[wideminded]

Will someone please explain why some sections of the gipsy community are called 'travellers'?

Here in the US there is a group called the Irish Travellers, who seem to live and work in a manner similar to Gypsies, although I don't think they are ethnically related. Apparently they are in the UK as well.

They tend to be concentrated in certain towns in the southern states. During the warmer months the men do travel all over the country earning money from various work-for-hire scams.

I have heard that Gypsies used to be in motion with their caravans a lot more before the modern era, so that might also be an origin for the "traveller" name.

[GraceG]

Cultural Assimilation would go a long way toward solving the problem.

But cultural assimilation is a bad word these days.

[Albion Wilde]

Here in the US there is a group called the Irish Travellers, who seem to live and work in a manner similar to Gypsies, although I don't think they are ethnically related. Apparently they are in the UK as well. They tend to be concentrated in certain towns in the southern states.

Very interesting article; thanks. Here are a couple of other FR threads on the subject:

Britain's No1 gipsy site KO'd (Over 1000 "Travellers" evicted after local villagers' protests)

Nomadic clans' secretive lifestyle is often financed by home-repair scams (Travellers)

UK: Builder forces gipsies off his land... by digging a moat around their camp