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The Rev. George Bramwell Evens (15 February 1884–20 November 1943)
was, under the pseudonym Romany (and sometimes The Tramp), a British radio broadcaster and writer on countryside and natural history matters – quite possibly the first to broadcast on such issues. He was also a Minister of the
Methodist Church
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
.
Biography
Evens' mother was
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
, born in a ''
vardo'' (Romany wagon). His father was
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
Lieutenant George Evens, a native of
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
. He was born at 3 Argyll Street, Anlaby Road, Hull, England and educated at Epworth College,
Rhyl
Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...
, as boarder, then at Queens College,
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
. He married Eunice, the daughter of The Reverend Owen Thomas on 1 August 1911.
He is most famous for his ''Out with the Romany'' radio programmes (later ''Out with Romany''), which commenced in 1933 on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''
Children's Hour
''Children's Hour'', initially ''The Children's Hour'', was the BBC's principal recreational service for children (as distinct from "Broadcasts to Schools") which began during the period when radio was the only medium of broadcasting.
''Childre ...
'', describing travels in his own ''vardo'' (purchased in 1921, at Brough Hill Fair, for £75), with Comma the horse, his
English Cocker Spaniel
The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. It is noteworthy for producing one of the most varied numbers of pups in a litter among all dog breeds. The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, good-natured, sporting dog standing well up at ...
Raq, and his young friends Muriel and Doris.
Although the programmes were all pre-scripted and performed entirely in the studio, the impression given was of Romany and his friends going for a walk in the countryside and spontaneously discussing the plants and animals they came across.
Raphael Samuel
Raphael Elkan Samuel (26 December 19349 December 1996) was a British Marxist historian, described by Stuart Hall as "one of the most outstanding, original intellectuals of his generation". He was professor of history at the University of East L ...
saw the programme as instrumental in making the countryside desirable for a generation of listeners.
Simon Barnes
Simon Barnes is an English journalist. He was Chief Sports Writer of ''The Times'' until 2014, and wrote a wildlife opinion column in the Saturday edition of the same newspaper. He has written three novels.
The son of Edward Barnes, a co-cre ...
has paid tribute to how his father (radio) and himself (books) were drawn to natural history by Romany: "I longed to walk through the country with the all-knowing, all-seeing Romany".
![George Bramwell Evens - Romany - plaque at Carlisle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/George_Bramwell_Evens_-_Romany_-_plaque_at_Carlisle.jpg)
As a Methodist minister, Evens' ministries included
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
According to the 2011 UK census, Goole parish had a population of 19,518, an increa ...
; the Methodist Central Hall,
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
(1914–1926);
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
(1926–1929); and the King Cross Methodist Chapel,
Halifax (1929–1939), after which ill health forced him to give up the ministry. He retired to
Wilmslow
Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.
History
Toponymy
Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...
, where he died, leaving his wife, son Glyn and daughter, Romany June.
His ashes were scattered, at his request, at Old Parks Farm,
Glassonby
Glassonby is a small village and civil parish in the Eden Valley of Cumbria, England, about south south east of Kirkoswald. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 314, decreasing marginally to 308 at the 2011 Census.
There is a m ...
, Cumbria, which he had enjoyed visiting over a 22-year period: in 2001, a memorial to him was erected to him there by The Romany Society.
![Romany's Vardo - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Romany%27s_Vardo_-_geograph.org.uk_-_130676.jpg)
The vardo was donated, unconditionally, by his widow, to the forerunners of
Cheshire East Borough Council (CEBC). For many years it was displayed by CEBC, outdoors, in
Wilmslow
Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.
History
Toponymy
Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...
. In late 2012, having deteriorated badly, it was restored and moved to
Bradford Industrial Museum, to be displayed indoors.
![Romany Society children’s club badge (1950s)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Romany_Society_children%E2%80%99s_club_badge_%281950s%29.jpg)
The ''Romany Society'', originally formed in 1943, disbanded in 1965, and re-founded in 1996, celebrates his life and work, with regular newsletters and an annual magazine. Its patron is
Terry Waite
Terence Hardy Waite (born 31 May 1939) is an English humanitarian and author.
Waite was the Assistant for Anglican Communion Affairs for the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, in the 1980s. As an envoy for the Church of England, he ...
.
The BBC radio programmes were all broadcast live, and only one recording survives – dated October 1943, just a month before his death. It was released on CD in 2006.
Bibliography
The books were analysed, from a collector's point of view, in the January 2002 edition of ''Book and Magazine Collector'' magazine.
Original Romany Books
(Credited to G. Bramwell Evens)
* ''A Romany in the Fields'' (Epworth Press, 1929)
* ''A Romany and Raq'' (Epworth Press, 1930)
* ''A Romany in the Country'' (Epworth Press, 1932)
* ''A Romany on the Trail'' (Epworth Press, 1934; illustrations by
Reg Gammon
Reg or REG may refer to:
* Reginald (disambiguation)
* Reg or Desert pavement#Reg, desert pavement
* Raising for Effective Giving, a charity
* Random event generator (parapsychology)
* Raptor Education Group
* Regal Entertainment Group
* Regular la ...
)
* ''Out with Romany'' (University of London Press (UoL), 1937; illustrations by Gammon and photographs by Romany)
* ''Out with Romany Again'' (UoL, 1938; line drawings by Gammon and photographs by Romany)
* ''Out with Romany Once More'' (UoL, 1940; illustrations by Gammon)
* ''Out with Romany by the Sea'' (UoL, 1941; illustrations by Gammon and photographs by Romany)
* ''Out with Romany by Meadow and Stream'' (UoL, 1942; illustrations by Gammon)
* ''Out With Romany by Moor and Dale'' (UoL, 1944; illustrations by Gammon)
* ''Walks with Romany'' (E.J. Arnold & Son, undated)
The Romany Readers
Published by the University of London Press in 1951.
#''Hotchi the Hedgehog''
#''Smut the Hare''
#''Flash the Fox''
#''Spook the Barn-owl''
#''Pete and Prue the Partridges''
#''Nick the Weasel''
#''Billy the Squirrel''
#''Sleek the Otter''
By Romany's son
Written by Romany's son, Glyn K. Evens.
* ''Romany, Muriel & Doris'' (told by Raq) (UoL; illustrations by Gammon)
* ''Romany Turns Detective''
* ''Romany on the Farm''
* ''Romany's Caravan Returns''
By Romany's wife
Written by Romany's wife, Eunice Evens.
* ''Through the Years with Romany'' (UoL, 1946)
By Romany's friend
Written by Romany's friend,
H.L. Gee.
*''The Spirit of Romany'' (St. Hugh's Press, 1949)
A new Romany Book
Written by Phil Shelley, Publications Officer for the Romany Society, and illustrated by Ray Hollands.
*''Romany in the Lanes'' (Lamorna Publications, 2007)
Biography
*''Romany Returns'', Guy Loveridge (includes reprints of some stories)
See also
*
Norman Ellison aka Nomad the Naturalist.
References
External links
The Romany Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evens, George Bramwell
1884 births
1943 deaths
British children's writers
English Romani people
English radio personalities
English Methodist ministers
English nature writers
20th-century Methodist ministers
Methodist Church of Great Britain people
Romani Christians
Writers from Kingston upon Hull