Books

Travelling Gypsies have been a distinctive feature of south-west England for hundreds of years.  Distinctive ‘vardos’ (wagons) rattled along the roads of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, their occupants hawking their goods and skills, speaking in Romani, and constructing a strong oral storytelling culture.

Currently, Gypsies find themselves at a crossroads.  Legislation restricting travel, a shortage of official sites and the loss of their traditional stopping places all threaten centuries-old nomadic patterns.  Over the past few decades increasing numbers of Gypsies have been forced to give up the road.  The challenge for Gypsies today is how to retain a separate culture and lifestyle when the foundations underpinning their distinctive existence have been removed.

Dreams of the Road celebrates this rich culture, collecting together memories, anecdotes, the fears and the hopes of Gypsies living in the south-west of England.

Paperback.