Traditional Gypsy caravans draw a crowd

DOMINIC CHESSUM
18 June 2007 08:29

They may be something from a bygone age but these Gypsy caravans still know how to pull in a crowd.

Two of the immaculate horse drawn wooden vehicles pulled up at the King's Head pub in Heathersett on Saturday.

They are the pride on joy of brothers John and David Leveridge, who met at the pub with their family to celebrate John's birthday.

It had been hoped there would be five caravans in attendance but bad weather meant three were unable to make it to the venue.

Mr Leveridge, a Romany Gypsy, now lives a settled life in a bungalow in Great Metlon, near Hethersett but every year he is still drawn to the travelling lifestyle and takes off in his horse drawn caravan for three or four months.

The caravans have been painstakingly restored by John and his brother who believe it is important to keep up the old gypsy traditions.

The painted wooden caravan has come to symbolise the Gypsy life and traditionally families would live and travel in these colourful vehicles following a seasonal pattern of summer work on the county's farms.

In winter they would pull on to one of the traditional stopping places on the edges of towns or ancient common lands where they would eek out a living as knife sharpeners pot menders and basket and peg makers.