Who amongst us hasn't dreamed of setting off in a Gypsy Caravan, and leaving all the stress of civilisation behind.
Not too long after we'd moved to France (around 1975), we were visited by a young London couple who'd done just that. They parked their wagon behind our barn (above), put the horse to graze in our field, and settled down to a couple of months rest chez Cro.
Their Welsh Cob, Joe, had been a London Rag-n-Bone man's horse, and pulled the wagon for just 15 kms each day. As such, they had taken 3 months to travel from the north coast of France to where we live, and later took another 3 months to travel down to the south coast where they eventually sold the whole horse/wagon caboodle, and returned to Blighty where, I believe, they wrote the obligatory book.
At the time we had two small children (above), and we were all perfectly happy living where we did, but as I sat in the doorway of that tiny caravan, I too dreamed of that open road.
The owners of the wagon were both inner-city London teachers (she was Weggie-Benn's niece), and were taking a sabatical for essential recuperation. It must have been very hard settling back into work again after such a spectacular year away.
Well what can we say but "wish it was us". When I went to Europe we actually came upon a group of gypsy caravans and to say they were spectacular is an understatement,the wagons were beautifully painted and the people so friendly,a friend went home to the Uk to visit family about 10 years ago and lived her dream,she sought out and found a family with room in their wagon and spent the next 3 months with them,her tales of their laws etc are wonderful, she is part gypsy and looks it,it is the romantic side we see I think but in fact our papers have been full of them being rounded up and sent home to Romania,can't believe all the papers say..you certainly were honoured to have them in your backyard Cro...Carole
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ReplyDeleteThe beard looks a lot like great-grandfather Magnon.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have been developing a 'look' at the time. Maybe it was based on him!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo. And what a great beard - and what great boots!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture! It does look like you're sitting there thinking about what a gypsies life would be.
ReplyDeleteThis is just the gypsy wagon I've been looking for.
ReplyDeleteOh my don't ever let my Manly Man see this picture.He swears if I die first that the first thing he will do is grow a beard just like that! My daughters have promised they won't let it happen. It is definately a "look", and helps me see another side of you Cro. Oh, and I want one of those! In my back yard for guests!
ReplyDeleteShame on you Linda. It was a fine Amish beard!
ReplyDeleteMy brother and his friends had a trip around Ireland in a caravan like this in the 50's. One of the boys, a rather elegant youth, would saunter into a hotel with a towel under his arm when wanting a bath, and emerge unchallenged and well groomed a little while later. They said that things used to fall off the walls if they went over bumpy ground and that on one overnight stop they managed to lose the horse. I was the little sister left at home and was so envious of their adventures.
ReplyDeleteSMG, the above is in fact an Irish wagon, known as an 'Open Lot'. It might have been the very one!
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