Cambridge Evening News attack on Cambridge Unite Against Fascism
Cambridge Unite Against Fascism Branch | 22.10.2005 19:05 | Anti-racism | Cambridge
Following an open letter to the Cambridge Evening News calling into question their 'Action On Travellers' campaign, the local paper has launched an attack on Cambridge Unite Against Fascism and its editor has written a remarkable e-mail.
Today’s Cambridge Evening News carries a story “Activists Blunder on News Campaign”, trying to suggest that the people who signed the open letter organised by Cambridge Unite Against Fascism, didn’t know what they were doing.
Before publication, the editor, Murray Morse, sent a very lengthy and rather insulting e-mail to one of the signatories, Tom Woodcock.
Here’s the text of the open letter, calling on the Evening News to stop their ‘Action On Travellers’ campaign, which despite its apparently benign principles, seems to be being used to scapegoat and attack travellers. Below that is Mr Morse’s reply.
Dear Murray Morse,
We are writing to express our deepest concerns at the ongoing 'campaign' that you are running against the Travelling Community in Cambridgeshire.
The fact that your campaign is entitled 'Action on Travellers' frames the travelling communities as the problem in many of your stories. Although we appreciate that some of your coverage of Traveller Issues has been well balanced you often highlight negative aspects or inflammatory points of view in your headlines and strap lines. The large number of articles that you print under this campaign banner paints an unwelcoming and counter inclusive image of the whole Travelling community. Further to this you often report unrelated or complex issues as 'Action on Travellers'. Recent examples of this are traffic and access issues on Fen Road and the particularly inflammatory story about taxis to schools. Neither of these stories are Traveller issues, they relate to much wider concerns about public planning, funding, education and infrastructure; in short, issues which involve the whole community and which deserve a wider and more critical debate.
Our concern is that, through your persistence in reporting stories under the same campaign, you run the risk of seriously alienating one section of our community.
We are requesting that you cease to publish stories under the 'Action on Travellers' campaign and that you favour a more inclusive and responsible approach to the issues you raise in our local newspaper.
Yours
Richard Rose, Co-ordinator, Cambridge Unite Against Fascism
Councillor Ian Nimmo-Smith, on behalf of Cambridge City Council Liberal
Democrat Group
Councillor Ben Bradnack, on behalf of Labour Group on city council
Martin Lucas-Smith, Co-ordinator, Cambridge Green Party
Tom Woodcock, Cambridge Respect
Sylvia Carter, Chair Cambridge Trades Council
Stan Croookes, Secretary Cambridge Trades Council
Chris Grant, Secretary Cambridgeshire NUT
Matt Kelly, President Cambridgeshire NUT
Unison City Branch
Nick Savage. Secretary cambridge AUT in a personal capacity
Paul Turnbull, Branch Chair of the CWU in a personal capacity
Matt Wells, Cambridge PCS Defre in a personal capacity
Steve Sweeney, Cambridge Unison Health representative in a personal capacity
Mike Todd-Jones, On behalf of Arbury Labour Party
Edwina Wood
Salman Shaheen
Sarah Woodall
Seymour Glass, Miss Black America
-------------------------------
Mr Morse’s reply came with the heading “You are the real Fascist”.
Dear Mr Woodcock,
Thank you for your email of October 20th
concerning the Cambridge Evening News' hard-hitting campaign to get action on and behalf of the travelling community of Cambridgeshire and, indeed, throughout the region served by this newspaper.
I have never read such an amazing load of poppy cock and misinformed drivel in all my 27 years in journalism.
I am, frankly, also stunned that people such as respected leaders of the city council and prominent political parties, as well as trade unions and other people of influence in the community have nothing better to do with their time than put their names to a letter trying to gag a worthwhile
campaign that aims to make a change for the good of all people living in our community.
Surely Councillors Ian Nimmo-Smith and Ben Bradnack could be giving ratepayers better service by getting out and picking up some of the 600 used needles that drug addicts have left in our good city's parks, rather than by spending time signing up to this rubbish?
