This year, the theme for Gypsy, Roma & Traveller History Month was ‘Family‘.
We asked the children and young people that we work with to find out about their own family history and share it with us.
Here are some of their families…
This is
Alfred Henry Clark –
known as ‘Tiddler’.
He is Scarlett and Johnny Brazil‘s great-grandad.
Alfred built this trolley. This is his back garden where he had a garage that he used to built carts and trolleys to take to horse drives and sell.
He also had stables where he kept his horse Paddy. Every year, he took Paddy to the Battersea Horse Show and he always won!
Alfred kept this yellow trolley because he wanted to use it for his last ride. When he passed away in 2022, his casket was carried on the back of this yellow trolley.
There have been many Traveller families who have also used this trolley for the last ride of their loved ones that passed away.
This is Joseph Spencer with his older brother George and their grandad.
Their grandad and their great uncle used to build wagons.
They built the one in the picture on the right and that is their great uncle – David Hilden.
They also built the green wagon pictured below which they sold. Many years later, the boys’ uncle tracked down the wagon and bought it so it is now back with the family where it belongs.
Here are some more photos from the Spencer family history showing life as a Traveller….
This is Joseph‘s younger sister – Eileen Jupe. She interviewed her Great Aunt Rose about when she used to take Eileen’s mum to school on the ‘Traveller school bus’ and what life was like for Eileen‘s mum when she was at school.