The Gordon Boswell Romany Museum is the lifetime's work of Gordon Boswell (died 27 August 2016, aged 76), who amassed a collection of artefacts, photographs, and several examples of the characteristic Gypsy wagon or
Vardo. The museum also operates a number of non-
Romany vehicles, including a horse-drawn hearse. The collection is housed at Clay Lake,
Spalding in
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Background
Building bridges to the non-Romany community was a tradition in Boswell's family. His great-grandfather had been an important source of information on Romany traditions and language for Victorian academics including
George Borrow
George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...
. Gordon Boswell's father Sylvester published in 1970 a best-selling autobiography, "The Book of Boswell", which portrayed the Romany life. Gordon Boswell gradually collected waggons, carts, and other artefacts of Romany life over many years. The museum that resulted was opened on 25 February 1995.
Access
The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and
Bank Holidays between roughly Easter and the end of October each year. There is access to all exhibits for the disabled. An admission fee is charged. The museum uses one of the wagons for organised trips in the nearby
Fenland.
See also
*
Vardo (Romani wagon)
*
Romanichal
References
External links
Gordon Boswell Romany Museum– official site
Museums in Lincolnshire
Agriculture museums in the United Kingdom
Transport museums in England
Carriage museums in England
Ethnic museums in the United Kingdom
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Romani in the United Kingdom
Romani museums
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