I'm settled but descended from Romanies on my Mother's side. Older relatives remember my great grandmother hawking around the area I live in now, as her ancestors did before her. Her son ended up settling down with his wife and had my mum, and here I am. The lifestyle has always called out to me. Who knows where I may end up. Pride is a bit of a strange word to apply to something I have no control over, but I'm certainly not ashamed of my heritage, on the contrary. It gives me comfort and I feel gratitude for them for enduring and doing what they did, else I wouldn't be here to enjoy the life I have now.
Same my maternal great grandmother was a Romany living on Barnes common,I love the thought of the lifestyle, I do have 5 horses and am outside more than in. I am proud to have a tiny piece of that heritage, I wish I could find out more about that side of my family.
@@tawnywitchmy Romany side maternal grandmother)come from Barnes too! Near 5 generations! Then set and stayed in Barnes and Mortlake Coxford,Lovell,Simpson and Lee lines.
Very insightful documentary. As someone who has some Romany ancestry I am very interested and proud of my heritage. Unfortunately prejudice is still perpetrated by the mainstream media, documentary’s like this one help to dispel the myths and racial bigotry.
He talks about it's not just about the nomadic life it's about an ethnic identity that you don't lose because you have a less nomadic life. But it's also about very strong family ties. There's a lot of press these days about the epidemic of loneliness and one of the major factors is people no longer have these close community and family ties. So I hope the gypsies never lose that.
This documentary helped me understand a lot more about my own heritage as I only found out from my sisters that I am British Romany gypsy like a month ago, but my sister doesn’t know a lot about our family as my grandmother stepped away from the community because of our last name and she wanted to protect us, but i don’t understand how our last name ‘Russell’ is not good as no one has told us. But I’m really glad that this documentary exists because now I know so much more about my heritage so thank you for this amazing video❤️
@@hamzaabdurahman2120 We originally came from India and travelled across Western Asia and Europe. Along the way a lot married in to the communities, and the English and American Rom are often quite European looking, whereas a lot of the Eastern Europeans still look very dark. There are still a lot of dark English Rom though. And a lot of us who look pale end up with dark children. It's just how genetics works. But we all have India in our DNA, and the colour of our skin doesn't matter.
My great grandmother came to the US in 1895. She was a Romany Gypsy. I never knew until about 2009 when on Ancestry, I met a young lady whose great great grandmother was the sister to my great grandmother. She sent me some awesome family photos even one of my grandmother when she was about 10 years old! I talked to one of my half-cousins and she said she knew and it was HUSH HUSH. Well, all those folks are dead, what does it matter now? I've been doing my family research since 1972 and I, in 2009, just finding out we are of Romany Gypsy descent. WOW! I find it fascinating and wonder just how many folks in those old images could be a part of my family!!! My great great grandfather was in horse trading and earthenware. My great grandmother on the ship's manifest is listed as a hawker. That is how I found out. I did not know what a hawker was so I ask the question and got my answer! Thanks to my new found 2nd cousin once removed!!! Thank you for this documentary! EDIT: Oh my goodness.... just saw a wagon with VAREY & Sons on it.... they have to be kin... my great grandmother was a VAREY by birth!
As someone who is doing genealogy research I found this a Very very interesting documentary. I too grew up in the 70’s and 80’s being referred to by my dad and granny as gypsy…it never bothered me. My granny’s paternal grandfather was the famous Riley Boss who had 3 wives Her great grandmother was Riley’s wife Lucy. My granny’s maternal and paternal grandfather’s Sampson Boss and Frampton Young( Heron) came to America in the 1800’s
Thank you for sharing this, l am not Gypsy but a lot of my friends are. I find if you want work done you can more rely on them than so called local traders.
I'm an American gorger who's always been interested in Gypsies since I was young. I have interacted with Gypsies from former Yugoslavia or Romania in Warsaw, Poland (my husband is from Warsaw). A little Gypsy girl broke my heart in 2019. I treated her to M&Ms and a sticker book! :-) (I'm sure she had to share with her siblings later!) There is a large Gypsy community in Poland, mostly in the south closer to Germany, and they've been settled since the 1950s. They've got a reputation for being wealthy, though. Some Polish Gypsy singers who are popular are Don Wasyl (pronounced "Vasyl," rhymes with Basil) and Toby King.
