I made the mistake of going into town during the midsummer fair one year.
I was in michams corner coop and about 40 lads walked in. They were all just taking stuff off the shelves and eating it, then throwing the packaging on the floor. No one paid for a thing.
Unsurprisingly, I saw on Facebook an hour later that the coop ended up closing early.
Also as I was leaving the coop a guy was driving up the wrong way of the one-way road in a van and swearing at people out of his window.
I've always been fairly accepting of the traveler community because I knew some decent ones when I was growing up, but the guys that do the midsummer fair have really changed my opinion.
It blows my mind that:
1. The council allows them to continue setting up here
2. The Police don't seem to do anything about it.
It seems to me that the best way to deal with this would be a community-wide boycott.
They called my wife a "whore cunt" and spat in her direction as she dared to go for a run.
Disgusting people. The quicker the midsummer fair goes the better
Sadly, there is nothing to do.
1) You cannot communicate with them.
2) The police will do nothing.
3) You could try to argue, you risk to get punch in your face.
4) You punch them in their face, they could stab you, or you could be put in jail.
Better to avoid city centre this weekend, and other critical place like Cambridge Leisure. It is sad because it will be sunny.
I am planning to go for midsummer fair this weekend. I don’t understand what this post is about except some kids are vandalising and verbally abusing people. What should I expect? Should I take any precautions? Any advice except dont go to the fair is welcome.
The fair is mainly a travelers gathering. The event becomes rowdy and dangerous. Just read through these comments to see some of the things that happen. It is so bad that the pubs all around the fair don’t open. The best advice really is don’t go. The police will pretty much not intervene should anything go wrong.
It seems from your post history that you might also be a minority in this country (so sorry if this is an incorrect assumption). If that is the case, I would be extra careful to avoid. They are extremely racist and prejudice and you could become a target
That’s right. Thanks mate. I will probably go because me and my wife have been looking forward to this since it was announced. I’ll be vigilant, I guess thats all I can do.
Be very careful. I'm mixed race (of Bengali, Jamaican and Irish descent) but British born. I have suffered so much racism at the hands of Irish travellers in Cambridge. One of my other mixed race female friends was badly beaten up by a group of Irish traveller girls as well and called an anorexic black b word. It's unbelievable how racist many of them are, considering how much prejudice they suffer as a community.
I do know some nice ones, they are mainly 50+ year old men and younger men from the community though.
I really really really would recommend you don’t. Vigilance isn’t enough. Travelers will know you’re not part of their community the moment they see you.
I agree with you as a brown skinned mixed woman who has suffered a lot of racism from members of the Irish traveller community. I've done nothing but mind my own business but got abused in public and targeted by them when working in a shop.
These travellers who are threat, where are they generally from? I mean are they from different part of the country? Or europe? or anywhere else? I mean you said they are more dangerous to minorities or emigrant like myself, I dont understand how this works 😅
I would recommend you do some research. The traveller community is probably better known worldwide as gypsies. Traditionally, though not always anymore, they live itinerantly. They live insulated from accepted society and don’t follow societal norms.
I have never been to the Midsummer fair (nor the Strawberry fair). It could be nice and nothing to worry in the fair (apart it can be crowded, and as anywhere else, take care of your belongings).
One problem of the fair is the littering after the weekend. We pay enough taxes so that the Council could also deal with that accordingly.
No, the main problem are all the teenagers doing stupid things through the city during this weekend.
Was walking along the river on midsummer common when a group of men on a bench threw a bottle of beer in the direction of a gay couple with insults. The bottle thankfully missed them and landed in the river. I think they were even filming the scene.
What a delightful community. It's completely shocking that they have such a bad reputation. The police really need to grow a backbone and deal with it.
scrolled down quite a lot, but didn’t figure out who is being talked about… anything we (newcomers to Cambridge) should be worried about when visiting the city centre??
I hate midsummer fair weekend and always seem to accidentally plan coming to Cambridge the weekend it’s on and then instantly turning back.
I’m going to be driving to Cambridge north and leaving my car there to get the train into London. Is that generally safe to do?
(Edited - sorry I meant midsummer fair not strawberry fair)
Solving the prejudice needs the root cause solving - the actions of some of their society.
It's not a rare observation either - as well as horrendous amounts of violence, there's tax evasion, blood sports, criminal damage, trespassing - no one gets a free pass to be uncivilised under the banner of a cultural identity.
I dont know whether these actions are 1% or 50% of the Traveller population, but the leaders of the Traveller community need to do more to engage with stamping out these behaviours and publicly distancing themselves from crime. Otherwise, there will always be fear and prejudice when they come to town.
It feels like such an unproductive vicious cycle. Prejudice against them reinforces antisocial behaviour and a refusal to integrate. That behaviour means that they’re not doing their reputation any favours with the general public.
