Our Forgotten Years

Author: Maggie Smith-Bendell
Publisher: Univ of Hertfordshire Press
ISBN: 9781902806914
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 260

Book Description
Maggie Smith-Bendell and her family are Romani Gypsies and, as she grew up, Maggie learned the old crafts and customs of the Gypsies' traditional way of life. In this memoir, Maggie describes a way of life that has more or less vanished in the 21st century.

Rabbit Stew and a Penny Or Two

Author: Maggie Smith-Bendell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780750535397
Category : Large type books
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Book Description
Maggie Smith-Bendell was born in a Somerset pea-field in 1941, the second of eight children in a Romani family. As a child, Maggie rode and slept in a horse-drawn wagon, picked hops and flowers, sat beside her father's campfire on ancient verges, poor but free to roam. As the twentieth century progressed, common land was fenced off and the traditional Gypsy ways disappeared. Eventually Maggie married a house-dweller and tried to settle for bricks and mortar, but she never lost the restless spirit, the deep love of the land and the gift of storytelling that were her Romani inheritance.

Rabbit Stew and a Penny Or Two

Author: Maggie Smith-Bendell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781407925271
Category : Romanies
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description

Gypsies and Travellers

Author: Richardson, Joanna
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 1847428967
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Book Description
The eviction at Dale Farm in the UK in 2011 brought the conflicting issues relating to Gypsy and Traveller accommodation to the attention of the world's media. However, as the furore surrounding the eviction has died down, the very pressing issues of accommodation need, inequality of access to education, healthcare and employment, and exclusion from British (and European) society is still very much evident. This topical book examines and debates a range of themes facing Gypsies and Travellers in British society, including health, social policy, employment and education. It also looks at the dilemmas faced in representing disadvantaged minority groups in media and political discourse, theories on power, control and justice and the impact of European initiatives on inclusion. Gypsies and Travellers: Empowerment and inclusion in British society will be of interest to students, academics, policy makers, practitioners, those working in the media, police, education and health services, and of course to Gypsies and Travellers themselves.

Rabbit Stew And A Penny Or Two

Author: Maggie Smith-Bendell
Publisher: Abacus
ISBN: 0748122885
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223

Book Description
Born on a Somerset pea-field in 1941, the second of eight children in a Romani family, Maggie Smith-Bendell has lived through the years of greatest change in the travelling community's long history. As a child, Maggie rode and slept in a horse-drawn wagon, picked hops and flowers, and sat beside her father's campfire on ancient verges, poor but free to roam. As the twentieth century progressed, common land was fenced off and the traditional ways disappeared. Eventually Maggie married a house-dweller and tried to settle for bricks and mortar, but she never lost the restless spirit, the deep love of the land and the gift for storytelling that were her Romani inheritance. Maggie's story is one of hardship and prejudice, but also, unforgettably, it recalls the glories of the travelling life, in the absolute safety of a loyal and loving family.

After All These Years

Author: Maggie Smith-Bendell
Publisher: Univ of Hertfordshire Press
ISBN: 1907396969
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
Maggie Smith-Bendell provides more of her vivid memories, set in the context of the long history of the gypsies.

Beneath the Blue Sky

Author: Dominic Reeve
Publisher: Abacus
ISBN: 1405518847
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 194

Book Description
In a lifetime traversing Britain's lanes and byways, Dominic Reeve has witnessed a changing world for the Romani Gypsies. Since the 1950s, the horse-drawn wagons have given way to brightly chromed vehicles, stopping-places have disappeared - but the Travellers still cling to the precious old traditions and the freedom of an outdoor life. Beneath the Blue Sky tells of horse-fairs and fireside deals, of snowbound Christmases and the joy of taking possession of a new motor. Dominic Reeve recalls feuds and friendships, cycles of parting and meeting, and the struggle in the face of prejudice. Above all, he paints an unforgettable picture of the self-reliance, wit and courage of the Romani people.

Unsung Women in Somerset

Author: Helen Pugh
Publisher: Helen Pugh
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 405

Book Description
Unsung Women in Somerset is a book of real-life and legendary women who lived, loved, worked and struggled in Somerset. From pre-Roman to modern times, we meet women with courage, kindness, innovation and even some who smashed the rules! Through 23 chapters, we meet most women through a short story, followed by historical notes about the woman and a chapter bibliography that shows the meticulous research that has gone into the book. Most chapters also include a Quick Tribute section that briefly mentions other interesting women from the same century. Meet the woman who had two funerals. Meet the African princess who survived and thrived despite the odds. Meet the woman who voted... before it was legal. Meet the openly gay artists whose generosity touched their neighbours' hearts. Meet the queens and saints and "witches" and workers and much more! These are the unsung women of our county. This is the history of Somerset like never before.

No Place to Call Home

Author: Katharine Quarmby
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1780741065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 407

Book Description
The shocking poignant story of eviction, expulsion, and the hard-scrabble fight for a home They are reviled. For centuries the Roma have wandered Europe; during the Holocaust half a million were killed. After World War II and during the Troubles, a wave of Irish Travellers moved to England to make a better, safer life. They found places to settle down – but then, as Occupy was taking over Wall Street and London, the vocal Dale Farm community in Essex was evicted from their land. Many did not leave quietly; they put up a legal and at times physical fight. Award-winning journalist Katharine Quarmby takes us into the heat of the battle, following the Sheridan, McCarthy, Burton and Townsley families before and after the eviction, from Dale Farm to Meriden and other trouble spots. Based on exclusive access over the course of seven years and rich historical research, No Place to Call Home is a stunning narrative of long-sought justice.

A Penny Dip

Author: Meg Hutchinson
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1444718622
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Book Description
One of five sisters, Margaret Rose Astbury grew up in Wednesbury during the first half of the twentieth century. Despite the constant struggle to make ends meet, and the hardship and worry of wartime, life in the Black Country was not all doom and gloom. In the crowded terraced houses and teeming communal yards, there was love and laughter aplenty. Meg was no angel, and was often up to her armpits in mischief. But she knew she could rely on her sisters to stick up for her and her mom and dad were too soft-hearted to punish any of their beloved daughters. With all the humour and narrative skill that have made her novels bestsellers, Meg Hutchinson paints a loving portrait of family life in a more innocent age.