Interesting doco. For anyone curious, there is a huge population of Romani people in Brazil. Wikipedia says the population is bigger than anywhere in Europe. Im not sure about that but can confirm the population is huge.
Someone painting a picture of thier heritage/blood/ culture will always be better than someone not of it. So having Romani English blood going back in time I like and can learn from this documentary first above others. 🐎☘️😉🔥👍
Great video! It appears as though alot of the East Indian Romani blood has been bred out since it arrived to Britain via the Roma. It's not one-way gene flow, so I'll bet there are plenty of English people carrying around Romani blood, unaware. Thank you, Damien!
Although most gypsy people in the UK have light skin, many still speak some of the language. Unfortunately the language is dying out these days, but some words are always said.
I'm a driver in the US. Descended from English Romanichal's. This was a good program. I noticed that there was just about no Romm language. I know why. But hardy do I hear it anymore. Dihk.
Although I'm a Gorger in the US, I think it's very cruel when Gypsies get thrown off where they've been living. I've interacted with Gypsies in Warsaw, Poland. A little Gypsy girl in Old Town broke my heart back in 2019. I bought her a sticker book and some M&Ms. She was busy looking cute while her mum played accordion but the little girl seemed bored to death to me! ;-) If somebody calls himself a Roma then I will call him a Roma but not all Gypsies are Roma. There are Yenisch and other travelers. Some travelers like the Irish aren't even Roma and I wish other Gorgers would realize that. I really wish there was a better, more general term for Gypsy which is more inclusive of travelers of all types. This is a really good documentary, and I also thoroughly enjoyed "Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World." Must sees for all Gorger interested in Gypsy culture.
How difficult can it be to have a few places dotted here and there in the UK where there is showers and toilets and electricity, massive wheelie bins for household rubbish and all behind a barrier that ONLY the travelling community has access to and let it be known that the councils will only empty the bins, keeping the places clean is their responsability, if the authorities start moaning about costs, tell them to contact the state to keep some of the foreign aid money and spend it at home instead
[49:33] - About Damian's question, I feel like a lot of the answers are directed elsewhere. Just like the term "Romanian" is often used to mean Romani, the term "Gypsy" is often used to mean Irish/English traveler and/or Romani. A lot of the negative comments seem to me directed at the former groups, who're often indiscriminately called "Gypsies" within popular culture. It's very unfair, not to mention confusing, to label these very distinct cultures with entirely separate origins and histories as a single unit. If the question were specifically asked about Romanichal people, I'd imagine the responses would be more thoughtful and curious. I'd wager much of the vitriol would be absent, too.
I’m a Redworth not many people have heard of my last name from the area I live in but I do know we have ties to Boswells and many others I yet to find out i believe I have relatives in Bexley Heath I was taken away from my parents and taken into care to be raised in another family so I don’t really know a lot about my family background
That is sad that the presenter, a Romany, says that riding the horse home 400 miles or so Is a dream, I feel sad for him as that's what his ancestors had done and it's in his blood to do it but now it's like he's been surpressed...that's sad, I hope he gets to fulfil his dream ❤
They claim to be roma but none of them look indian like their European counterparts. In hungary romania Italy they all look indian. Did the original roma gypsy breed with the English so much they bred out their dark skin.
They dont claim to be roma though . Romanichal aka anglo romany ( but includes scotish and welsh also) are are a seperate group in the same way that sinti are not roma , some of them , (welsh kale) are different again . I dont understand why people think gypsies should look indian . Gypsies have a good mix of asian and european genes and it dose not take alot of intermixing of brown and white to come up with pale scin and blond hair in the same way ot dose not take a lot of intermixing of black and white people to come up with a black looking child.
