A traveler plays in the river as horses are being washed for market. Romany Gypsies at Appleby Fair, Cumbria. The most important annual Gypsy horse fair whre Romany Gypsies and travelers meet to trade their wares...English Romany Gypsies traditionally traveled the country roads camping nearby towns and villages, choosing the grassy roadside banks, where they tethered their horses, or in farmer's fields, when they were allowed. Travelling in bowtop wagons drawn by horses, and before that with tents, sometimes with horse drawn carts or just by foot. Often they worked as casual agricultural labourers, doing the seasons work. They also could earn their living in different ways, sometimes selling their wares, brass, tin, wood and cloth, such as embroidered cloths or lace, telling fortunes, music and dancing, and through crafts skills in basket making, plaiting chair bases, sharpening knives, They would make fires from old wood, cleaning up after them when they moved on. There were several horse fairs, notably Appleby in Cumbria and Stow-on-Wold in the Cotswolds where they trade and sell horses, some traditions which keep to this day.
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