And I didn't see the likes of Richard Rose, Chris Grant, Sylvia Carter, Sarah Woodall, Edwina Wood, Martin Lucas-Smith or Salman Shaheen putting pen to paper in support of the Evening News' recent articles backing the fight against racism in football.
And how can I really be expected to take seriously pressure from the likes of the guitarist in Miss Black America (Seymour Class), Stan Crooke, Nick Savage or Mike Todd Jones when they clearly haven't read or understood the
aims of our travellers campaign?
The very same aims - that I would suggest to Paul Turnbull and Matt Kelly - primary school children are able to understand. So why is it, when my own children aged 9 and 11 can understand what I'm trying to achieve on behalf
of travellers and the local community, can't they?
If I were a teacher within the NUT, I'd be seriously worried about having a union secretary and a president that couldn't understand the basis of the News' campaign and would sign such a misguided letter.
If you, Mr Woodcock, and your group, Cambridge United Against Fascism, spent less time whipping up trouble where there is none, and more time on tackling the real issues that dog our community, such as real racism in our schools
and work places, the world would really be a better place.
But, as it is, you haven't got the basic intelligence, wit or savvy among you to actually recognise a campaign that is for the good of everyone.
The Evening News has been campaigning to resolve the issues and conflict surrounding illegal travellers and gypsy camps throughout the region and Great Britain for almost 11 months now - having launched its campaign on November 30th 2005.
The campaign has won the support of hundreds of readers and prominent figures - including MPs, and the influential Gypsy Council itself.
We've had support from both local residents who feel their lives are being made a misery by the lack of will to tackle illegal camp sites near their homes, and by travellers who feel local authorities have turned their backs on them and treat them like pariahs by refusing to find the money to set up legal camps with proper and decent facilities.
So, as all of this suggests, the Evening News can more than demonstrate its campaign has backing and support from all sides - travellers included.
For your information Mr Woodcock, and for the ill-informed and misdirected signatories to your letter, I will (again) explain the whole point of the campaign and its main aims.
Our targets - if there are any - are not the travellers or gypsies as you wrongly suggest, but the a government that dithers or refuses to get anything done on behalf of BOTH the travelling communities and local residents who are fed up with these illegal camps and the conflict they engender.
We're not saying "get the gypsies out". What we're fighting for is a plan to create proper laws and proper funding to stop illegal camping. The travellers, themselves, have a responsibility and a role to play here as well.
We want the government to stop prevaricating and allow local authorities to create somewhere legal for travellers to live, with decent conditions and proper facilities.
Hence the reason for our campaign being called Action on Travellers (and NOT "Action AGAINST Travellers") - which is what Cambridge Unite Against Fascism is reading into the campaign slogan.
Instead of making false and malicious claims that this paper is "campaigning against the travelling community in Cambridgeshire", you should sign up to the campaign to pressure the Government, local MPs and political figures
both nationally and locally into taking action.
You should be supporting this right and wholly proper campaign so that local authorities have the money and laws they need to set up well-funded, legal camps, with decent facilities for travellers on sites where they won't come
into conflict with local residents or be breaking the law.
Or, is Cambridge Unite Against Fascism saying that it is right that we turn a blind eye to illegal gypsy and traveller camps and allow people to squat wherever they like, no matter whose land it is, completely ignoring current
laws? That, in my view and the view of most right-thinking people, is a completely ridiculous approach to a proper democracy.
In answer to your request, I can tell you that I'm not going to drop a perfectly good campaign slogan or the campaign - certainly not after it has been running for 11 months without any complaint - just because members of CUAF are ignorant to its sincere aims.
As for your remarks about "other recent examples" of the paper carrying "negative, inflammatory" or "counter inclusive" stories about travellers, I totally refute this accusation.
The fact is, if rate payers are paying hundreds of pounds every week on taxis to send traveller children to school, and their parents are constantly failing to ensure their children attend despite the taxi turning up every day, then that is a matter of public interest that deserves to be reported.