Most of us have central or south Asian dna. People have mixed over the centuries. The roma are a separate group altogether and there's different types of them too from all different places. My great nan looked very much Indian. Infact it's always been said she looked native American. She wasn't. She was just a romany. Her kids were a mix of blue eyes and blonde hair and dark hair and dark eyes. My nan is blonde and blue eyed but tans dark. My dads brown haired and blue eyed. I came out green eyed, olive skin and dark brown hair. Go figure.
@katy Dominguez yes. On further research and watching documentaries in English romanichal you can definitely see many have dark features from their Indian heritage. I guess the European roma especially the Eastern European ones just didn't mix as much as many look full blooded Indian and very rare to see any blue eyed blond ones even in the children.
@@oman9492 they are darker but inthink it's the groups they come from aswell. But it's not that rare for the kids to be blonde. There's a lot in Greece with blonde kids. Weird as it sounds. Must be some kind of weird gene carried through. The kids still seem to have dark eyes though evennwith blonde hair.
After India we mixed with the Burusho people, known for their light skin and blue green eyes. In india we came from northern india where alot are very light skinned. Not all Indians are keralan dark
Although my granny was full gypsy She did not marry a gypsy. She had my daddy and he did not marry a gypsy so I am only a quarter. I try to learn all I can.
Some gypsys😮 don't like the notion that they originally from India 😂 specialy the British gypsies 😂 no matter how you denied no body can Scape their origin.fact..anyway gypsys gave the world lots of culture.for example how to celebrate weddings.. fashion..sexy dancing..am not a gypsy am African somali.and I like gypsy people.
One piece of information in history.. when Muslims concord India they gave freedom to low cast people from Sinbad that Hindus use to treat them as animals..then those poor Indians found freedom to travel so some of them trips moved to Europe.check it if you don't believe me
Racism exists all over the world. I’m in the USA and I think we embrace the people and culture here more. Tons of public lands to stay on for free! Come join us in the land of the free!
![Eminem - Houdini [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/22tVWwmTie8/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm settled but descended from Romanies on my Mother's side. Older relatives remember my great grandmother hawking around the area I live in now, as her ancestors did before her. Her son ended up settling down with his wife and had my mum, and here I am. The lifestyle has always called out to me. Who knows where I may end up. Pride is a bit of a strange word to apply to something I have no control over, but I'm certainly not ashamed of my heritage, on the contrary. It gives me comfort and I feel gratitude for them for enduring and doing what they did, else I wouldn't be here to enjoy the life I have now.
Same my maternal great grandmother was a Romany living on Barnes common,I love the thought of the lifestyle, I do have 5 horses and am outside more than in. I am proud to have a tiny piece of that heritage, I wish I could find out more about that side of my family.
@@tawnywitchmy Romany side maternal grandmother)come from Barnes too! Near 5 generations! Then set and stayed in Barnes and Mortlake Coxford,Lovell,Simpson and Lee lines.
@@iretihines8881 Do you have any more info ? I would love to find out more.
My Grandad was a Romani horse trader, in Surrey UK, back before WW2, so I'm 1/4 on Mums side. I love reading about my Roma heritage.
Ther went any roma in the uk before world war 2 . Only Romany folk . That's what they called them selfs .
Very insightful documentary. As someone who has some Romany ancestry I am very interested and proud of my heritage. Unfortunately prejudice is still perpetrated by the mainstream media, documentary’s like this one help to dispel the myths and racial bigotry.
awesome documentary, thanks for sharing much love from finnish roma
He talks about it's not just about the nomadic life it's about an ethnic identity that you don't lose because you have a less nomadic life. But it's also about very strong family ties. There's a lot of press these days about the epidemic of loneliness and one of the major factors is people no longer have these close community and family ties. So I hope the gypsies never lose that.
Thank you,Damian. Great job!
Loved this thankyou... x
This documentary helped me understand a lot more about my own heritage as I only found out from my sisters that I am British Romany gypsy like a month ago, but my sister doesn’t know a lot about our family as my grandmother stepped away from the community because of our last name and she wanted to protect us, but i don’t understand how our last name ‘Russell’ is not good as no one has told us. But I’m really glad that this documentary exists because now I know so much more about my heritage so thank you for this amazing video❤️
Same here, never met em... Dads name was King... Never met any of them
These Romanis they look more english compared to the ones I see ?
