Whilst shopping today in town, I had quite a fright when I came across a number of stalls set up outside Marks and Spencers, all the way down to USC. Noisy street sellers shouting prices and crowds gathering round, blocking the enterance to Chapel Walk. Whats going off?! Why are these market stalls being set up on the high street? Surely they're not allowed to be there permanently?! Even more horrifying was a "grabber" machine stacked up with cuddly toys put bang outside Marks and Spencers. Is Sheffield turning into a spin-off of Skegness? :? hmm!

Originally posted by "caprice"

Whilst shopping today in town, I had quite a fright when I came across a number of stalls set up outside Marks and Spencers, all the way down to USC. Noisy street sellers shouting prices and crowds gathering round, blocking the enterance to Chapel Walk. Whats going off?! Why are these market stalls being set up on the high street? Surely they're not allowed to be there permanently?! Even more horrifying was a "grabber" machine stacked up with cuddly toys put bang outside Marks and Spencers. Is Sheffield turning into a spin-off of Skegness? :? hmm!
lols, I don't very often go to town and as long as the street sellers aren't harassing me then I am not too bothered, it's the damn people with clip boards doing market research and surveys that bother me, these guys harass you. Out of interest what were these street sellers actually selling? dodgy gear? and I don't think it is allowed because generally speaking you have to pay a pitch fee, even those at top of dixon lane now pay pitch fees.

yeah, im not happy about it neither, i keep getting caught a cropper with the flaming Mobile phone people, key words: "nah, ive got a decent phone mate" :lol:

They were selling tacky mobile phone covers, accessories etc. Then there was a stall selling candyfloss and another selling tacky kids toys. Hmmm!

Originally posted by "caprice"

They were selling tacky mobile phone covers, accessories etc. Then there was a stall selling candyfloss and another selling tacky kids toys. Hmmm!

Half term, you think?

It sounds like the pikeys are taking over. It's distressing to find them this far north, since I always thought they were mostly confined to areas 'darn sarf'. :(

ROTHERHAM IS NEXT :shock:

Kind Regards,

Uncle Woolly

i work near there, and those stalls are a pain in the a*se.

They're there every Saturday, as well as school holidays. I think the bloke with the mobile phones is there every day.

They block the way and hold up people in a hurry. Those annoying "market research" people are just as bad. The council or police should put a stop to it. If people want to run a stall selling tat, they should rent a stall in the market.

The Moor's even worse. Whoever decided it would be a good idea to make the place stink of food by putting those takeaways in the middle of the road should be taken out and shot.

Originally posted by "RPG"

yeah, im not happy about it neither, i keep getting caught a cropper with the flaming Mobile phone people, key words: "nah, ive got a decent phone mate" :lol:

lord no, that's the last thing you say to them, unless you want to be mugged!

Welcome to Sheffield Forum triffik - and good point... lol :lol:

Originally posted by "triffik"

yeah, im not happy about it neither, i keep getting caught a cropper with the flaming Mobile phone people, key words: "nah, ive got a decent phone mate" :lol:

lord no, that's the last thing you say to them, unless you want to be mugged!

i havent really got a better phone :(

(i was talking about the phones4u blokes BTW, not the pikeys)

You are right! but also I am fed up of being accosted with the Big Issue seller's at £1 a time, as I walk around town on business. Every time I turn a corner I am confronted with one of these "polite" seller's, Big Issue Sir, Big Issue Sir, I try to be polite also, but am fed up to the teeth with it.

They are there all weather's rain, snow, or sunshine pestering everyone who passes by, besides, apart from anything else it is embarrasing when one is being harrased. Personally, I cannot afford to buy as £1 will purchase me two loaves of bread, Why dont they put them in a shop for sale then people can buy if they wish. :oops: :oops: :oops: Hal. Evans.

Originally posted by "Anonymous"

They are there all weather's rain, snow, or sunshine pestering everyone who passes by, besides, apart from anything else it is embarrasing when one is being harrased.

Yeah - they're there in all weathers. That tells me somthing about how desperate they are. And at least they're trying to earn a living rather than begging.

My only problem is I feel guilty saying no to the sellers when I've already got that weeks Big Issue.

Whats a pikey?

Whats a pikey?

I'm not exactly sure, but they sort of talk like this (http://www.ogmac.co.uk/sidcup/pikeytalk.htm)

i used to work for the big issue in manchester, and talked to many of the homeless people who worked selling the big issue. Can you imagine how hard it must be to stand there all day and watch people turn away from you, trying to ignore you? They do understand that not everyone has the money to buy all the time, and yes it is annoying that there are so many in sheffield centre - but please next time you see someone, just say "no thank you" or "ive bought one already". They, like you would prefer this to "im sorry" (they don't want your pity)/ "leave me alone". They are people too, and they are doing their hardest to educate themselves off the streets.

