Dreams of the road = Sune le dromenge: Gypsy life in the West Country

Levinson, M.P and Silk, A (2007) Dreams of the road = Sune le dromenge: Gypsy life in the West Country. Birlinn, Edinburgh. ISBN 9781841585055

Abstract

Travelling Gypsies have been a distinctive feature of south-west England for hundreds of years. Distinctive 'vardos' (wagons) rattled along the roads of Devon and Somerset, their occupants hawking their goods and skills, speaking in their own languages - Shelta, Gammon, Cant and Anglo-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 has led to the threat of 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. This book goes some way in preserving this rich culture, collecting together memories, anecdotes, the fears and the hopes of older Gypsies living in the South-west of England.

Item Type:	Book
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GT Manners and customs H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races P Language and Literature > PB Modern European Languages
Divisions:	School of Education
Date Deposited:	13 Jan 2017 12:23
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2021 09:44
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/8812

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