CHAPTER YECK MY STORY- HOW I GOT WHERE I AM !! BILLY JONES
MY FATHER FRANK JONES WAS A ROMANY TRAVELLER MAN, ONE OF THE BEST I MIGHT ADD.
EVERYONE THAT SPOKE OF HIM ONLY HAD GOOD THINGS TO SAY.
I CAN REMEMBER HIM SAYING TO ME BEFORE HE DIED-" YOU JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO WELL AT SCHOOL BOY, DONT WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE FOGEES SAY OR THINK"
I JUST HOPE I HAVE MADE HIM PROUD OF ME.
THIS IS WHAT HAS LEAD ME TO WORK WITH THESE KID'S, I FEEL AS A GYPSY MYSELF TO HAVE THE NEED TO HELP THEM AS NO ONE ELSE DOES THIS.
I KNOW THEY CAN DO WELL AND I WANT THEM TO SUCCEED IN LIFE.
MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS ONLY 14 YEARS OLD, I KNEW DEEP DOWN I HAD TO CONTINUE AT SCHOOL AS I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE HIS WISH.
I DONE WELL IN MY G.C.S.E'S, MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT I THOUGHT, I FURTHERED MY EDUCATION AND JOINED THE FURTHER EDUCATION UNIT AT SITTINGBOURNE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND WITH HELP FROM THE ONE AND ONLY MARGARET REARDON PASSED MY NVQ LEVEL 3 IN BUSINESS ANS ADMINISTRATION.
I WAS OVERJOYED THAT I HAD PASSED THIS, BUT THE BEST WAS YET TO COME.
I WAS THEN ASKED TO ATTEND A MEETING WITH ALAN BARHAM, DIANA DOUGLAS,AND THE BEST AND LOVELIEST MORT I HAVE EVER MET,
MARGARET REARDON.
I TURNED UP AT THE MEETING ALL WORRIED AND TO MY SURPRISE THEY OFFERED ME A POST AT THE COLLAGE AS A PERSONAL ASSISTANT, I WAS OVER THE MOON AND I HAD GOT MY FIRST PROPER JOB WORKING WITH A HEAP OF GORGERS.
A FEW MONTHS WENT PAST AND I REALISED THAT I WANTED TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE STUDENTS, I SPOKE TO ALAN BARHAM AND THE OUTCOME WAS MY TRAVELLERS CLUB- THIS IS A CLUB RAN BY MYSELF EVERY TUESDAY AT THE SITTINGBOURNE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ALONG WITH ANGIE-JOE AND BRIDIE JONES ON THE 23RD OF FEB WE WILL BE OPENING A YOUTH CLUB FOR IRISH TRAVELLERS AND ROMANY GYPSY CHILDREN.
MY STORY BY KATIE
MY DAD IS A ROMANY GYPSY AND SO IS MY MUM, BEFORE I WAS BORN THEY LIVED IN A TRAILER, BUT THEY GOT FORCED INTO HOUSING SO I WAS BROUGHT UP IN A HOUSE.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I WAS ASHAMED TO SAY I WAS A GYPSY BECAUSE OFF THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY THE COMMUNITY (THE GORGERS). I USED TO GET BULLIED BY THE GORGER YOUTH SOMETIMES THEIR PARENTS WOULD BE NASTY TOO.
THEY WOULD NOT LET THEIR CHILDREN PLAY WITH ME, THEY SAID WE WERE DIRTY SCUM; THIS WOULD REALLY UPSET ME, SO MOST OF MY TIME I USED TO SPEND ON MY OWN OR I WOULD SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY. I REMEMBER LISTENING TO OLD STORIES THAT SOME OF MY FAMILY USED TO TELL, AND I STILL DO LOVE HEARING THEM TO THIS DAY. I DIDN’T DO WELL IN SCHOOL I DIDN’T HAVE MANY FRIENDS IF IM HONEST, NO ONE WANTED TO HANG AROUND WITH A GYPSY (OR PIKIE AS THEY WOULD SAY). EVEN THE TEACHERS WERE RUDE AND DIDN’T WANT TO LISTEN TO WHAT I HAD TO SAY. IF I COULDN’T DO THE WORK THEY JUST USED TO SEND ME OUT THE CLASS, SO IN THE END I THOUGHT WHY AM I EVEN BOTHERING TO TRY SO I STARTED TO CAUSE TROUBLE THEN I GOT KICKED OUT, THAT’S ONE OF MY BIGGEST REGRETS EVERYONE NEEDS AN EDUCATION. SO THERE I WAS NO SCHOOL, HARDLY ANY FRIENDS BUT THEN I SUPPOSE I HAD MY FAMILY. MY DAD IS A DRUG USER SO ARE MY BROTHERS, AND HAVE BEEN SINCE I WAS A KID SO I GREW UP THINKING THAT WAS A NORMAL LIFE. I ENDED UP ON DRUGS MY SELF. I WAS ABOUT 14 WHEN I STARTED TO USE DRUGS. I FELT LOST, LIKE NO ONE CARED, ALSO I DIDN’T THINK THAT THERE WAS ANY SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY FOR A GYPSY. I WAS ALWAYS GETTING INTO TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE I WAS A BIT OF A REBEL REALLY. THEN ONE DAY IT HIT ME AND I SAT AND WONDERED IS THIS REALLY THE LIFE I WANT? IF I STAY ON DRUGS THEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAID ARE TRUE AND MY DEAR MUM HAS HAD ENOUGH HEART ACHE I WANTED TO MAKE HER PROUD OF ME. I WANTED TO BETTER MY LIFE BUT WHO IS THERE TO HELP ME?
I HAD HEARD OF ALL THE WORK MY UNCLE JOE AND COUSIN ANGIE HAD BEEN DOING FOR THE GYPSY AND TRAVELLER COMMUNITY AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN RUNNING A YOUTH CLUB SO I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY COULD HELP. SO THAT FRIDAY I DECIDED TO GO TO THE YOUTH CLUB BUT I DIDN’T HAVE THE COURAGE TO GO SOBER SO I WENT DRUNK, AND I ASKED FOR HELP AND THAT’S WHAT THEY DID DO.
SO HERE I AM TODAY AND I’VE BEEN CLEAN FOR NEARLY 3 MONTHS NOW AND I FEEL GREAT. I LIVE IN A TRAILER ON THEIR LAND AND I WOULDN’T GO BACK TO LIVING IN A HOUSE I’VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER. I’VE BEEN DOING WORK WITH THE YOUTH AT THE YOUTH CLUB AND IM THE DRUG AWARENESS TEACHER, IM ALSO PROUD TO SAY I AM A GYPSY. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO ANGIE UNCLE CHARLIE AND UNCLE JOE FOR HELPING ME PULL THROUGH I COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM.
