The Chicken Swap
 | | Ethel Florence as a child, 3rd from left |
When I was about eight years old, my family were stopping in wagons in Cwm Bach Wood, Llanelli.Ìý When we wanted crisps and things, us children would walk down to a pub at the edge of the wood. The man there called Ben, also sold chickens and ducks and was nice to us Gypsy children. One day we bought a chicken from him but it went into the wagon to lay its eggs.Ìý When we grabbed the chicken to throw it out, we must have injured it in some way because it seemed half dead, so we took it back to the man and asked to swap the chicken for a duck. Now Ben must have realised there was something wrong with the chicken but he agreed we could take a duck and let us choose a nice one with a red comb on its head. So we carried it back to the wood and set it free by the wagons, but it soon flew back home to the man and we realised he must have known that when he let us have it! (Told by Ethel Florence) Fairy Fibs
 | | Ethel Florence, at home with her family |
One day I was sent to fetch water from the well, but I dawdled and played and took a long time to get back to our wagons. Now as a child I often told lies and to avoid getting into trouble I told everyone I’d seen fairies, a little woman and a little man, down at the well. Everyone was talking about it and next day one of the other Traveller women went down to the well and came back saying she’d seen the fairies too. (Told by Ethel Florence) Tasty BaconÌý Early one chilly September morning before going off hop-picking we decided to cook ourselves a good hot breakfast. The day before we’d bought a 10lb flitch of home-cured bacon from a butcher in Shrewsbury, so we cut ourselves some nice thick slices and cooked them on the fire outside. When we came home after a hard days work in the hop-fields, we were looking forward to some more of our tasty bacon, but when we unwrapped it, it had gone off!Ìý We could see maggots on it and felt ill that we’d eaten it that morning! (Told by Owen Florence Sr.) Halloween HauntingsÌý Halloween night was always a great time of celebration for us. It was our favourite of the seasonable festivals/celebrations. Under the stars we would sit around a yog (fire) and tell ghost stories, including stories about my great-gran who was a Romany Shuvani (witch/wise-one), and her magic. Travellers have always been good storytellers and my mother was the best!Ìý Here is a true scary story she once told us ……… One dark night we were all sitting in our trailers when we heard strange noises outside – rustling, screaming and crying.Ìý It seemed to be coming from the woods next to where we were camped. I was young and brave, so I went out to have a look and as I approached the wood, I saw a figure in front of a tree that resembled a cow that was sitting down and had red eyes!Ìý I ran back to the trailer petrified and slammed the door. Next thing we knew, something jumped up on the roof of our trailer and began to shake it. It was the scariest night! Next day the farmer warned us not to go in the woods because it was haunted – witches/wise-ones, including Gypsy Shuvani’s were burnt there and you could still hear their screams.Ìý The figure I saw was to keep us out, for anyone who entered would die from sadness, or go mad. I saw not the Devil that night, but a protective being that saved us from the wood’s pain and curse from a dark time long ago! (Told by Laura & Jane from the Weshni Juckal Clan) Graveside Traditions We had a baby sister called Julia and when I was four she died, aged about three or four months old. I remember Mum putting things in the coffin with her, a little dress and shoes etc., but she burnt the rest and buried her pram. One day when I was visiting my father-in-law’s grave at the cemetery in Westfaling Street, a group of Travellers came and poured a keg of ale all over a grave! (Told by Carol Lewis – nee Hoskins)ÌýÌý Showman's Wagon at Suckley When I was young I lived with my family at Rosehill Farm, Suckley in a showman’s wagon. I remember our wagon well, you had to climb three or four steps to get into it and I also remember my father pulling it there by tractor. We lived in a field up on a bank near six black kilns that dated from when Rosehill was a hop farm. While we were there I remember amongst other things, we picked tayberries and raspberries.Ìý Mrs. Pearce, the owner, was a lovely woman, very posh and particularly kind to me. Once on my 5th birthday, when I got home from school she gave me some presents. I remember she was always immaculately dressed and smelt nice with lovely perfume. For a while we also went to live at Winthill Farm, Suckley, on Captain Hutton’s land. Father’s Mum and Dad lived there with us too, in trailers and huts. Captain Hutton’s was near the Nelson Pub and also Polly Beard’s cottage, which was an off-licence. Travellers would go to her window, pass a jug through and when it was filled up, put the ale into glasses and sit outside having a drink and a laugh. I can still remember the smell of the ale! (Told by Carol Lewis – nee Hoskins) A Giggle with The Queen My Auntie Mary once told me a story about a time when she went to the Three Counties Show at Malvern many years ago to meet the Queen.Ìý As the Queen approached, Mary noticed that she had a large hole in her stockings, and although she tried not to, Mary couldn’t help but giggle as she shook the Queen’s hand. This is a good example of a Traveller’s sense of humour! (Laura) | 
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