Gordon Boswell Romany Museum

Gordon Boswell Romany Museum

Location within Lincolnshire
Established	25 February 1995 (1995-02-25)
Location	Clay Lake Spalding Lincs PE12 6BL
Coordinates	52°46′21″N 0°08′35″W
Type	Museum
Website	gordonboswellromanymuseum.com

The Gordon Boswell Romany Museum is the lifetime's work of Gordon Boswell (died 27 August 2016, aged 76^[1]), who amassed a collection of artefacts, photographs, and several examples of the characteristic Gypsy wagon or Vardo.^[2][3][4][5] 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, England.

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. Gordon Boswell's father Sylvester published in 1970 a best-selling autobiography, "The Book of Boswell",^[6] 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.^[7]

Access

The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from, roughly, Easter (Good Friday) to the last weekend in September 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.^[8]

See also

• Vardo (Romani wagon)
• Romanichal

References

1. Harrison, Lynne (6 September 2016). "Funeral for man who touched many lives". Lincolnshire Free Press (Print version). p. 7.
2. "The Museum's own web site". Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
3. "Gordon Boswell Romany museum". Culture 24. Department of Educartion. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
4. "Gordon Boswell * Museum*". Romany Jib. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
5. "Boswell museum". My Learning. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
6. Boswell, Sylvester (1970). The Book of Boswell. Penguin.
7. "Fitting send-off for 'great ambassador' of Romanies". Spalding Guardian. 15 September 2016. p. 7. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
8. "Gordon Boswell Romany Museum". Lincolnshire county council. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.

External links

• Gordon Boswell Romany Museum – official site