these bags.

While I understand what she said about how she could just tell her mom she was going out to play when she lived on the trailer site, that's not exclusive to gypsies who live on trailer sites. I used to do the same thing when I was a kid (tell my mom I was going to play and then run around the neighborhood with my friends) despite the fact that I'm not a gypsy and we didn't live in a trailer park.

Although I really loathe that these little prepubescent girls are wearing makeup and getting fake nails and fake tans for parties (because really, why does a little girl need mascara and a fake tan?), it totally cracked me up that they were all insistent that it's important to dress up and then they asked the boys who are the same age about it and they said that the girls go over the top with the makeup. I also loved the one little girl who was asked if it's important to look good and she just said, "No."

I hate that Susanna's 9 year old cousin Alicia tried to justify the girls leaving school when they're eleven because "they're cleverer than boys." That's why girls don't need to go to high school? It's appalling to me that she doesn't know ONE girl who went to high school. Susanna admitted that she wouldn't be able to cook and clean all day, but what does she think she's in for? She's dropped out of school so she will be expected to take on household responsibilities at her parents' house until she gets married and then she'll have the same responsibilities.

I liked that the producers asked Susanna and her cousin about technology, being on facebook, etc. Even though it's easy to believe that gypsies are all very old fashioned, they still live in 2016 and they have access to the internet. But apparently the gypsy kids think that non-gypsies are total Luddites since they said, "Everyone's on facebook, even gorgers."

It was really interesting to have Susanna's grandmother talk about how different gypsy life was for her. It must be a huge change for her to go from living in a traditional caravan and eating snow off the roof to seeing how easy kids have it these days. I know that people like to talk about how much rougher it was when they were kids and how kids these days are so spoiled, but it must be so crazy for her to compare the life she lived to the way the kids live now. As she pointed out, they have plenty of food and amenities these days. I noticed that she still dresses very conservatively so I wonder what she thinks about her granddaughter wearing sleeveless crop tops and short skirts. For the record, I didn't think Susanna's outfit was bad or too revealing, but seeing how traditional her grandmother is I can only imagine what she think about stuff like that. Even though I liked that this series focused on the kids, I would love to hear more about her grandmother's life as well as what she thinks about the modern gypsy life.

Since this series has focused on the kids, we haven't seen many of the adults so I managed to temporarily forget how much the gypsies in the UK love to draw on super thick dark eyebrows that look like they were drawn with Sharpie markers. Annie's mother's eyebrows were so harsh and fake looking. Why on earth does an 11 year old girl need her eyebrows waxed? It's not like she's got a huge unibrow. There's no reason why she needs to get her eyebrows waxed every week. Get her a pair of tweezers and let her pull out the strays when needed. And Annie's mom totally lied when she said it wouldn't hurt!

I love that Uncle Tony is so consistent in his advice to walk away from fights. I know he gave the same advice in a previous episode but it's nice to know that it's what he keeps telling his nephews. I know he's trying to channel their energy by having them work with the trainer, but I'm afraid that they will take what they learn and use it to fight the kids at school.

I love seeing the old gypsy caravans. They're so beautifully carved and painted. I thought it was a good idea for 9 year old Rachel to invite her classmates to the site where she lives to show them both the old caravans as well as the new modern trailers.

I have noticed on the UK shows that the gypsies complain about being referred to as pikeys, but I recall them yelling about Pakis, which is pretty offensive. I'm not saying that the kids on this show are using racial slurs but I know some of the people we saw on previous gypsy shows definitely did so it was a bit hypocritical for them to get offended when they were doing the same thing.

I don't understand why some of the gypsies are so adamant about not living in houses when they are living in chalets. Some of them are quite large (like Paddy's) but others are smaller like the ones we saw in this episode where the families live and cook in the chalets but sleep in the trailers. I don't know why you would want to cram everyone into the trailer to sleep when you have a perfectly good chalet where you spend all day.

One of the things I liked about this series was the variety of gypsies. We had some living in trailers, some living in apartments. Some of the girls were still in school (thank goodness) and some had dropped out. We saw one boy learning how to pave and others doing things like selling eggs to pay for flying lessons so he can become a pilot. Sidenote: when the 12 year old learning how to pave said that gypsies learn stuff like that quickly, I was like well first of all it's not exactly rocket science. But secondly, Mr. EB did all kinds of stuff like that when he was a kid and he is not a gypsy. His dad taught him how to build a shed, put up drywall, build a deck, etc. starting at a pretty young age.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Uncle Tony (the fighter who advised his nephews not to fight outside the ring) was shot in the face earlier this year. This is the same incident where his finger go chopped off. It occurred after his eight months in prison (which was for grievous bodily harm and firearms offenses). The article says he had to have surgery to remove the bullet which was lodged beneath his eye. Apparently he was on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding in 2012 and the four year old son we saw in Gypsy Kids was born out of wedlock which his family was not happy about.

