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CARAVAN LIVING
I faced poverty before moving to UK’s ‘caravan city’ – now I shovel my poo onto farmers’ fields but couldn’t be happier
The local county has asked the caravan dwellers to move by next Wednesday
A MAN who faced poverty before moving to the UK’s “caravan city” now shovels his poo onto farmers’ fields but says he couldn’t be happier.
Callum Barber is just one of dozens of men, women and children living in caravans, vans and converted lorries by Durdham Downs, common land in Bristol.
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They have now hit out at the authorities after they were asked to leave the area within days.
Earlier this year, 800 vehicle dwellers were said to be taking advantage of relatively lenient parking restrictions on roads around the public open space.
That number seemed to be a lot smaller today yesterday.
Perhaps it is because some people have left after receiving notices from Bristol City Council, asking them to move on by next Wednesday because of complaints from residents of antisocial behaviour, including drug and alcohol abuse, and issues regarding noise, human waste disposal and parking dangerously.
About 40 vehicles now remain in Parry's Lane and Saville Road.
Callum spent about £30,000 on buying and adapting a van.
The maths tutor has lived in Parry's Lane since January to save money.
He said: “I was living in Bristol, paying £900 a month, including bills. It was horrible.
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“I was going to be poor in the present, future and in old age.”
After suffering from burn-out, he received an early inheritance donation from his father to go towards the van.
We live on a caravan site and the only bill we pay is £4.60 for gas because we were sick of paying a mortgage and now have so much money for holidays
He said: “This is my whole world. Everything I own. My life’s work.”
He added he was happy not to pay the high rent charged in homes in Bristol and, by working on a computer from his van, was able to put money towards his pension.
Solar panels on his roof give him free electricity in the warmer months and a small generator gives him power in the winter.
He’s got water for free from a tap outside a garage and has been able to eat healthily using a small oven.
Most of the vehicle dwellers behaved responsibly, he said, claiming that the complaints to the council had come from people living in large houses who didn’t seem to care that their actions would make others homeless.
In my mind, van dwellers are absolutely not the problem. One per cent, or less, might not be responsible. But that’s because they’re vulnerable
Callum Barber
He said he takes his toilet waste to be put back into the earth by a farmer.
Although he understood the council had done some welfare checks in the area, he had not had any help from the authority.
He added: “In my mind, van dwellers are absolutely not the problem. One per cent, or less, might not be responsible. But that’s because they’re vulnerable.
“If you want to get rid of van dwellers, sort out the cost of living crisis and the housing crisis.”
Some rubbish was evident and several vehicles had people’s possessions outside of them.
A feeling of discontent was clear amongst some people in Parrys Lane, with a note on one caravan saying: “We are simply trying to live our lives in peace and there is no impact whatsoever on anyone else’s life.”
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The vehicle dweller said they could not afford to move and had nowhere else to go to.
Their note added: “Anyone who gets a kick out of forcing people onto the streets are the lowest scum of us all. We are human beings. Show some respect.”
A young Bristolian, Alfie, said he had tried to get help in finding a home in the city but the authorities had been too busy to deal with his case.
He said he not had been helped by the council since arriving in his caravan in Saville Road six to seven weeks ago because of a difficult situation at home and because he couldn’t afford to rent in the city.
The 20-year-old said he had decided to help himself in the absence of support from others.
“I’m not going to rely on the Government. They are clearly not capable of looking after their people,” he said.
He bought his second-hand caravan for £3,000 a few years ago, having thought he might live in it some day.
The builder and scaffolder is getting by through eating basic food, costing £20 to £30 a week and spending £40 a month on a gas canister.
Life is the same as living in a house, except I’ve got my own space. I’m probably going to continue living in a caravan because of the high rental prices
Alfie
He hasn’t got a power source yet but hopes to buy some solar panels.
Friends and family have given him water and helped him to responsibly dispose of his toilet waste.
He added: “Life is the same as living in a house, except I’ve got my own space. I’m probably going to continue living in a caravan because of the high rental prices.”
One man, who has been living by the Downs with his wife and children in a large converted vehicle for nearly a year, said it was mainly a lifestyle choice.
The man, who didn’t want to be identified, said: “Once you get used to it, it’s surprisingly easy.”
Using solar panels to generate electricity, buying gas canisters and taking toilet waste to a farmer were some of the cheap ways of living, he said.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: "On 12 June, the council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team visited the encampment on Parry’s Lane and Saville Road to conduct a welfare check and assessment following complaints received from residents and councillors.
“During this visit, a letter was issued to occupants requesting they vacate the land in the next 14 days.
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“This letter is an informal request and offers the vehicle dwellers the opportunity to open a dialogue about the concerns we have raised.
“The Neighbourhood Enforcement Team remains in conversation with the occupants of the Parry’s Lane encampment and will revisit the area on 26 June to assess if further action, as a result of any vehicles remaining on site, is necessary.”
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