Gypsy Culture in and Around Bradford.

Dreams, & Songs to Sing.

England.
Photography & text by Cath Muldowney.

I’d often attended Gypsy events as a child, but in recent years I went with my camera, and initially, a little trepidation. Gypsy & Traveller culture has been a vital part of the history of Britain for over 500 years, and is not some side show to be photographed via a long lens and a lack of empathy. So I made sure to talk to people, explain myself, prove that I'm not from some tabloid looking to spew out bile and non - news.
Over time, once I showed that I am an ally, will not misrepresent them, and can produce a passable likeness, I was privileged to be called upon to photograph more intimate details of this way of life. The answer to the question ‘may I take some photographs?’ has now become ‘take what you like, love’ - music to my ears. And whilst I will climb on my feminist soapbox at every available opportunity, I may secretly admit that maybe documentary photography is actually easier for women, particularly women over a certain age – use your cloak of inconsequence to your advantage!

As a non Gypsy, or gorja as we’re sometimes called, it’s easy to romanticise the idea of life on the road in a beautiful bow top wagon. Most people have no idea of the hardships suffered, or the racism and prejudice that is prevalent towards these marginalised communities. Shops sport signs saying they have fluffy towels for your dog’s little wet paws, but hastily put up a ‘closed for the holidays’ notice when there’s a horse fair nearby. A pub enroute to Appleby Horse Fair has chains across the car park and a sign that says ‘Bar closed, hotel guests only’. When asked about how the signs make them feel, the youths passing with their horses shrug their shoulders tell me ‘that’s racism, isn’t it, but that’s just how it is’. (Romany Gypsy, Irish Traveller and Scottish Traveller ARE races.) An older gentleman joked with me that ‘it’s ok, we can’t read the signs anyway’.

They’ll be the first to tell you that not everyone amongst them is an angel – what society or culture could claim that? But what I’ve learned is that they’re warm and funny, caring and hospitable – ‘do you want some cake, and if not, why not?’ On seeing me by the side of the road , they handbrake turned to my rescue, only to laugh when they discovered I was photo-graphing the large police presence and not being detained. They’ll get their families and their horses ready whatever the weather and travel long distances to horse drives to raise money for charity. And they’ll provide an abundance of gifts, help and goodwill to the family of the little girl seen riding a hobby horse in and amongst the real horses at Appleby Fair in 2023.

They are fiercely family orientated, with a ‘whole community’ responsibility, and with Traveller women as strong and confident in their roles as the men. There is no question of delegating the care of the young, the elderly or the sick to outside organisations. Many of the men are raconteurs; story tellers who will sit you down and recount tales of their heritage and history. One such man, in his forties, told me of his father, a wagon builder. who surprised his family with a last minute wintry holiday. He recalls setting up camp down a quiet country lane, and eating nothing all week but turnips from the nearby farmer’s field. When they returned home, the elder siblings quickly realised that in their ab-sence, Christmas had come and gone. The impromptu holiday was an attempt to shield an impoverished family from the festival of excess.

Over the centuries, they became known as the ‘men without masters’ and probably because of that, successive governments repeatedly legislated against them and their nomadic lifestyle. As a result, many families are now ‘settled’ in permanent housing and only travel during the summer months, if at all. Whilst most local authorities provide limited numbers of official sites, these are generally on land that would never be granted planning permission for housing – in Bradford it is alongside the refuse disposal centre, better known as the tip.

I do not claim to speak for these communities, nor do I claim to understand all about their cultures, but I have to say that their questioning of, and lack of respect for some of the more petty laws of our land seems healthy to me. Whilst I’m sure that they would welcome more respect and less discrimination, they certainly do not need our consent, our approval or our permission to continue to fight to preserve their culture and traditions.
A Gypsy lady was told that June is now designated Gypsy & Traveller History Month.
‘Oh,’ she replied quietly ‘who says?’

The Exhibition ‘Dreams, and Songs to Sing’ is showing at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Gallery from May to October 2024. Taken from a line in the Irish folk classic ‘Fields of Athenry’, the title would possibly be more accurate as Dreams, and stories to tell, but having heard a Gypsy man sing an emotional acapella version of the song, there was never going to be any other title.

Thanks for reading.