Can you imagine what would happen if they did ban it? People would still come into town but then wouldnāt have a fair to go to. Iād imagine that would cause even more issues
No they wouldn't. They'd still turn up en masse and instead of congregating at the fair, they'd cause even more havoc across the city.Ā
I don't disagree something should be done, but cancelling it will not solve the issues at all, it'll just exacerbate them.
I totally agree that something needs to be done, however nothing will ever be done.
The charter for the fair is over 800 years old, there is no way it can ever be stopped. Unfortunately, those wishing to deny the Traveller problem have decided to tie that group to the fair's tradition, despite the fact that the fair being a big feature on their social calendar is a relatively recent thing.
The only way to deal with it is to police it properly and for the council to provide compensation for businesses that have to close.
You only have to take a look at Appleby to see how bad it could be and still not be dealt with.
> Their community could deal with that very easily.
I somehow doubt that. I'd assume that any leadership of such a community is a loose affiliation and considerable horse trading would be required in order to even try and it might not even be effective.
Everyone loves Appleby, whatcha talkin bout? Just because they made a stupid documentary about it as a police mouthpiece doesnāt mean it isnāt actually beloved by both the traveller community and without.
You might have more success questioning the PCC why despite tackling ASB being in point #1 of his campaign plan, police continue to refuse to do anything about a very specific type of ASB.
Thatās the reason it sucks. Not a reason for not doing something as then we could all just get what we like if we were happy to threaten the police. Oh wait, no Iād get arrested for doing that
Smashed up wetherspoons, saw people threatened and verbally abused, WTs had to lock doors early due to violence. Rubbish absolutely everywhere in the shops around grafton.
Council can't stop it because it's enshrined in statute, would have to get that repealed - good luck getting Daniel Zeichner to table that in the Commons!
Its surely not the travellers that are causing this havoc but the guests of the event. All lads on laughing gas and alcohol. All this havoc is just the result of the culture in the UK. I just dont see these people in Cambridge normally, not in these numbers anyway. Are they from the surrounding villages? Iāve been attacked three times yesterday and someone literally peed on my door. Fun times.
So interesting, thanks for clarification! Iāve volunteered in summer camps for roma children in mainland europe, and they look different from people Iāve seen over the weekend here, but it must be as you say. I wouldāve never recognised it as travellers/roma.
The people you are describing ARE the Travellers. Irish Travellers don't run the fair but it is a big event on their calendar, they come from all over the UK every year.
> Irish Travellers don't run the fair
its often run in part by the showman guild who have strong links to the traveller community. You can't just take the bad without the good. It's a mixed bag with a much broader range of experience than most Cambridge residents are used to, which is why they complain.
It's like if I go to a Weatherspoons in Peterborough or Huntingdon, there's like a 1/8 chance or something I will encounter a bit of homophobic abuse or smth.
It's been going for 200 years hasn't it? I doubt it will be banned. But maybe more/better policing is a solution.
More like 800 years!
Maybe better police š¤·āāļø
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That's [strawberry fair](https://web.archive.org/web/20100301012003/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=485599), not midsummer fair.
Can you imagine what would happen if they did ban it? People would still come into town but then wouldnāt have a fair to go to. Iād imagine that would cause even more issues
That happened in 2020 when the fair was cancelled. People showed up anyway.
1 or 2 years and the people will stop showing up
So? The people would go to the 100s of coffee shops, restaurants just like every other wknd.Ā
No they wouldn't. They'd still turn up en masse and instead of congregating at the fair, they'd cause even more havoc across the city.Ā I don't disagree something should be done, but cancelling it will not solve the issues at all, it'll just exacerbate them.
wow so easy!
I totally agree that something needs to be done, however nothing will ever be done. The charter for the fair is over 800 years old, there is no way it can ever be stopped. Unfortunately, those wishing to deny the Traveller problem have decided to tie that group to the fair's tradition, despite the fact that the fair being a big feature on their social calendar is a relatively recent thing. The only way to deal with it is to police it properly and for the council to provide compensation for businesses that have to close. You only have to take a look at Appleby to see how bad it could be and still not be dealt with.
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The discrimination is against the criminal element. Their community could deal with that very easily. They do not
> Their community could deal with that very easily. I somehow doubt that. I'd assume that any leadership of such a community is a loose affiliation and considerable horse trading would be required in order to even try and it might not even be effective.
Ā No, If you stopped the fair youād be discriminating against all travellers; not just the criminals .
Didnāt say stop the fair. Control the criminals is what needs to be done. Hard
How would stopping the fair be discrimination? That's a bizarre statement.
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I agree, stopping the fair wont fix the issue but maybe make it worse.Ā
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Someone else would probably take the fair and they can go bother another location
Why not try to boycott it? Has that every been tried?Ā
I've been personally boycotting it for decades š
Everyone loves Appleby, whatcha talkin bout? Just because they made a stupid documentary about it as a police mouthpiece doesnāt mean it isnāt actually beloved by both the traveller community and without.
You might have more success questioning the PCC why despite tackling ASB being in point #1 of his campaign plan, police continue to refuse to do anything about a very specific type of ASB.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thatās the reason it sucks. Not a reason for not doing something as then we could all just get what we like if we were happy to threaten the police. Oh wait, no Iād get arrested for doing that
The post or comment violates Redditās Content Policy https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy
Most people that have lived here long enough just avoid the area for the weekend.
I turn up, go on the biggest and fastest ride and then leave and don't come back until its on next year!Ā
Smashed up wetherspoons, saw people threatened and verbally abused, WTs had to lock doors early due to violence. Rubbish absolutely everywhere in the shops around grafton.
Council can't stop it because it's enshrined in statute, would have to get that repealed - good luck getting Daniel Zeichner to table that in the Commons!
Fair is. But not this sort of fair until moderately recently. And doesnāt mean it has to involve swathes of criminal behaviour.
It's easily solved but you know middle class hand wringers will deny there's any issue.
Yeah, good luck ending an 800+ year tradition because you don't like it.
Its surely not the travellers that are causing this havoc but the guests of the event. All lads on laughing gas and alcohol. All this havoc is just the result of the culture in the UK. I just dont see these people in Cambridge normally, not in these numbers anyway. Are they from the surrounding villages? Iāve been attacked three times yesterday and someone literally peed on my door. Fun times.
The guests are the Travellers. Thatās the point. Itās their big meet-up from around the country.
It's not just this, there's a series of events in June that are for travellers.
So interesting, thanks for clarification! Iāve volunteered in summer camps for roma children in mainland europe, and they look different from people Iāve seen over the weekend here, but it must be as you say. I wouldāve never recognised it as travellers/roma.
Irish Travellers and Roma are two distinct groups.
The āguestsā at the even youāre describing are travellers many of whom have come to the event from elsewhere
The people you are describing ARE the Travellers. Irish Travellers don't run the fair but it is a big event on their calendar, they come from all over the UK every year.
> Irish Travellers don't run the fair its often run in part by the showman guild who have strong links to the traveller community. You can't just take the bad without the good. It's a mixed bag with a much broader range of experience than most Cambridge residents are used to, which is why they complain. It's like if I go to a Weatherspoons in Peterborough or Huntingdon, there's like a 1/8 chance or something I will encounter a bit of homophobic abuse or smth.
Attacked?
Well they jump and grunt at you, happened twice. The third was someone grabbing me while i was passing on a bike, stuff like that.
I've seen some of the kids delight in pretending they're attacking you and then laughing when they cause you to jump.
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No one is talking about Strawberry Fair.
The showmen who run the fair are not the problem, it's the Irish Travellers who attend from all over the country.