'East Brighton Park is well maintained and cared for'

However the campsite which is a separate area of the park has been full and fully booked since reopening.

Due to the current restrictions and uncertainty of international travel rules and associated costs for testing etc it is not surprising that this is the case and hopeful tourists arrive only to find there are no pitches left and they are forced to find alternative places to park. So don’t be “saddened” as the picture you paint by your far-reaching discourse is far from reality.

The park is a stunning site used nearly exclusively by locals and mostly it is well maintained although with the better weather more regular emptying of bins would be good as they can overflow.

On a very rare occasion there is the odd dog poo left and sometimes day visitors bring their portable barbecues which leave a mark - but given the vast numbers who come to the park it is a handful and the problem is easily rectified by a polite word to the offenders or just picking up the waste.

With regard to the nomadic element of park users, these are as varied in outlook and profession as any house dwelling community.

They include local residents having a staycation, travellers, campers, homeless and a few tourists (and maybe wild campers but they set up late leave early and leave no trace so I haven’t seen one).

A quick exchange will reveal the incredible diversity of this group. Some are having a break, some were born into the life, some are there from financial hardship and others simply through choice such as wanting to live a more simple and sustainable life or it being more suited to their work.

Professions include key and charitable workers that have been supporting us through this time as well as accountants, designers, performers and tradesmen to name a few and of course there are some who are unemployed temporarily or on a longer term basis.

Most will pay taxes and into Class 2 and 4 national contributions as a minimum and some with property and or land connected to all the local services pay council tax.

Under Covid legislation and guidelines many of the nomadic and travelling community have been obliged to stay in one area. As you are aware the government not only legislated that we all stay at home it also shut down our economy so, for example, the hospitality industry among others has been brought to its knees.

This means festivals, concerts and events have been cancelled, forcing many who would normally travel out of the area for their work to stay in Brighton.

This includes artists, set builders, security, catering and event organisers. They need somewhere to park and parking spaces in Brighton have reduced in number as well as becoming marked out for smaller cars.

This not only affects our nomadic community but artisans, delivery drivers and ambulance workers who are obliged to find longer spaces or bus parking to stop. It is a very hard time for professionals in this industry and indeed many other industries and I beg the writer to emphasise with all who have suffered under these new laws and increasingly aggressive Brighton parking enforcement.

With regard to behaviour I would like to assure the writer that the wild and far-reaching accusations scattered throughout the letter are absurd and unfounded.

Yes some of the nomadic community, like in any group, litter but most leave the area tidier than when they arrive. Many have the litter pick-up sticks in their vans and wander off with a bin bag of an evening.

As a life based outside all year round, cooking outside is regular occurrence and you won’t find disposable picnic barbecues on the grass but a well-organised raised fire ready to feed anyone passing that needs food.

Sanitation is handled differently by different set-ups but I have never come across inappropriate behaviour and many would definitely call out anything that was hazardous or unlawful.

With regard to basic resources such as water and wood, different set-ups manage their affairs differently. For example some have large tanks they fill and dispose at designated areas others have smaller set-ups finding water at fuel stations or springs. One thing is for sure: when you carry your own water you don't waste a drop.

And, finally, I invite you to come and say hello and learn about my story and you tell me yours. Maybe like me you will be touched by what you see, the offering of food to those that are hungry, a cup of tea offered to a tired mother watching her children play, looking for a dog that has run off, jump starting a car or the exchange of just a few words to the passersby which connects us all back into our community after such a long period of fear and isolation. The kettle is on my potential friend.

Dr MacPherson

Brighton