Betty's story

Visited the current exhibition, “ Moving Minds” at the Smith museum and art gallery this afternoon which tells the untold stories of Scotland’s travelling people.
Here is one story
“I’m Betty Irvine, I’m a gypsy/traveller and I live on a council site. I love it here, but I haven’t always been on a site.  I used to travel a lot as a child, and a teenager too, visiting different camps with my family, but then I ended up staying in a house for a while on my own.
 
I felt so closed in and I dinnae want the neighbours to know where I came from.
 
I was very stressed, agitated, and very lonely, no close family nearby, always afraid the family would turn up with their vans and trailer and the neighbours would find out where I came from.
 
In the end I gave the council house back and returned to this site, to my roots. I felt at home straightaway, like duck to water.”
 
Covid update:
Earlier I was at the Peak for our weekly fitness class. One guy says he has already been given a date for his combined flu and Covid jab in three weeks time.
Meanwhile in class I see a woman limping badly and ask her what the problem is:” long Covid…. I should be on crutches”.
Another left woman class before the end because she had a violent bout of coughing.
Can’t wait to have my next jab.