All the news (good or bad) from Summerhill Stables

What’s in a name?

A school has apologised to the son of a Romany gipsy after a teacher told the scruffy pupil that he "looked like a pikey". The remark was made during a lesson at a school in Stafford, when a male pupil entered the classroom with his tie undone. Another pupil later reported the "racist slur" to his stepfather, Trevor Holland (sic). The pupil said: "As soon as I heard it I jumped out of my seat and told the teacher that what she had said was bang out of order. I could have said a lot more than I did. She didn't say anything to apologise to me at the time. Later my step-dad got a letter saying the teacher didn't know what the word meant. It felt like an enforced apology to me."

Trevor Holland has lived in settled accommodation for much of his life but his parents were both pure Romany gipsies and most of his family are still Romany travellers. He said he believed the "pikey" slur implied that gipsies were untidy. He said "What the teacher said is an insult not just to me but to every gipsy. She insulted everything I stand for. This is why people get us wrong. Romany gipsies do not leave a mess, thieve or rip people off. We are clean and tidy people. The message the teacher is sending out to a class full of children is that it is acceptable to say gipsies are messy and untidy. I am not satisfied with the school's formal response to my complaint. We are told the teacher did not know the meaning of the word, but if that is the case, then why did she say it? I have had a letter and a call from the head teacher, but why won't the teacher offer to apologise to me face-to-face".

The headmaster said: "An unacceptable remark was made by a teacher and this matter has been dealt with. Verbal and written apologies have been made by the school and Mr Holland originally accepted the apology, from me."

The term "pikey", an old English word associated with itinerant life, derives from "pike" which in the 16th century meant to "go away from or to go on." The word turnpike is derived from this meaning.

Call "Pikey "pikey" anymore or you’ll have to apologise to us both. It’s also quite worrying that the family name was "Holland" – not a branch which Robert has come across yet!!

That report reminded Robert of the time when he was more than usually bored at the check out queue at Safeway (as was) in Chapel-en-le-Frith and asked the check out girl if she knew what her name, Amanda, meant. She said "No"; so he told her it was the Latin word meaning "fit to be loved". He added that his name, Robert, meant "Bright Spear". A few days later he was paying at the same till when the girl said "Morning, Bright Spear". Good for you, he thought.

Pikey – oops, sorry, Auriole is in a lot of pain from her lower back and legs and we have yet another consultation with the neuro-surgeon on Monday. All the three up the road are doing fine.

"Getting old is a fascinating thing. The older you get, the older you want to get".
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

Loads of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ from Robert and Pikey