[Evil Queen]

Which I think they did mention something about her not being a gypsy on this but I don't think more than that was said and we didn't see they had another child either. We just saw the son. Crazy stuff though. 

[Evil Queen]

Yes the schooling is a big issue I have with as well. Its always a pathetic excuse on why they don't go past a certain age or why they don't need to know this or that. Yet how can Annie understand ever the cost of those purses, her nails, her hair trims, the clothes, the waxing she doesn't need and so on. Money doesn't just come in that easily to pay for it all like its nothing. But this mother is teaching her that is how it is. So what happens when this girl marries and its not that way? She tries to buy one of her expensive bags and finds out she can't since she couldn't count out the money she has or what she might have in a bank (do they use banks?). They disgusted me to no end. That little girl and her mother's attitudes and actions is why no one likes her. Mommy has taught her she is better than anyone no matter what because of what she has and how she looks. Those are the kind of people that will rub anyone the wrong way. I would bet there is plenty of gypsies that do not like her either but they would never say that. Of course we are all just really jealous of her. SMH

I loved that the boys said the girls went over the top on that stuff too. As well as the little girl that said no they don't need to look good. LOL It just amazes me how that is. I wonder how the girls/women would be if the boys/men said to them how much they didn't like that over the top makeup, hair and tans they do. 

And Susanna's grandmother telling her how life was for her....that little girl has no clue how it has been for past generations at all and I don't think she cares much either. All we end up with is her saying how she doesn't want to do these things, like cook and clean, but yet she must not have gotten her memo on its what is expected of her. I wonder how someone like Annie and her mother are when it comes to being that traditional gypsy that is suppose to cook and clean. Does her mother do those things and teach Annie about that as well or is it just about the looks for them?

The old caravans were lovely to look at. I can imagine it would take a little bit of time to check out all the details on them in person and take it all in. It was cute watching Rachel show a few classmates all these little things about it and what she lives in as well. 

Not sure either about not living in a house/mobile home instead. They complain about being moved but with that they wouldn't be so easily made to. They couldn't whine about the kids not being able to go to school then either. But that is it, I think some like to play up the victim card in those situations. Its probably how they were raised and what they saw go on so they do it now. It doesn't seem the move around unless they are made to though so not sure in the end why they don't. 

LOL about the comment on the 12 yr old and the paving. Obviously they do not understand and know that many at young ages learn certain skills over time. Heck at one point in time it was something many kids that age or younger would have to do in order to help their families to have money for food on the table and the home to live in. It might not have been paving but they had to do plenty of hard jobs as well. Depending on your family nowadays there are those that learn things from parents over time so they can have some sort of everyday type skills or that might come in handy in life at some point. Its not like its something different or new. Is just, here we don't make our kids do such things because of laws and they should be kids that just deal with school and some fun.  

I agree it was nice to see different kinds of gypsies and how it is for them. They varied a great deal in the way they live and handle things. 

[Evil Queen]

On 9/21/2016 at 5:58 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

You really don't have the right mindset to be a model if you are unwilling to snip even a few inches of dry split ends off your hair. I thought the woman at the agency explained it well but Sylvanna still didn't get it. No matter how pretty you are, a model is just a blank canvas for companies to use to sell things, whether it's clothes, booze, etc. If you aren't willing to look the way they envision, then you won't be hired. And the really ridiculous aspect of her refusal to consider cutting her hair is that, as you pointed out, hair grows back. It's not a permanent change.

Exactly! Her reasons for not cutting it are a bit much. She said something about how her dad said something to her before he died and how its a part of him and her mom as well but ITS HAIR!! I don't see her going anywhere with her attitude on it. No one will want to deal with her if she is not open at all to anything. I wouldn't blame those places/companies. She is coming off to above it all because she has been told to many times how pretty she is and how she should model but not being told the truth about how it is to be a model. She was never told before hand how you have to change things at times about yourself for certain ads and she had to hear it but sadly she still wasn't getting it. 

[Evil Queen]

YES!! I have seen people in our complex get the boot and the sheriff was sent out to deal with it because the people didn't leave as they should. I know one a few doors down got out before they came but the notice was up in the window and on the door. Yet you know its coming. Its not like its something out of the blue that happens. They got notices on having to move the trailers but they wait instead for the cops to come and kick them out. That way they can whine and fight about it as they do. Yet who thought moving their trailers into the KFC parking lot was a good idea? Agree sorry kids but you do still have a home. You just have to move that home to a new location and you can still go to school like you were before. No real excuse there on that either. Since they didn't help move those trailers to help out the ones not able to you have to wonder how close they really are at all. 

[GaT]

I finally got around to watching this & somehow started on episode 2 by mistake. Hopefully there wasn't anything in episode 1 I needed to know before watching this one. While I understand that they're parking illegally in these places, how is continually evicting them going to solve anything? If there aren't enough legal places for them to park, aren't there more places that could be designated as parking for Travelers? They could even be charged rent for the space. It seems like a huge waste of police time to keep kicking them out of places & towing their trailers away, & the kids deserve better.