The fact is, there is enormous pressure on their local school in Cottenham because there is such a large illegal encampment close to this small village. The children are driven to school at the next village precisely because resources in Cottenham are at breaking point. The aims of our campaign are to ensure that all children have properly planned access to schools and other community facilities.
Frankly, Mr Woodcock, your letter is an utter disgrace and I intend to
investigate the understanding - or total lack of understanding - among the
notable people that have signed it, and to carry a story that exposes this
nonsense for what it is among the so-called "Cambridge chattering classes".
When the Cambridge Unite Against Fascism Group achieves anything of note, please do not hesitate to contact me again and I will be happy to highlight the good work you are doing in the community. Until then, please do not waste my time with any more nonsense.
As I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to forward this to the signatories of your ridiculous email, I'd appreciate it if you could do the honours.
Yours sincerely,
Murray Morse
Editor
Cambridge Evening News.
For more information on Cambridge Unite Against Fascism, look at
http://www.antinazi.eu.org/ or e-mail 
rosey@repeatfanzine.co.uk
Before publication, the editor, Murray Morse, sent a very lengthy and rather insulting e-mail to one of the signatories, Tom Woodcock.
Here’s the text of the open letter, calling on the Evening News to stop their ‘Action On Travellers’ campaign, which despite its apparently benign principles, seems to be being used to scapegoat and attack travellers. Below that is Mr Morse’s reply.
Dear Murray Morse,
We are writing to express our deepest concerns at the ongoing 'campaign' that you are running against the Travelling Community in Cambridgeshire.
The fact that your campaign is entitled 'Action on Travellers' frames the travelling communities as the problem in many of your stories. Although we appreciate that some of your coverage of Traveller Issues has been well balanced you often highlight negative aspects or inflammatory points of view in your headlines and strap lines. The large number of articles that you print under this campaign banner paints an unwelcoming and counter inclusive image of the whole Travelling community. Further to this you often report unrelated or complex issues as 'Action on Travellers'. Recent examples of this are traffic and access issues on Fen Road and the particularly inflammatory story about taxis to schools. Neither of these stories are Traveller issues, they relate to much wider concerns about public planning, funding, education and infrastructure; in short, issues which involve the whole community and which deserve a wider and more critical debate.
Our concern is that, through your persistence in reporting stories under the same campaign, you run the risk of seriously alienating one section of our community.
We are requesting that you cease to publish stories under the 'Action on Travellers' campaign and that you favour a more inclusive and responsible approach to the issues you raise in our local newspaper.
Yours
Richard Rose, Co-ordinator, Cambridge Unite Against Fascism
Councillor Ian Nimmo-Smith, on behalf of Cambridge City Council Liberal
Democrat Group
Councillor Ben Bradnack, on behalf of Labour Group on city council
Martin Lucas-Smith, Co-ordinator, Cambridge Green Party
Tom Woodcock, Cambridge Respect
Sylvia Carter, Chair Cambridge Trades Council
Stan Croookes, Secretary Cambridge Trades Council
Chris Grant, Secretary Cambridgeshire NUT
Matt Kelly, President Cambridgeshire NUT
Unison City Branch
Nick Savage. Secretary cambridge AUT in a personal capacity
Paul Turnbull, Branch Chair of the CWU in a personal capacity
Matt Wells, Cambridge PCS Defre in a personal capacity
Steve Sweeney, Cambridge Unison Health representative in a personal capacity
Mike Todd-Jones, On behalf of Arbury Labour Party
Edwina Wood
Salman Shaheen
Sarah Woodall
Seymour Glass, Miss Black America
-------------------------------
Mr Morse’s reply came with the heading “You are the real Fascist”.
Dear Mr Woodcock,
Thank you for your email of October 20th
concerning the Cambridge Evening News' hard-hitting campaign to get action on and behalf of the travelling community of Cambridgeshire and, indeed, throughout the region served by this newspaper.
I have never read such an amazing load of poppy cock and misinformed drivel in all my 27 years in journalism.
I am, frankly, also stunned that people such as respected leaders of the city council and prominent political parties, as well as trade unions and other people of influence in the community have nothing better to do with their time than put their names to a letter trying to gag a worthwhile
campaign that aims to make a change for the good of all people living in our community.
