Full house for New Forest Romany Exhibition

Driving through the vast landscapes of the New Forest, sun beaming and horses roaming in every direction, I wondered just like the organisers, Tony Johnson and Steve Antczak, just how many people would turn out to the Romany Heritage exhibition they had been preparing for months.

A little village hall sits off the beaten track surrounded by open space with not much call to visit unless you’re a local, but today it would open its doors to a much wider audience. As I pulled onto the ground, I questioned if I had got my days wrong and had I rocked up to a boot sale, the car park heaving and cars overlapping the grass and swarms of people waiting to get into its crowded doorways. I remember Tony telling me he would be happy with 100 people turning up! Perhaps he meant over the 3 days the exhibition was on at East Boldre and not in the first hour.

Tony was glowing when he came to greet me at the door, completely overwhelmed at the massive turn out. I would guesstimate that over 70% were themselves from the Romany community and on talking to people some had travelled far and wide to be part of the day. I was lucky enough to be the one recording the oral history of the locals who had many tales to tell, heartfelt stories poured from Romany families and a true pride of their ancestry made them light up with each new story or memory shared.

Tea and home-made cakes flowed throughout the day from the lovely volunteers that all came out to support the day. Panels and panels of beautifully displayed photos of social historian Tony Johnson’s wonderful collection filled the hall. The chattering of people pointing to their family photos, and finding out the person standing next to them looking at the same photo were blood related too, echoed around the room.

Dave Diben, forester, sat under his bender tent, carving out pegs and wooden flowers gathering a very interested audience.

Whilst others wandered the aisles looking at the fantastic traditional artwork of Dolly Romany Arts, who had art pieces of painted vardos, families sitting around the yog (fire), drawings of tarot cards and crystal balls and a stunning Faberge egg with the chakra wheel carefully placed inside.

We were treated to the fine works of Sherri Cowen who displayed her remarkable models depicting Romani life and if that wasn’t enough the stunning artwork of the lovely Alan Langford, an equestrian artist, hung all around the second hall making a fine gallery of truly exquisite and evocative works setting the scene with the finest detail of Romani horsemanship.

Rebecca Johnson added to the authenticity of the day, being from both Romani heritage and showman background, giving her time to support both Tony and Steve, after a chance meeting in the New Forest heritage centre some months before when the exhibition was just a mere idea. Other Romany volunteers turned out to help guide and talk to visitors working alongside non-Romany volunteers, who did everything from assisting with parking, selling brochures on the door, making tea and tidying up.

Over the 3-day period nearly 1500 visitors of all ages and all backgrounds came to be part of this wonderful exhibition.  I sat and drunk a cuppa with the lovely Tracey Cooper and we talked about the Forest and the wonderful horse drive she puts on in August.

I also got to talk to a lovely man called Kenneth who had his own stories to tell and showed me never before seen photos of Romany Author Dominic Reeve who wrote “Smoke in the Lanes” and “Beneath the Blue Sky”. He also shared beautiful unseen photos of Dominic’s wife and well known and loved Author Beshlie who’s works included “Romany Road” “Snailsleap Lane” and “Wayfarers All”. Kenneth, a dear friend to both Dominic and Beshlie, shared some amazing stories, which I was happy to hear.

Later the following week I was invited to the Thorney Hill community hall, where parts of the exhibition were also exhibited, less busy perhaps because of it being a weekday but a steady flow of interested visitors nevertheless, who too shared stories, some about the Thorney Hill compounds, with one of the visitors in their late 90’s recalling yesteryears.

Again, volunteers supported, and Alan Langford and Dolly Romany Arts exhibited their work. Jane peacock brought a great display of Romany facts, traditions, and photos of beautiful wagons and horses, the tea and cake flowed once more, and the different communities sat and talked about the old days.

©Dee Cooper for TT News

(All photographs by Mark James)

Do you want to help build the future of an independent Travellers’ Times? Take part in our short online survey to let us hear your voice and be entered in a prize draw to win £300! https://bit.ly/TT_Big_Survey