@@hamzaabdurahman2120 We originally came from India and travelled across Western Asia and Europe. Along the way a lot married in to the communities, and the English and American Rom are often quite European looking, whereas a lot of the Eastern Europeans still look very dark. There are still a lot of dark English Rom though. And a lot of us who look pale end up with dark children. It's just how genetics works. But we all have India in our DNA, and the colour of our skin doesn't matter.
My great grandmother came to the US in 1895. She was a Romany Gypsy. I never knew until about 2009 when on Ancestry, I met a young lady whose great great grandmother was the sister to my great grandmother. She sent me some awesome family photos even one of my grandmother when she was about 10 years old! I talked to one of my half-cousins and she said she knew and it was HUSH HUSH. Well, all those folks are dead, what does it matter now? I've been doing my family research since 1972 and I, in 2009, just finding out we are of Romany Gypsy descent. WOW! I find it fascinating and wonder just how many folks in those old images could be a part of my family!!! My great great grandfather was in horse trading and earthenware. My great grandmother on the ship's manifest is listed as a hawker. That is how I found out. I did not know what a hawker was so I ask the question and got my answer! Thanks to my new found 2nd cousin once removed!!! Thank you for this documentary! EDIT: Oh my goodness.... just saw a wagon with VAREY & Sons on it.... they have to be kin... my great grandmother was a VAREY by birth!
i know a load of vareys from the uk
As someone who is doing genealogy research I found this a Very very interesting documentary. I too grew up in the 70’s and 80’s being referred to by my dad and granny as gypsy…it never bothered me. My granny’s paternal grandfather was the famous Riley Boss who had 3 wives Her great grandmother was Riley’s wife Lucy. My granny’s maternal and paternal grandfather’s Sampson Boss and Frampton Young( Heron) came to America in the 1800’s
Very good documentary..well put together. Happy new year for 2024...
Ah Kushti, how me farvey lived old way are the best way
Kushti docu, loved it.
Looking for a boswell boyfriend then?? 😊😊
This situation is so different from german Romani and Sinti. I am happy to learn more about this.
Thanks a lot ❤
Lol I cooked a Joey Grey couple of weeks ago and my heritage is Jamaican. I've always known it as breakfast stew
Thank you for sharing this, l am not Gypsy but a lot of my friends are. I find if you want work done you can more rely on them than so called local traders.
I'm an American gorger who's always been interested in Gypsies since I was young. I have interacted with Gypsies from former Yugoslavia or Romania in Warsaw, Poland (my husband is from Warsaw). A little Gypsy girl broke my heart in 2019. I treated her to M&Ms and a sticker book! :-) (I'm sure she had to share with her siblings later!) There is a large Gypsy community in Poland, mostly in the south closer to Germany, and they've been settled since the 1950s. They've got a reputation for being wealthy, though. Some Polish Gypsy singers who are popular are Don Wasyl (pronounced "Vasyl," rhymes with Basil) and Toby King.
😂😂😂
Interesting doco. For anyone curious, there is a huge population of Romani people in Brazil. Wikipedia says the population is bigger than anywhere in Europe. Im not sure about that but can confirm the population is huge.
A lot travelled the Iberian Peninsula too.
Someone painting a picture of thier heritage/blood/ culture will always be better than someone not of it. So having Romani English blood going back in time I like and can learn from this documentary first above others. 🐎☘️😉🔥👍
Great video! It appears as though alot of the East Indian Romani blood has been bred out since it arrived to Britain via the Roma. It's not one-way gene flow, so I'll bet there are plenty of English people carrying around Romani blood, unaware.
Thank you, Damien!
We all still have Indian in our DNA.
I'm milky white, and I have Western Asian, Northern India, ancestry. I never would have known if I didn't take that DNA test.
Although most gypsy people in the UK have light skin, many still speak some of the language. Unfortunately the language is dying out these days, but some words are always said.
