Time travelling from George III to Gypsies - Hereford

From the Hereford Times

VISITORS to a Hartlebury museum will be able to celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage and culture as well as explore the elegances of the Georgian era.

The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller event, organised by Worcestershire Gypsy Roma and Traveller Partnership will be held at the County Museum, Hartlebury Castle on Sunday.

A special ‘Wigs, Waistcoats and Wild Behaviour’ event will also be held at the museum until the end of the year.

Sunday’s exhibition will look at how traveller communities lived in the past and how they live today and includes a display of Gypsy vardos including the Esmeralda caravan, restored by volunteer Ced Lewis.

Visitors can listen to traditional music from Andy Casserley and talks from Travellers and Traveller historians.

Bita Rawni [“Little Lady” in Romani], a two-third scale caravan built, carved and painted by Ced will also be on display.

VIP visitors will include relatives of John Sampson who travelled Britain in Esmeralda and wrote the first Romani dictionary. John, a non-Gypsy, was honoured by the Traveller community with a traditional funeral in 1931.

Meanwhile, the objects on display at the Georgian exhibition include the pelmet from a bed custom made for Prince George’s visit to Hartlebury castle.

Information helps visitors discover wild ideas and behaviour which fuelled the Georgians’ extravagant taste.

Museum visitor experience anager Rachel Robinson aid: “This allows us to showcase ome older and more unique items from the collection.

“King George III visited Hartlebury and was a great friend of Bishop Hurd and we are happy to display items such as a book from Hurd’s own library.”