Please think next time you see someone!

Whats a pikey?

HEH watch Snatch (guy ricchie movie)
its one of my fav movies, there is a lotta pikeys in there. :D
its bin on Sky movie channs a lot recently.

(Rant) The problem with Big Issue is that it's rubbish, my mum buys it every so often because "it's a good cause". It is a good cause, i know that, but in the issuses i've read it's all about the homeless (and usually the homeless of LONDON). Now, i know the problems of homelessness, i've seen it on the news, newspapers, internet, on the streets in town, everywhere, so why buy a magazine about it off a homeless person when i could just give them a quid (as long as they aren't just drunks or have a flashy BMW parked round the corner) for food or something. The only way i'd buy a Big Issue is if it had something interesting in. (/Rant)

Hi,

I guess I thought I'd do something rash and address your use of the word 'pikey'. Pikey is slang, and is usually used to describe a Gypsy. It is used in the same way as ****** is in the US to describe an African American, and is just as offensive to Gypsies.

Gypsies are an ethnic minority group with a language, culture and ways of carrying on that may not be the same as you, but they do not deserve the hatred they receive from the majority of people.

This is a personal issue for me, as I am what you would call a, 'Pikey'. I don't have a criminal record, I don't have any children, and I work in the IT industry as a network support specialist, but I am still a Gypsy, albeit an educated Gypsy. We are not vermin, although the world seems to view us as such, please understand, we are not that different from you.

I did a search for 'pikey' on the net and have been shocked at the results. I have been living in Australia for over 12 years now and I haven't heard that word for a long time, I thought maybe things had improved in the UK, but maybe not.

:(

It sounds like the pikeys are taking over. It's distressing to find them this far north, since I always thought they were mostly confined to areas 'darn sarf'.

ROTHERHAM IS NEXT

Kind Regards,

Uncle Woolly


Your post made my day :lol:
p.s: a pikey is a gypsy

[Mod Edit please, no caps! RPG]

These Big Issue sellers p*ss me off too, it only seems recently that there has been so many. A couple of years ago you would only spot them occasionally and I gladly used to buy one, but now I just completely steer away from them. :(

Please correct me if you think I'm wrong, but from what I've seen I feel that a lot of these sellers are not genuinely homeless and my £1 is not going towards improving their lives and getting them off the streets but to fund their drug addictions.

Don't get me wrong, I think the BI is a great thing and has helped a lot of people, but they seem to be giving the green badges out to anyone and everyone who wants one.

Also, the Issue does have some excellent competitions and I've won about 7 or 8 DVD's and CD's over the past couple of years! :P

Whats a pikey?

Wikipedia has a good page covering the origins of the term and how it's usage has evolved over the years. There are also links to associated terms such ad didicoy and traveller.

I'm sure *Twinkle* might have found that out in the 6 1/2 years that have passed since posing the question.....:)

You are right! but also I am fed up of being accosted with the Big Issue seller's at £1 a time, as I walk around town on business. Every time I turn a corner I am confronted with one of these "polite" seller's, Big Issue Sir, Big Issue Sir, I try to be polite also, but am fed up to the teeth with it.

They are there all weather's rain, snow, or sunshine pestering everyone who passes by...
That's cos they have no homes. :suspect:

I wonder if there is anyone on the forum who works for the inland revenue?

Id be surprised if the street traders are paying their income tax

Whilst shopping today in town, I had quite a fright when I came across a number of stalls set up outside Marks and Spencers, all the way down to USC. Noisy street sellers shouting prices and crowds gathering round, blocking the enterance to Chapel Walk. Whats going off?! Why are these market stalls being set up on the high street? Surely they're not allowed to be there permanently?! Even more horrifying was a "grabber" machine stacked up with cuddly toys put bang outside Marks and Spencers. Is Sheffield turning into a spin-off of Skegness? :? hmm!Your joking? outside marks and spencers? How very dare they!!!! its called making a living!

Fargate is cramped now. It’s such a shame. Leeds equivalent areas are far nicer and with much better shops.

That's cos they have no homes. :suspect:

They are not always homeless.

They are not always just selling the big issue either.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2003/oct/18/pressandpublishing.homelessness

Selling the big issue was meant as a way for the homeless to get a leg up, but many simply use the bog issue as a form of reliable income to feed their drug addictions.

Some are not official big issue sellers either but associates of someone who is and use their bibs etc.

Fargate is cramped now. It’s such a shame. Leeds equivalent areas are far nicer and with much better shops.

Absolutely, but then Leeds has always been the better city.

Love this type of thread you start reading it and then see posts are 6 years old lol.

Mind you still relevant I guess!

Love this type of thread you start reading it and then see posts are 6 years old lol.

Mind you still relevant I guess!

it's still pretty bloody wierd - six years just to find out what a "pikey" is!