Celebrating 500 years of Romany history in the New Forest

Exhibition in East Boldre, Hampshire, celebrates 500 years of Romany history - by Dee Cooper

There’s no denying the breath-taking magical feeling that the New Forest gives you the moment you arrive. If it’s serenity you’re looking for, here’s where you’ll find it. It’s a place where you can surround yourself with woodland tree’s, birdsong and the most majestic of horses, that roam not just in the Forest but in the streets and on the pavements.

 No matter the time of year you visit, there is always something to see. 

I arrived here on the 1st of March 2024 to bitter winds and grey skies, that you could see for miles, the heathers on the heath still giving off a gentle colour of lilacs and pinks even in the boggy fields that had created mini ponds across the landscape, where horses stopped to take a drink and huddled together whilst they grazed.

As I sat admiring the very best of what nature had to offer, I couldn’t help wondering about the hardships our ancestors must have faced, for this land was filled with heritage and history of our Romany people who for hundreds of years had roamed the Forest freely, amongst the horses, deer, and cattle. Until 1926 when the compound system started and areas across the new forest were set aside for Gypsy encampments, preventing the Romanies from roaming free. The sites were set up on Thorney Hill, Shave wood, Broomhill and Latchmoor as well as Hardley, Longdown and Blackhamsley, then restricting the Romany community from stopping anywhere else in the new forest apart from these compounds in fact they were forbidden. 

Today historians gather the history and stories of yesteryear of the Romany people that once stopped here and we all too often hear others talk about our ancestors as if being told a fantasy story, but the hardships were real, the confinement and discrimination all real. Yes, there is of course still a beauty in our way of life and our people, but all too often the reality of everyday life is forgotten.

So, when I heard there was to be a New Exhibition that was covering five hundred years of Romany History, I had to find out more. 

On the 6th of March 2024 I took the Journey to East Boldre, a small village in the New Forest to meet a man called Tony Johnson, who is the reason that this exhibition has come about. Tony is not from the Romany community; he is in fact a collector known as a social historian. Tony has been an avid collector for forty- three years and over that time has collected not just photos and stories, but newspaper cuttings and even council records. Now with the creative talent of Mr Stephen Antczak, who has gathered all of Tony’s personal pieces together ready to display and share with all that care to look. 

Titled the “New Forest Romany Heritage Exhibition” reflecting 500 years of History will open its doors on the 25th 26th 27th of May 2024 at East Boldre Village Hall, from 10am- 4pm each day. 

Now call me sceptical, but I had to question why Tony was putting on this exhibition and who - if anyone - in the Romany community was involved. 

His answer was simple and poured from him with truth and passion as he said. “Well Dee, I collect many things around the social history of the New Forest, I save cuttings and have been given photos over a forty – three-year period and when I thought about it I think the Romany people have had a raw deal and in my opinion says Tony, there’s not a lot of difference between the work the Foresters did to what the Romanies did for work, but the Romany community were treated very different.

“I have council records," he says. "Any on discrimination," I ask? “Yes," he replies.

Tony thinks that his personal collection is so valuable in history, that it should be made available for all to see. 

Both Tony and Stephen have been part of the East Boldre Village Hall committee for around 20 years and through their dedication, the committee have put on several different non- profit historical exhibitions for the local community, but this is to be their very first Romany History project. 

Stephen recalls his childhood days and the Romany Children he went to school with, and how his Gypsy neighbours grew and sold the best strawberries he has ever tasted, a memory and flavour he will never forget! In-fact so much so, he doesn’t eat strawberries anymore.

Tony spends his free time at the New Forest heritage centre in Lyndhurst, where they are also gathering a collection about the Romanies of the New Forest and it was whilst he was volunteering, he had a chance meeting with a lovely lady called Rebecca Johnson, although they share the same surname, they are not related.

Rebecca is from both the Romany and Showman community and was researching for a book she is writing about the history of her family who ran the boxing booths in Hampshire. 

She quickly warmed to Tony and could feel his enthusiasm for this project, so offered to jump on board volunteering to help both Tony and Stephen to spread the word and cover the communications about this wonderful 3-day event. 

Rebecca said, “Tony explained that the exhibition would be for Romany families within the Forest to celebrate their history, as well as to educated families that have moved to the forest more recently on the importance of Romany history – we can easily be disregarded by newcomers who don’t understand the ways of the Forest.”

Tony told me some of the names included in the exhibition, are that of the Coopers, Kings, Turners, Keet’s plus many more, also, included are a great collection of photos taken by photographer Jack Loveland, who spent many hours taking photos in the compounds around the 1960’s getting to know the Romanies of the New Forest. 

I asked had the project been funded, Stephen tells me, they are very grateful to Hampshire council who part funded the picture panels for this wonderful historical display, which they hope to be able to show around the local schools after the Exhibition and that in celebration of Gypsy Roma Traveller history month they will be displaying the photos and documents again from the 1st June till the 7th June 2024 at the Thorney hill Community Centre, open from 10am till 4pm. 

Tony, Stephen, and Rebecca, look forward to meeting new faces at the exhibition and learning even more about the Romany community from families that visit and there will also be an opportunity to record some oral history if anyone wishes too. 

(You can join Tony’s Facebook page – New Forest History and Heritage.)

Exhibition 25th, 26th 27th May 2024

East Boldre Village Hall

S042 7WD

© Dee Cooper for Travellers' Times March 2024

(Lead photograph: Romany Gypsy camp circa 1890 (c) Tony Johnson Collection)