Surely Councillors Ian Nimmo-Smith and Ben Bradnack could be giving ratepayers better service by getting out and picking up some of the 600 used needles that drug addicts have left in our good city's parks, rather than by spending time signing up to this rubbish?
And I didn't see the likes of Richard Rose, Chris Grant, Sylvia Carter, Sarah Woodall, Edwina Wood, Martin Lucas-Smith or Salman Shaheen putting pen to paper in support of the Evening News' recent articles backing the fight against racism in football.
And how can I really be expected to take seriously pressure from the likes of the guitarist in Miss Black America (Seymour Class), Stan Crooke, Nick Savage or Mike Todd Jones when they clearly haven't read or understood the
aims of our travellers campaign?
The very same aims - that I would suggest to Paul Turnbull and Matt Kelly - primary school children are able to understand. So why is it, when my own children aged 9 and 11 can understand what I'm trying to achieve on behalf
of travellers and the local community, can't they?
If I were a teacher within the NUT, I'd be seriously worried about having a union secretary and a president that couldn't understand the basis of the News' campaign and would sign such a misguided letter.
If you, Mr Woodcock, and your group, Cambridge United Against Fascism, spent less time whipping up trouble where there is none, and more time on tackling the real issues that dog our community, such as real racism in our schools
and work places, the world would really be a better place.
But, as it is, you haven't got the basic intelligence, wit or savvy among you to actually recognise a campaign that is for the good of everyone.
The Evening News has been campaigning to resolve the issues and conflict surrounding illegal travellers and gypsy camps throughout the region and Great Britain for almost 11 months now - having launched its campaign on November 30th 2005.
The campaign has won the support of hundreds of readers and prominent figures - including MPs, and the influential Gypsy Council itself.
We've had support from both local residents who feel their lives are being made a misery by the lack of will to tackle illegal camp sites near their homes, and by travellers who feel local authorities have turned their backs on them and treat them like pariahs by refusing to find the money to set up legal camps with proper and decent facilities.
So, as all of this suggests, the Evening News can more than demonstrate its campaign has backing and support from all sides - travellers included.
For your information Mr Woodcock, and for the ill-informed and misdirected signatories to your letter, I will (again) explain the whole point of the campaign and its main aims.
Our targets - if there are any - are not the travellers or gypsies as you wrongly suggest, but the a government that dithers or refuses to get anything done on behalf of BOTH the travelling communities and local residents who are fed up with these illegal camps and the conflict they engender.
We're not saying "get the gypsies out". What we're fighting for is a plan to create proper laws and proper funding to stop illegal camping. The travellers, themselves, have a responsibility and a role to play here as well.
We want the government to stop prevaricating and allow local authorities to create somewhere legal for travellers to live, with decent conditions and proper facilities.
Hence the reason for our campaign being called Action on Travellers (and NOT "Action AGAINST Travellers") - which is what Cambridge Unite Against Fascism is reading into the campaign slogan.
Instead of making false and malicious claims that this paper is "campaigning against the travelling community in Cambridgeshire", you should sign up to the campaign to pressure the Government, local MPs and political figures
both nationally and locally into taking action.
You should be supporting this right and wholly proper campaign so that local authorities have the money and laws they need to set up well-funded, legal camps, with decent facilities for travellers on sites where they won't come
into conflict with local residents or be breaking the law.
Or, is Cambridge Unite Against Fascism saying that it is right that we turn a blind eye to illegal gypsy and traveller camps and allow people to squat wherever they like, no matter whose land it is, completely ignoring current
laws? That, in my view and the view of most right-thinking people, is a completely ridiculous approach to a proper democracy.
In answer to your request, I can tell you that I'm not going to drop a perfectly good campaign slogan or the campaign - certainly not after it has been running for 11 months without any complaint - just because members of CUAF are ignorant to its sincere aims.
As for your remarks about "other recent examples" of the paper carrying "negative, inflammatory" or "counter inclusive" stories about travellers, I totally refute this accusation.
