Gypsy Roma Traveller Leeds
The permanent site of the Gypsy Roma Traveller Communities
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Persecuted
Racism and prejudice has never been too far from Traveller and Gypsy people and you can read about the history of persecution in our History Section.
Traveller communities
A Rich Tapestry of Cultures
The Traveller communities include Gypsy, Roma and Travellers of Irish Heritage, who are the largest ethnic minority group in Europe numbering over 12 million people.
Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish Heritage number over 300,000 in the UK.
They are also the most marginalised and continue to suffer extreme levels of prejudice and discrimination. The term Travellers also includes the Fairground, Circus, Bargee and new Traveller communities.
There are many different Traveller communities that live in the United Kingdom. These are the main groups, though it is important to approach the question of identity with care and respect. It is important for individuals to self-ascribe.
Many Travellers have suffered extreme levels of prejudice and rejection and for some it has been necessary to hide their identity to survive.
Sensitive awareness and a willingness to learn and listen will help in building the trust and confidence of Travellers that is so necessary for a successful relationship.
Roma, Gypsies and Travellers of Irish Heritage are all recognised ethnic minority communities and will have the protection of the Race Relation Act 1976 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The case of Scottish Travellers is equally strong though there has not been a test case to date.
Bargee Families
A life on the water
Bargee families live on the their boats and travel carrying cargo for a living.
Families were brought up on these boats and had a nomadic lifestyle similar to that of Fairground or Circus families.
For more information go to
Circus Travellers
Roll Up, Roll Up!
Circuses visit Leeds from all over the world. The circus is a tradition and has its own families that have been born into this tradition, similar to Showpeople. Many families specialise in particular skills but also contribute to the whole performance by taking on a variety of roles.
Fairground Communities
Traditions Upheld Since Medieval Times
The Fairground Community, known as ‘Showpeople’, have a long tradition of working the Fairs, many of which are hundreds of years old. Fairs like Aikey Brae in Scotland and Newcastle Town moor still meet on the same spot where they began hundreds of years ago. Others still take place on the days laid down in their Medieval charters. St. Giles’ Fair in Oxford last two days, Monday and Tuesday, following the first Sunday after St. Giles’ Day on the first of September.
Roma/Gypsies
Communities Around the World
Roma Origins
The Roma originally came from the Indian subcontinent, which they left about a thousand years ago. They entered Europe in the 13th Century. When they arrived in Europe they were thought to be from Egypt and were called Egyptians, which is where the word "Gypsy" comes from.
Irish Travellers
Travellers that date back to the Eleventh Century
Irish Travellers are a distinct ethnic minority community and have a separate identity, culture, history and language.
They have a long shared history that dates back to the Eleventh Century.
New Travellers
An Adopted Lifestyle
New Travellers is a term to define those groups of people that did not have a tradition of travelling and yet adopted this life style, which began in the 1970's for various reasons.
Many were part of the Free Festival movement and bought buses to transport themselves following the events during the summer months and then parking up for the winters. Others wanted a change from city life and a life style that would offer different experiences. Since then children have been brought up on the road and that has been their experience and this is their tradition.
Scottish Travellers
Internationally recognised for Their Storytelling Tradition
Scottish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic minority community in Scotland, who have a great deal in common with Irish Travellers and also English Gypsies or Romanichals. They have a distinct identity and mode of life that preserves centuries-old cultural beliefs and their own language. For their skill as storytellers, as well as ballad singers, they are internationally recognized for one of the richest storytelling traditions in the world.
Read about Scottish storyteller Jess Smith
Around the site
Circus Life
An article taken from the second issue of the Travellers Post published by the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service, details life as a circus Traveller.
The majority of Gypsies and Travellers being nomadic communities have not developed literacy as the settled communities have. A great deal of Traveller history is passed down from generation to generation through word of mouth and story-telling.
Also read about
Storytelling Project
The aim of this ongoing storytelling project is to promote the active involvement of the Gypsy/Traveller and Roma communities in the education of all children by building on their traditional skills as storytellers.
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