Lee, Tom

(1923-2002)

   England. Political and civil rights activist. He was born in a horse-drawn wagon and fought in World War II. A seasoned campaigner, he made headlines in 1970 when he parked his caravan close to the prime minister's residence in Downing Street to persuade the government to pressure local authorities to provide fit sites for Gypsies to rent. Later, he began to regard officially provided sites as unsuitable and argued that individuals should be allowed to buy their own sites and plots for other Gypsy caravans. He set up a private caravan site in Stratford, East London, and, following the trend for urban farms, encouraged schools to visit the horses, chickens, and doves he kept on it. After falling out with members of the Gypsy Council, he founded the Romany Guild in 1972, although the two organizations later reunited for a short time as the National Gypsy Council.