I Choose The Road Podcast
By amy m
I Choose The Road PodcastMay 28, 2021
PSPO in Glastonbury and What's happening on the Ridgeway?
in this episode myself and Lou chat about the Public Space Protection Order which the local council are trying to implement in Glastonbury, (and a little bit about rubbish and poo.) We also take a quick look at what has been happening on the ridgeway these past few days.
Crewz B. roadside mc.
In this episode i chat with crewz b, horsedrawn mc, about freedom, life on the verge, and cups of tea.
find more of cruisy's music on https://soundcloud.com/crewz_b
you can follow him on instagram and facebook
Policing Bill Info
In our tenth episode we look into the progression of the PCSCB through parliament and hear voices from Travellers in response to the passing of Section 4, the criminalisation of trespass.
Here's a link to the Community Law Partnership:
And the T.A.T. phone number again: 0121 685 8677
Here are links to a couple of the articles i mentioned, with more info about the bill:
Don't get too excited about the Police Bill's defeats in the Lords - The Canary
And! i forgot to mention in the podcast.....This week the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament) voted to withhold legislative consent on elements of the bill. Amazing news! Policing Bill vote takes place in the Senedd | The National Wales
the poem at the beginning is by second generation New Traveller Asha.
the music at the end is Woodland Serenade by Chad Crouch.
And thanks, as ever, to Firepit Collective for the music.
Bristol Defendant Solidarity (now with opening sequence)
(new version, now with opening sequence)
In this episode I chat with members of Bristol Defendant Solidarity about the work they are doing with Kill the Bill defendants, police violence and what happened on the streets of Bristol during March and April 2021.
Here are the links to the crowd funders mentioned in the podcast:
Fundraiser by Bristol ABC : #KillTheBill Prisoner Support Fund (gofundme.com)
Music: Nottamun Town by Robert Farmer
I Choose the Road by Jay Terrestrial and Firepit Collective
Restoring the Records with Phil Wadey
In episode 8 I chat with Phil Wadey, co-author of Restoring the Record, about the 2026 land grab in which all unrecorded footpaths and rights of way will be extinguished.
If you are interested in getting involved in saving our rights of way, even if there’s just one path you want to check, Phil and Sarah’s book is available on their website:
There is also information on here regarding the training courses they run.
As Phil mentioned, the Ramblers association are also mounting a campaign ‘Don’t Lose Your Way’ to save as many paths as possible and may well be able to help if you have identified a path that needs saving. There is lots of information available on their website:
Don't Lose Your Way (ramblers.org.uk)
Thanks, as always, to Jay Terrestrial and Firepit Collective for the music.
Bonus Episode: Sherrie and Ruby Smith
This episode contains an interview with Sherrie Smith, co-founder of Drive 2 Survive and her daughter Ruby. We did the interview as part of a webinar I was involved in about nfATs, New Travellers and the PCSCB. The webinar was part of a series called Weaving the Webinar, hosted by Greenham Women Everywhere, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Greenham Common campaign. I had to edit the interview massively to fit into the webinar, so I've decided to share it here in its entirety.
Crossing Bridges (part 1)
In this episode guest co-host Zach and I have an inspiring chat with Sophie, who lives in her truck on unauthorised sites in Bristol, and Scouse who started travelling in the 1980s and started Wango Riley's Travelling Stage.
Crossing Bridges is about bringing together two folk from differing travelling backgrounds and asking them the same questions to get a conversation going and explore our differences and similarities.
Home - Wango's stage hire (wangos.com)
Music in the show:
I Choose the Road by Jay Terrestrial and Firepit Collective
Cry of a Morning by The Mob
Thoughts of Freedom
In episode 6, I chat with Jelly and Soma, who grew up as New Travellers in the 90s, and are the authors of poetry and art collection Thoughts of Freedom. We also hear a report from Portugal regarding the new anti-traveller laws which have been recently repealed.
If you'd like to purchase a copy of this beautiful book, the profits from which are all going to charities, you can here:
The charities Jelly and Soma have chosen to support are:
Refugee Community Kitchen, Refugee Community Kitchen
Sprit Wrestlers Foundation, Spirit Wrestlers Foundation - Home | Facebook
and nfATs, Home | nfATs Collective (wixsite.com)
For information about demonstrations taking place at the Tory Party Conference:
Music by: Rezilient, Marcos H. Bolanos, Squire Tuck and Firepit Collective
nfATs Collective
In episode 5, i chat with Terena from nfATs Collective about their actions and campaigns.
Home | nfATs Collective (wixsite.com)
For more info about Restoring the Records:
Rights of Way: Restoring the Record
The Stop HS2 campaign which both Lou and Terena mention:
STOP HS2 - The national campaign against High Speed Rail 2
Thanks, as always, to Jay Terrestrial and Firepit Collective for the song.
And to Freddie Strange of the Bomb Fayre Band for his.
https://youtu.be/ZaEY3-ay2R4
Policing bill update and D2S report (now with missing bit included!)
A special episode put together to update on the developments in parliament on the policing bill and also to report on the D2S rally in London on Wednesday 7th March.
here is a link to the letter from the European commissioner for Human Rights:
Letter to the Speaker and Lord of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom (coe.int)
And the briefing from the Joint Committee for Human Rights:
Legislative Scrutiny: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (parliament.uk)
The song at the beginning of the podcast was sung at Wednesday's rally by Thomas McCarthy, Irish Traveller, singer and storyteller:
Thomas McCarthy – Irish Traveller, Singer, Storyteller (thomasmccarthyfolk.com)
The song at the end was also performed at the rally by Flora Sidebottom. She wrote it after the vicious attack by police on Resist Anti-Trespass campaigners on College Green in Bristol.
The speakers whose voices I have used in the podcast are:
Jake Bowers, Sherrie Smith, Lu of nfATs, Zara Sultana MP, Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Marvina Newton and Luke Wenman
If you wish to contact lawyer Chris Johnson to oppose the bill in the courts when it becomes law their website is:
The criminalisation of trespass (part 3)
In this episode I talk with Rhiannon from Bristol Vehicles for Change.
The third of three episodes focusing on the criminalisation of trespass, its repercussions and implications.
The criminalisation of trespass (part 2)
In episode two we continue to look into the policing bill with an interview with Mattey Mitchell of Friends, Families and Travellers.
The criminalisation of trespass (part 1)
In our first episode we begin to explore the proposals put forward in the policing bill. Interview with lawyer Chris Johnson of the CLP.
Episode 000 (trailer)
What is I Choose the Road Podcast?