The fact is, if rate payers are paying hundreds of pounds every week on taxis to send traveller children to school, and their parents are constantly failing to ensure their children attend despite the taxi turning up every day, then that is a matter of public interest that deserves to be reported.
The fact is, there is enormous pressure on their local school in Cottenham because there is such a large illegal encampment close to this small village. The children are driven to school at the next village precisely because resources in Cottenham are at breaking point. The aims of our campaign are to ensure that all children have properly planned access to schools and other community facilities.
Frankly, Mr Woodcock, your letter is an utter disgrace and I intend to
investigate the understanding - or total lack of understanding - among the
notable people that have signed it, and to carry a story that exposes this
nonsense for what it is among the so-called "Cambridge chattering classes".
When the Cambridge Unite Against Fascism Group achieves anything of note, please do not hesitate to contact me again and I will be happy to highlight the good work you are doing in the community. Until then, please do not waste my time with any more nonsense.
As I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to forward this to the signatories of your ridiculous email, I'd appreciate it if you could do the honours.
Yours sincerely,
Murray Morse
Editor
Cambridge Evening News.
For more information on Cambridge Unite Against Fascism, look at
http://www.antinazi.eu.org/ or e-mail rosey@repeatfanzine.co.uk
Cambridge Unite Against Fascism Branch
e-mail:
rosey@repeatfanzine.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.antinazi.eu.org/
Additions
More info from WAN
29.10.2005 21:16
From: http://www.wereallneighbours.co.uk/idlechat/message.php?id=4634&start=120
Time now in this debate for CAST.IRON's Press Officer put his two pennies
worth in.
When Colin Grant handed over the reins to Murray Morse as the new editor of
the CEN last year, Murray made it quite clear that he wanted to transform
the CEN into a regional version of a national tabloid, this is what we are
now seeing in print.
Before coming to Cambridge, Murray was deputy editor of the Newcastle
Evening Chronicle, amongst other positions he was also assistant news editor
of The Sun.
Murray's vision to transform the CEN into a regional version of a national
tabloid comes from his time at the Sun.
In contrast, Colin Grant now Editor-in-Chief of Herts & Essex Newspapers
still publishes in the style we saw in the CEN when he was editor.
Since Murray started to transform the News, readership direct subscription
has fallen. Many complaints have also been made to the Press Complaints
Commission (PCC). The most damming complaint was made by South
Cambridgeshire District Council (I have a copy of the letter). All the
complaints regard bias in reporting and unfair reporting.
Whilst revenue for the CEN is earned by advertising and sales, the bulk of
CEN's income is now made up of contract printing since the installation of
the second press which was installed in the old news gathering office I used
to work in. CEN print the regional versions of The Sun, The Star, Express
and various national magazines, they also do printing work for customers
including, yes wait for it, Cambridgeshire County Council.
Archant were interested in reviving the old Cambridge Chronicle title about
two years ago, nothing came of it as CEN hold the rights.
The Cambridge Evening News is owned by The Yattendon Investment Trust (YIT).
YIT is a private company owned by the Iliffe family and headed by Lord
Iliffe. YIT have operations in the UK and Canada they also have interests in
newspaper publishing, television, electronic media, marinas and property
development.
Iliffe News & Media is a major part of YIT. As well as CEN other interests
include; Herts & Essex Newspapers (HEN); Staffordshire Newspapers and
Channel Television the ITV television station for the Channel Islands. YIT
also owns the Vancouver-based Westminster Management Corporation, who are a
commercial property organisation.
I left the CEN nearly two years ago now but still have cause to visit the
office. I can tell you that Murray is a very difficult person to work with
and several staff have left since he became editor. Much work is now farmed
out to news agencies and freelances or is gathered from news feeds.
When CAST.IRON has news it is sent to all media nationally and locally as
relevant. Locally this includes the BBC, Q103, Star and all Archant titles
as well as CEN.
CAST.IRON went through similar problems, although not as great when Colin
was Editor, I managed to persuade him to publish our news, I'am still
working on Murray.
