Comments on: Gypsy Caravans

By: Kent Griswold

Kent Griswold — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:26:44 +0000

Thank you for the link, those look really neat and we may need to do another post sometime in the future…Kent

By: kalojuk

kalojuk — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:43:15 +0000

hi like the sheds and things, some interesting stuff, if you love romani caravans worth a visit wwww.gypsywaggons.co.uk has loads of colourful waggons etc.

parruka tu boro bokti /best luck my friends
thanks

By: Anguskirk

Anguskirk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:21:04 +0000

alex –

Gregs Gypsy Caravans in Bristol builds gypsy style bowtops on an Alko caravan chassis. Their website has a photo of the wooden framework.

By: Sheep Wagons

Sheep Wagons — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:00:55 +0000

[...] post on the gypsy caravans was popular, so I thought I would do a post on the classic (and contemporary) sheep [...]

By: Ben Brown

Ben Brown — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:17:10 +0000

This site becomes more interesting the more I read. Vardo, is derived from an Iranian description given to Gypsy housing originating from India?!. The elaborate Vardos are very similiar to the original “painted ladies.” I know painted ladies as derived from the religious revival tent meeting shelters, that over time became permanent camp housing, then regular public housing. Some of our painted ladies became huge behemoths 3,000 square foot and more from the turn of the century as people progressively tried to outdo oneanother… Perhaps the contemporary Vardos can bring us back to scale. This too much reminds me of tiny reptiles becoming huge dinosaurs, only to die off, leaving the smaller more efficient reptiles and mammals to survive. Is this a case of the golden mean, biomimicry or Fibonacci repeating itself??? I hope not, or if so I hope we learn to quickly adapt rather than hold on rigidly to our present system of bigger is better until it is too late.

By: alex

alex — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:01:19 +0000

Hi,

theres a photo of the wheels on some sort of frame. I would love to d.i.y my own caravan. Can you tell me where you purchaced the wheel gig photoed above and where i could get the same type of set-up from. So that i can build my own caravan.

thanx

By: Norman Biddlecombe

Norman Biddlecombe — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03:16 +0000

The largest collection of Gypsy wagon in the world can be found at the Gordon Boswell Romany Museum Spalding Lincolnshire. You can have a day out on a tradition ‘vardo’ with an open air ‘Gypsy meal”. Open March to October. weekends.
info@boswell-romany-museum.com
The museum is run by the Romany Boswell family and is the best introduction to Romany life and history. Well worth a visit and will make you question the racist opposition whenever a legal Gypsy site is proposed.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:33:17 +0000

These little gems are beautiful and inspiring and well crafted. Thank you, Christina!

I myself have loved tiny eccentric homes since my hippie days in Marin County, California, where I remember fondly the wildly creative (in both ornamentation and space farming) in handmade houses, buses and trailers of friends, boyfriends and Neil Young’s…

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:09:41 +0000

Thanks shedworking! I was in Great Missenden to visit a family friend about 12 years ago. I had heard that the caravan was available for tours, but was not able to go see it.

By: shedworking

shedworking — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:53:28 +0000

You can still visit the orginal caravan at Dahl´s home near Great Missenden in the UK (and also the shed where he wrote). It´s not open very often though (usually just a couple of weekends during the summer when it´s open for charity) so you have to plan ahead.