New member old squatter/traveler looking for inspiration and opportunity

[Zowie]

I live in the UK but have family in the states. Planning to return to traveling/squatting and looking to connect with interesting people and projects and probably talk shite a bit too

 

[Crazy Hobo Johnny]

Welcome to STP! You're in the right place! Share and post any adventures you have. I would love to read them!

 

[Zowie]

Welcome to STP! You're in the right place! Share and post any adventures you have. I would love to read them!

Thanks Johnny, I hope to have some worth sharing!

 

[Anagor]

Hi! Welcome to StP!

Planning to return to traveling/squatting

Nice! I started all this traveling and squatting and stuff quite late in my life (with 41). Spent most of my time in UK then. Currently housed in Germany but hoping to hit the road again by the end of this year.

Stay safe and have fun!

 

[Zowie]

Hi! Welcome to StP!

Hi Anagor, thanks. Germany is somewhere I'd like to visit, will most likely do Europe before I spread my wings further. Many years ago, when I was a young squatter we met some German folks who were doing a bike tour of the UK at our local pub and they ended up stopping off in our squat for a weekend. Whilst they were staying the place got busted and shut down, the German guys got arrested along with all of us. They didn't speak much English, which made the whole experience very confusing for both them and the police, in the end they just gave up and let them go

 

[Anagor]

Hi!

Hi Anagor, thanks. Germany is somewhere I'd like to visit,

If you happen to be around Cologne/Bonn area holla me. If I'm here then I'd like to show you around and have a drink with you.

Whilst they were staying the place got busted and shut down, the German guys got arrested along with all of us.

Why did you all get arrested? I was in quite a few squats in England and also experienced a few evictions but never someone was arrested. What happened?

 

[roguetrader]

where did you used to squat amigo ? If yer 44 you might remember the crescents in Hulme, Manchester - they were WILD ! I'm one of the few regular Brits on STP - although some others post from time to time....

I'm from the NW originally but live down in Devon these days - more of a vehicle traveller / land squatter myself...

regards...

 

[Zowie]

Hi!



If you happen to be around Cologne/Bonn area holla me. If I'm here then I'd like to show you around and have a drink with you.



Why did you all get arrested? I was in quite a few squats in England and also experienced a few evictions but never someone was arrested. What happened?

Hey Anagor, thank you
It happened when I was maybe 17 (around 1990-91) a few years before the criminal justice bill, but the police were already really hassling travelers and squatters. Mainly due to a Tory government that found the growing subculture threatening (particularly the free party scene)
In addition we were in Warminster which is primarily an army town. Essentially they tried to shut us down from day 1, we lasted a whole summer.
They arrested everyone at the time, I wasn't there that night, came back the next day to my home boarded up and covered in police notices. Went to the station to ask when I could get my stuff and was promptly arrested! They only held us for a day, most of the guys went to a bail hostel, I was released to my parents because of my age. They tried to get us done for criminal damage for painting murals on the walls, but couldn't prove anything. Took us to court three times and in the end it went to Crown, the judge threw it out without it being heard so they never managed a conviction. Back then they were determined to damage us any way they could, even had the press in after they'd smashed the place up claiming we'd left it like that!
I don't know what its like squatting in the UK now, I've not done it for a long time..

 

[Zowie]

where did you used to squat amigo ?

Hey Roguetrader, I am 44 I'm from the southwest originally (Somerset and Avon) and squatted a few different places in that area before moving onto a traveler site and eventually traveling Northwest and ending up in Cumbria, where I've been for the last 20 odd years.
I plan to get a vehicle to live in now that I'm free to travel about again, I like the mobile life and have plans to see the world..
I bet the crescents were amazing! I idolized Manchester as a kid but never got there til later in life

 

[Anagor]

Hey Anagor, thank you
It happened when I was maybe 17 (around 1990-91) a few years before the criminal justice bill, but the police were already really hassling travelers and squatters.

Haha, okay. At this age I would not have even imagined I would possibly squat a building (let alone in England).

Was just asking cause I thought squatting would have been even easier back then. I mean, you could squat even residential buildings, now it's only commercial ones (like abandoned cafes, pubs, hotels, shops, police stations )

And I was in a few squats and never felt in danger of being arrested.

Actually in 2016 we had an empty Starbucks and after a week in there private security came (with like 12 people) and tried to scare us out and *we* called Police because what they wanted to do was totally illegal (breaking in or at least threatening to break in). The cops were not really helpful at first but then they parked a van in front of our door and eventually the security guys went away.

Also we had sometimes cops at our door but they never came in. We always got papers first and then eventually the eviction came (if we were not out before the date) but nobody got arrested, just thrown out.

 

[Anagor]

I'm from the southwest originally (Somerset and Avon)

Haha, Bristol is my "hometown" in England. I love Bristol.