Charles Warner
http://www.wereallneighbours.co.uk/idlechat/message.php?id=4634&start=120 Time now in this debate for CAST.IRON's Press Officer put his two pennies
worth in.
When Colin Grant handed over the reins to Murray Morse as the new editor of
the CEN last year, Murray made it quite clear that he wanted to transform
the CEN into a regional version of a national tabloid, this is what we are
now seeing in print.
Before coming to Cambridge, Murray was deputy editor of the Newcastle
Evening Chronicle, amongst other positions he was also assistant news editor
of The Sun.
Murray's vision to transform the CEN into a regional version of a national
tabloid comes from his time at the Sun.
In contrast, Colin Grant now Editor-in-Chief of Herts & Essex Newspapers
still publishes in the style we saw in the CEN when he was editor.
Since Murray started to transform the News, readership direct subscription
has fallen. Many complaints have also been made to the Press Complaints
Commission (PCC). The most damming complaint was made by South
Cambridgeshire District Council (I have a copy of the letter). All the
complaints regard bias in reporting and unfair reporting.
Whilst revenue for the CEN is earned by advertising and sales, the bulk of
CEN's income is now made up of contract printing since the installation of
the second press which was installed in the old news gathering office I used
to work in. CEN print the regional versions of The Sun, The Star, Express
and various national magazines, they also do printing work for customers
including, yes wait for it, Cambridgeshire County Council.
Archant were interested in reviving the old Cambridge Chronicle title about
two years ago, nothing came of it as CEN hold the rights.
The Cambridge Evening News is owned by The Yattendon Investment Trust (YIT).
YIT is a private company owned by the Iliffe family and headed by Lord
Iliffe. YIT have operations in the UK and Canada they also have interests in
newspaper publishing, television, electronic media, marinas and property
development.
Iliffe News & Media is a major part of YIT. As well as CEN other interests
include; Herts & Essex Newspapers (HEN); Staffordshire Newspapers and
Channel Television the ITV television station for the Channel Islands. YIT
also owns the Vancouver-based Westminster Management Corporation, who are a
commercial property organisation.
I left the CEN nearly two years ago now but still have cause to visit the
office. I can tell you that Murray is a very difficult person to work with
and several staff have left since he became editor. Much work is now farmed
out to news agencies and freelances or is gathered from news feeds.
When CAST.IRON has news it is sent to all media nationally and locally as
relevant. Locally this includes the BBC, Q103, Star and all Archant titles
as well as CEN.
CAST.IRON went through similar problems, although not as great when Colin
was Editor, I managed to persuade him to publish our news, I'am still
working on Murray.
Charles Warner
repost from Manos
Homepage:
http://www.wereallneighbours.co.uk/idlechat/message.php?id=4634&start=120
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
This letter
22.10.2005 21:55
Rob Ray
natural comedian
23.10.2005 12:58
Krop
Tom Woodcock
24.10.2005 12:23
It is my opinion, and the concern of the other signatories to the letter, that the CEN’s campaign banner ‘Action on Travellers’ is in its self divisive and clearly sets the tone for which party the editor want the reader to think is the main problem in the disagreements over planning in Cottenham. If Murray Morse is, as he claims, campaigning on behalf of the Travellers community why not call the campaign ‘Travellers Campaign’ or “Action for Travellers” or if the main target is John Prescott why not entitle the campaign “Action on Prescott”.
How can you take seriously a paper that on the one hand asks for more tax-payers money to be spent on Travellers site and on the other hand run the headline “ Gypsies go back to school . . . and its costing £240 a week” next to a picture of two children. Surely a breach of those children’s right. The nature in which articles are framed is summed up very clearly in last weeks CEN when a very fair article reporting Travellers to the wake of growing hostility toward the them was given the headline – “Travellers get together to defend their ‘Human rights’ “. Putting the phrase Human Rights in inverted comers in an editorial decision aimed at lowering the validity of the travelling communities concerns.
