Gypsies

Last week, while Carl and I and our guests were driving through the Cotswold countryside in England (northwest of London), we saw some brightly painted wooden trailers parked along the side of the road, advertising Psychic Readings. When I asked about them, our guide said they belonged to gypsies.

I have always been curious about the phenomenon of gypsies in Europe - so I decided to learn something about the gypsies in England. On the internet, I discovered that Gypsies are considered to be a race of nomads who reached the British Isles in 1505. The Gypsies role in the British economy has been to provide seasonal employment on farms, harvesting fruits and vegetables in the late summer and early fall. They also engaged in other small trades, such as chair-bottoming, basket-making, rat-catching, wire-working, grinding, selling fruit, fish, and earthenware, and mending bellows. Gypsies also participated in entertainment. They danced, sang, and played musical instruments. However, the entertainment for which Gypsies are best known is fortune telling. Some believe that they have special psychic abilities.

Today, I discovered that Gypsies – or Travellers – have their own magazine and website! I have ordered a book to read, Gypsies and Travellers in their own words to learn more about their way of life throughout the generations.