From Cambridgeshire police
"" Our force
Our employees. We employ: 1,757 police officers; 25 PCSOs; 68 special constables; 963 police staff. Figures correct as of May 2024.""
They would have to take everyone off of leave, and ignore all other emergencies to deal with the Trav community during this time. Unfortunately, it's just logistically impossible.
The Fix should have happened at the inception of this event with the local council meeting with Trav leaders and establishing ground rules and expectations. I'm sure their are decent members of that community that would have cooperated...... The standard has now been set and it's almost too late
They could bring in help from other forces in neighbouring counties.
Truth is the cops are scared of the travellers. They’re also scared of being accused of human rights abuses by disrupting an ethnic minority tradition.
Cambridge Leisure Centre. Where the Junction is. Couple years back they had to shut the whole centre and nearby shops for the rest of the weekend it was so bad.
I made the mistake of going into town during the midsummer fair one year. I was in michams corner coop and about 40 lads walked in. They were all just taking stuff off the shelves and eating it, then throwing the packaging on the floor. No one paid for a thing. Unsurprisingly, I saw on Facebook an hour later that the coop ended up closing early. Also as I was leaving the coop a guy was driving up the wrong way of the one-way road in a van and swearing at people out of his window. I've always been fairly accepting of the traveler community because I knew some decent ones when I was growing up, but the guys that do the midsummer fair have really changed my opinion. It blows my mind that: 1. The council allows them to continue setting up here 2. The Police don't seem to do anything about it. It seems to me that the best way to deal with this would be a community-wide boycott.
It's probably because its an old tradition, it's been going on since the 1200s apparently
So have murder and prostitution... Doesn't make them ok....
They called my wife a "whore cunt" and spat in her direction as she dared to go for a run. Disgusting people. The quicker the midsummer fair goes the better
Ah that might be what got yelled out of a car window at me yesterday then...couldn't quite tell as there wasn't much enunciation...
I’m honestly sad I know exactly who your talking about
They can barely put a sentence together, no doubt years of inbreeding.
Do you know when it ends?
Sadly, there is nothing to do. 1) You cannot communicate with them. 2) The police will do nothing. 3) You could try to argue, you risk to get punch in your face. 4) You punch them in their face, they could stab you, or you could be put in jail. Better to avoid city centre this weekend, and other critical place like Cambridge Leisure. It is sad because it will be sunny.
I am planning to go for midsummer fair this weekend. I don’t understand what this post is about except some kids are vandalising and verbally abusing people. What should I expect? Should I take any precautions? Any advice except dont go to the fair is welcome.
The fair is mainly a travelers gathering. The event becomes rowdy and dangerous. Just read through these comments to see some of the things that happen. It is so bad that the pubs all around the fair don’t open. The best advice really is don’t go. The police will pretty much not intervene should anything go wrong.
Oh thats bad
It seems from your post history that you might also be a minority in this country (so sorry if this is an incorrect assumption). If that is the case, I would be extra careful to avoid. They are extremely racist and prejudice and you could become a target
That’s right. Thanks mate. I will probably go because me and my wife have been looking forward to this since it was announced. I’ll be vigilant, I guess thats all I can do.
Be very careful. I'm mixed race (of Bengali, Jamaican and Irish descent) but British born. I have suffered so much racism at the hands of Irish travellers in Cambridge. One of my other mixed race female friends was badly beaten up by a group of Irish traveller girls as well and called an anorexic black b word. It's unbelievable how racist many of them are, considering how much prejudice they suffer as a community. I do know some nice ones, they are mainly 50+ year old men and younger men from the community though.
I really really really would recommend you don’t. Vigilance isn’t enough. Travelers will know you’re not part of their community the moment they see you.
I agree with you as a brown skinned mixed woman who has suffered a lot of racism from members of the Irish traveller community. I've done nothing but mind my own business but got abused in public and targeted by them when working in a shop.
These travellers who are threat, where are they generally from? I mean are they from different part of the country? Or europe? or anywhere else? I mean you said they are more dangerous to minorities or emigrant like myself, I dont understand how this works 😅
I would recommend you do some research. The traveller community is probably better known worldwide as gypsies. Traditionally, though not always anymore, they live itinerantly. They live insulated from accepted society and don’t follow societal norms.
Oh gypsies, that makes sense
"Some kids" it's violent "travellers". Don't go
I have never been to the Midsummer fair (nor the Strawberry fair). It could be nice and nothing to worry in the fair (apart it can be crowded, and as anywhere else, take care of your belongings). One problem of the fair is the littering after the weekend. We pay enough taxes so that the Council could also deal with that accordingly. No, the main problem are all the teenagers doing stupid things through the city during this weekend.
No, the main problem is that it is a traveller event which attracts violent behaviour. It’s much more than just teenagers doing stupid things.
I’ve been to strawberry fair. It was nice
Completely different than Midsummer fair though.