Murray Morse’s response to me was completely over the top and clearly shows we have touched a nerve. In my opinion Mr Morse has either misunderstood our request and thus misunderstands the messages he often pushes in his style of newspaper journalism or he clearly understand the messages he is putting across and our point to him and is worried that he has been called to account. The letter does not call him a racist (although I believe he is not discouraging racism) let alone a fascist, although this is how he has taken to read it it. Neither are we asking him to turn a blind eye of stop reporting the issues, just to stop the sensationalist headlines that contradict the aims of his campaign.
I don’t agree with the aims of his campaign because I don’t want more laws to evict travellers from sites when they have nowhere else to go. The bailiffs companies who do that Job already got to far. However this might not be the opinion of other co-signatories. The letter from such a broad range of people is not about individuals opinion as to how you deal with a whole host of political issues it is about how you report them.
Tom Woodcock
I never thought I would be writing this...
25.10.2005 11:56
Each and every time, I argued with these people saying "don't be so prejudiced" and "I am sure they will be great neighbours - I don't believe anything I read in the Sun" (not that I read the Sun)! So, with great confidence, I moved onto the dreaded Fen Road.
Then the problems started. I have lived in Cambridge for over 4 years and never been the victim of any crime (apart from once having my bike lights stolen).
2 months in Fen Road and I have had 2 incidences of theft, at least 5 of verbal abuse and I constantly feel threatened by the noisy crowds of aggressive people walking and driving up and down the road at all hours of the night. Not to mention all the chip wrappers, drink cans and other assorted rubbish that gets thrown into my front garden.
I am usually a very tolerant person, and have lived in some rough areas before (Radford in Nottingham being one of them) but I have never encountered the level of antisocial behaviour that I have in my short time on Fen Road.
I do think that the Cambridge Evening News' coverage of the traveller situation in Cambridge has on occasions been overly sensationalist and negative. News coverage such as this is just plain divisive and exacerbates the problem. There is however a problem. You only have to spend a few minutes in my house in the middle of the night listening to the blaring music, revving engines of SUVs and screaming, shouted arguments between gangs of teenagers.
I wonder how many members of Cambridge Unite Against Fascism actually live on Fen Road, or have even walked down here to witness the situation residents are forced to deal with. I am all for alternative lifestyles and individual and community freedom of choice, but these rights have to be tempered by a respect for your neighbours and the general well being of the wider community.
Now I don't know the legal situation of the Fen Road travellers camp, and I am not calling for any of them to be evicted. I really, truly want to have good relations with my neighbours - whether they choose to live in caravans or houses.
This whole issue is so divisive because many of what the CEN editor describes as the "chattering classes" refuse to accept any criticism of the traveller community. No matter how reasoned, balanced and factual. This is, I am in no doubt, due to the atrocious treatment that gypsies and travellers have received over the centuries by various and sundry - Hitler being one of the most famous and brutal. In a similar way to the resistance to criticism of the actions of the State of Israel, persecution in the past makes a group invulnerable to criticism in the present. Anyone who voices (even minor) complaints about the group is immediately compared to Hitler.
The traveller problem is something that needs to be discussed sensibly, and with all concerned (including the travellers themselves). So please, if any travellers are reading this, bear a little thought to your neighbours on Fen Road. Most of whom wish you no ill and just want a little respect in return.
Fen Road Resident
Tom Woodcock
25.10.2005 17:13
But I don't see the situation as you do.
I’m sorry you are having problems, I love living here. In every other place I have lived lots of people drop litter and lots of people drive SUV's. I don't agree with either, but they are not traveller specific issues – no race is predisposed to this kind of activity! Fen Road is very busy and East Chesterton home thousands of people and I have seen all sorts of people drop litter and cause disturbances.
Tom Woodcock
e-mail:
woodcocktom@hotmail.com
Predisposition
26.10.2005 10:21
Race really has nothing to do with it - I just wish the people living over there (whether they be Romany, Korean, Anglo-Saxon, or Martian!!) would refrain from littering, revving their engines, playing loud music and shouting whilst they wait to cross the railway.