[GaT]

Wow, Sylvanna seriously looked & sounded (why do the females have such deep voices?) 18, I would never have guessed she was only 13. My guess is that's why she's so attached to her hair, at 13 long hair is a big deal.

Like other people I'm really surprised to hear Paddy talking about how important education is, especially when he's talking about girls. He seemed like a very traditional Traveler in the other show, but he lives in a house, so maybe he's not that traditional. Those 2 girls talking about how it wasn't right that girls would still be in school after age 11 made me want to weep.

[GaT]

On 9/22/2016 at 4:56 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Since this series has focused on the kids, we haven't seen many of the adults so I managed to temporarily forget how much the gypsies in the UK love to draw on super thick dark eyebrows that look like they were drawn with Sharpie markers.

Ah yes, the sharpie eyebrows, always a treat to look at. I wouldn't be able to have a normal conversation with those girls, I would be too distracted staring at their eyebrows the entire time.

[Evil Queen]

But its not up to these towns or police to give the kids better. That is the parents jobs. I think it happens that no one wants to give them the space because of problems that come along with doing so a lot of times. There were places that were made for them to live and they were kicked out of those as well. I can't remember what they said was the reason though. I know not all behave in a manner that should get ones kicked out but these people have a reputation and many like to keep that traditional reputation going as well. As well as I doubt they want to have to pay rent to park so they avoid it all costs. Yet those that are trying to keep their kids in schools and seem to live in a house or just have a spot that is their's seem to try to mix in a little more with the non gypsy folks but still keep whatever traditions of their lives they can as well. Those seem to be the ones that want their kids to get the educations and do something more than just the usual gypsy jobs. I just take it there might not be to many of those kind out there at this time. Hopefully one day they will understand they can keep many traditions while coming into the times and changing some ways too. These are things that our own ancestors had to do as well at different times in their own lives. If they hadn't we would have many of the things in the world that we do if nothing changed and evolved. They just need to learn you can find a good balance between it all. 

[beesknees]

Question - what/which network is this show on?  I'd like to catch it.

[Evil Queen]

Its not on anywhere in the U.S. It was on a documentary on a channel in the U.K.

[hatchetgirl]

Good to know the travelers are keeping up with the chola tradition of sharpie eyebrows!

 

;)

[Evil Queen]

1 hour ago, hatchetgirl said:

Good to know the travelers are keeping up with the chola tradition of sharpie eyebrows!

 

;)

LMAO I actually saw someone with eyebrows like that the other day too. They were not a chola either but was use that as a way to explain it to my friend. Its one of those looks I will never ever understand and nor do I try. 

[Evil Queen]

I figure since this is media type thing I'd put it here. My husband was reading an article earlier (want to say it was on ESPN but could be wrong). He was going to start to telling me about this fighter and what it said. I look over and it was on Tyson Fury. I guess he is not in the best mental state at all. He has issues with drugs and alcohol. Which on top of that he is bipolar and such. He feels like everyone is always out to get him. Which my husband was saying that is the same with every fighter but I told him he probably has that thought even worse as well since he is a gypsy and they have that might set as well. I explained a little of what I saw of him on the show. It sounds like he should (if he isn't) be getting help for his issues. He seemed like he cared a great deal for his family so I hope that he gets whatever issues he has or had taken care of for his sake and their's. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Top of Margaret’s wish list for Christmas is a new home… oh, and a sofa with diamonds and a giant stilleto-shaped shelving unit. Here the cute eight-year-old, who lives with her travelling family in a one-room trailer, explains why she can’t wait to move into a spacious new chalet home. But will the family get their new place in time for Christmas? Elsewhere, Traveller Tony the Rhino prepares for a festive cage fight – with his nephews as elf helpers! Then, there’s endearing confusion when 10-year-old Johnny tries to put on a nativity play with his wise men bearing Gold, Frankenstein and a Mirror!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I haven't watched it yet, but I found these two articles about the episode in The Sun and The Daily Fail, both of which have lots of pictures. The articles have the same info but some of the pictures are different.

FYI - the Margaret in the episode description is Paddy's granddaughter.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So much staged ridiculousness (as usual).

I'm really supposed to believe that Margaret, who is 8 or 9 years old, is the one making all of these important decisions about her family's new chalet like choosing the furniture? Riiiiiighhht.

The entire situation with Tony's pre-show stuff was so fake too. The boys left the golf cart on so the battery was run down, but they didn't think to just, you know, plug it in again? And even if it had power, how did Tony think three children were going to transport the golf cart all the way to his fight? And if they somehow managed to get it there, where were they going to use the golf cart? The aisles weren't wide enough for him to drive it from the locker room to the octagon.

The cutest moment was when Suzie insisted on opening one of the presents and giving a lipstick to the camera man.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The Rise And Fall And Rise Of Tyson Fury, Boxing's Most Dangerous Man (this article was posted the day before the big fight)