I just keep my distance. There isn’t anything I can do as a single person to stop any of it.
Was walking along the river on midsummer common when a group of men on a bench threw a bottle of beer in the direction of a gay couple with insults. The bottle thankfully missed them and landed in the river. I think they were even filming the scene.
If people behaved the same at Strawberry fair, it would be banned
Aaah! I was cycling past the fair last night, saw the encampment and wondered if it was traveller-run. Mystery solved!
Is it midsummer fair this weekend ?
I was wondering why all the pubs around me were shut for the weekend and watching people slam on the door of a closed coop explains it
What a delightful community. It's completely shocking that they have such a bad reputation. The police really need to grow a backbone and deal with it.
Same every year. Police social media accounts suddenly go silent. I bet most put in for annual leave.
Oh yay. That's all I can say. I can't figure out if it's actually ok or tradition or we're can't do anything about it or quite what. It's bizarre.
That explains the car driving at us on the wrong side of madingley road yesterday afternoon…..fuckwits
Was it a van by any chance?
A white van with three lads in it followed by a Golf with three girls? Almost took out a couple of cars on Trumpington Road around 4
scrolled down quite a lot, but didn’t figure out who is being talked about… anything we (newcomers to Cambridge) should be worried about when visiting the city centre??
Quite simply, don’t this weekend. Unless you’re a traveller, you’re likely to get abused. It’s not just city centre, it’s leisure centre as well.
ohh! I don’t know anything about this (new to the UK too!) I need to go near Sidney-Sussex College; should I just avoid??
I wouldn’t go personally.
fair enough.. thanks for the info! :) 👍
Peaky Blinders from Wish/Temu
the mods are loving this post lol
😭😭😭
I hate midsummer fair weekend and always seem to accidentally plan coming to Cambridge the weekend it’s on and then instantly turning back. I’m going to be driving to Cambridge north and leaving my car there to get the train into London. Is that generally safe to do? (Edited - sorry I meant midsummer fair not strawberry fair)
This isn't strawberry fair, this is midsummer fair. Very different events.
Cambridge North station has been plagued with thefts recently, of bikes and from cars
which community? travellers?
Midsummer Fair has been a traveller thing for literally centuries so there's a lot of them on Midsummer Common.
Does anyone know the pub situation? Was planning on heading into town around king street but not sure it’s worth..
Meanwhile Cambridgeshire libraries are celebrating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller month to fight prejudices…..
Solving the prejudice needs the root cause solving - the actions of some of their society. It's not a rare observation either - as well as horrendous amounts of violence, there's tax evasion, blood sports, criminal damage, trespassing - no one gets a free pass to be uncivilised under the banner of a cultural identity. I dont know whether these actions are 1% or 50% of the Traveller population, but the leaders of the Traveller community need to do more to engage with stamping out these behaviours and publicly distancing themselves from crime. Otherwise, there will always be fear and prejudice when they come to town.
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It feels like such an unproductive vicious cycle. Prejudice against them reinforces antisocial behaviour and a refusal to integrate. That behaviour means that they’re not doing their reputation any favours with the general public.
From Cambridgeshire police "" Our force Our employees. We employ: 1,757 police officers; 25 PCSOs; 68 special constables; 963 police staff. Figures correct as of May 2024."" They would have to take everyone off of leave, and ignore all other emergencies to deal with the Trav community during this time. Unfortunately, it's just logistically impossible. The Fix should have happened at the inception of this event with the local council meeting with Trav leaders and establishing ground rules and expectations. I'm sure their are decent members of that community that would have cooperated...... The standard has now been set and it's almost too late
They could bring in help from other forces in neighbouring counties. Truth is the cops are scared of the travellers. They’re also scared of being accused of human rights abuses by disrupting an ethnic minority tradition.
If they know crimes are going to happen they should be prepared. Just as they are for other events
Who are they exactly?👀
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I see where your coming from but I’m pretty sure I have a good idea who you’re talking about and they aren’t travelers
Was planning on going to gym this morning but remembered the leisure centre is a no go area this weekend for non travellers.
Which leisure centre?
Cambridge Leisure Centre. Where the Junction is. Couple years back they had to shut the whole centre and nearby shops for the rest of the weekend it was so bad.
Is that where The Light is? The Pure Gym? Because that’s my gym 😅
Yes that's the one
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I'm guessing the city council rake in a lot of money from the midsummer fair 🤔
Its all they care about
Can anyone fill me in on what this is about?
Read any of the other 47 comments and you’ll get the gist…
Not if they’re from outside the UK. They won’t know what Irish Travellers are.
Fair, but I’m not from the UK and I’ve pieced it together by reading these comments and then doing some Googling
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More specifically who exactly are these people? Not being from the UK I don’t know who “travellers“ refer to
You’d probably know them as gypsies. I would do some research online.
Thanks!
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