I am glad you enjoy living on Fen Road. I wish I could say the same. Of couse, I must be a racist for complaining about people littering and being noisy. I would complain in the same way if I lived about "The Regal". I repeat, this is not about race, it is merely about respect for one's neighbours.
Fen Road Resident
An outsiders view - After research - Take it or leave it
05.12.2007 17:10
Call me Mr Picky, but I have read Mr Morse's response several times and being new to this whole debate all I can see is one side on your web site. Travellers arguing against a person who, and it was clearly spelt out in his e-mail to Tom who-ever-he-is-called, simply wants to see that tax payers money is being spent correctly. As for the afore-mentioned Tom, where on earth did you get the impression that Mr Morse is an advocate of racism? Your comments in brackets dear chap. Have ay of you looked further than the end of your nose when it comes to the reporting of the paper, on wider issues???? Somehow I doubt it.
This constant whining on about 'travellers rights' and the lack of facilities etc etc. How about putting something back in to the community that they chose to spend a brief time in before moving off rather than taking everything they can out of the community that they spend time in.
As someone who spent their childhood living in a caravan I appreciate the stigma that can be attached to the situation, but we did everything we could to support the local community rather than turn our backs on it.
I live on the south coast, and down here we are constantly being 'invaded' by so called travellers. Each time they remove bollards protecting greens that local kids use as play areas and make them a 'no go zone' for everyone. When the local council finally get the right order to move them on, they leave rubbish and general carnage behind them.
I am sure that you will jump to the defence of these 'travellers' but in my experience, the bad always leave a long and poor impression. It's such a shame that the 'travellers' that you are defending are without doubt genuinely good people, and blend in to the local society. If they don't then it certainly isn't because they live as travellers, it is because they disrespect all of those out side their community and therefore attract attention and bad press.
Finally, two final points. To the wag (yes I used the word wag) who pokes fun at the term 'poppy-cock' it's probably better than the drivel you would use. Secondly, to the ex-employee of the newspaper, while I am not surprised tat an ex-employee would have nothing but bad words for his former employer, perhaps he would like to pull the company records. The paper was in decline before Mr Morse arrived. Those who 'found Mr Morse difficult to work with' obviously left when he took over. Latest accounts and readership figures actually show that the paper now sells more than when Mr Morse arrived. Maybe it was the 'old school thinkers' that needed to go to allow the paper to breathe. Just a idea......
Thakns for reading, jus thought I would try and put another side to the story on your web site for people like me who read it and think 'there must be another side to this.'
I am sure this will not appear on your site, however if it does, how about adopting a slightly less vindictive approach?.....ok, I know that would never happen.
Izzee Mizzet
e-mail:
simon2961@hotmail.com
Shocked really..
28.04.2008 22:38
The shock stems from the idle signatures waltzed under a practically illiterate letter of inconprehensible whining. If Tom Woodcock is the usual spokesman for the organisation then i suggest you invest in a thorough editor, as left to his own devoices I genuinely think he failed to carry forth an appealing case. I promise I do not say this in malice, but rather as a reminder that a level of competence should accompany an opinion, whatever it is, if you wish to publish it, let alone carry any element of conviction.
I understand you live on Fen Road but when you state that you see all sorts of people leaving litter you only further miss the point. The lady clearly writing with respectable etiquette did not wish to be explicit in her accusations but she is clearly stating that regardless of who leaves litter or makes noise it is the travellers there that are concerning her. Where you want to continue burrying your head in the sand or not- this is because they are extremely rude. A sweeping generalisation, yes, but a justified one after plentiful first-hand experience. "Respect" Mr. Woodcock, is something that works both ways and is not about bending over backwards in self-deprecating apology to people who are laughing at your cares, ok?
If I have come across heated it is only because this sort of jumping to the defence of what you have no clue about, that is only perpetuated in your so-called "respect" party, is completely annoying, especially when you earn yourself too much airtime simply because the leaders you call upon are tip toeing around the censorship of radical political-correctness.
Use your resources, ears, eyes, brain PROPERLY please, if incapable leave to someone who can
irrelevant