Tought you how to play spoons dint I 😂😂😂
I’m a half Roma and this is sooo cool
I'm a driver in the US. Descended from English Romanichal's. This was a good program. I noticed that there was just about no Romm language. I know why. But hardy do I hear it anymore. Dihk.
On my Dad's side. Stanley side we are Romanichel Gypsy's related to Wells Cooper Joles Ayers Smith Lee Boswell and a ton more!
Although I'm a Gorger in the US, I think it's very cruel when Gypsies get thrown off where they've been living. I've interacted with Gypsies in Warsaw, Poland. A little Gypsy girl in Old Town broke my heart back in 2019. I bought her a sticker book and some M&Ms. She was busy looking cute while her mum played accordion but the little girl seemed bored to death to me! ;-)
If somebody calls himself a Roma then I will call him a Roma but not all Gypsies are Roma. There are Yenisch and other travelers. Some travelers like the Irish aren't even Roma and I wish other Gorgers would realize that. I really wish there was a better, more general term for Gypsy which is more inclusive of travelers of all types. This is a really good documentary, and I also thoroughly enjoyed "Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World." Must sees for all Gorger interested in Gypsy culture.
Banjara
What is a Gorger?
@@alanandconnielastnon gypsy
How difficult can it be to have a few places dotted here and there in the UK where there is showers and toilets and electricity, massive wheelie bins for household rubbish and all behind a barrier that ONLY the travelling community has access to and let it be known that the councils will only empty the bins, keeping the places clean is their responsability, if the authorities start moaning about costs, tell them to contact the state to keep some of the foreign aid money and spend it at home instead
In the USA we have millwrights, and iron workers in unions that travel over the USA to follow jobs, most live in RVs
I'm not from Romany as far as I know. But I have always felt akin to the lifestyle .
Keep going, folks.
Romany Gypsies are an ethnicity though, not a lifestyle.
As the cost of housing becomes less and less affordable, then people everywhere should expect to see more of their peers taking to trailer living.
I am the last of my Lee family to have worked the Blackheath Fair in South London
predictably the more desperate people become the more the crime rises, its not rocket science.
Damien the gypsy John wick
John Wick is Romani
@@jjboswell5043really
[49:33] - About Damian's question, I feel like a lot of the answers are directed elsewhere. Just like the term "Romanian" is often used to mean Romani, the term "Gypsy" is often used to mean Irish/English traveler and/or Romani. A lot of the negative comments seem to me directed at the former groups, who're often indiscriminately called "Gypsies" within popular culture. It's very unfair, not to mention confusing, to label these very distinct cultures with entirely separate origins and histories as a single unit. If the question were specifically asked about Romanichal people, I'd imagine the responses would be more thoughtful and curious. I'd wager much of the vitriol would be absent, too.
I’m a Redworth not many people have heard of my last name from the area I live in but I do know we have ties to Boswells and many others I yet to find out i believe I have relatives in Bexley Heath I was taken away from my parents and taken into care to be raised in another family so I don’t really know a lot about my family background
My folkie are Lovells, and we have Boswell ties too!x
My people 💙♥️💚
That is sad that the presenter, a Romany, says that riding the horse home 400 miles or so Is a dream, I feel sad for him as that's what his ancestors had done and it's in his blood to do it but now it's like he's been surpressed...that's sad, I hope he gets to fulfil his dream ❤
They claim to be roma but none of them look indian like their European counterparts. In hungary romania Italy they all look indian. Did the original roma gypsy breed with the English so much they bred out their dark skin.
They dont claim to be roma though . Romanichal aka anglo romany ( but includes scotish and welsh also) are are a seperate group in the same way that sinti are not roma , some of them , (welsh kale) are different again .
I dont understand why people think gypsies should look indian . Gypsies have a good mix of asian and european genes and it dose not take alot of intermixing of brown and white to come up with pale scin and blond hair in the same way ot dose not take a lot of intermixing of black and white people to come up with a black looking child.
Most of us have central or south Asian dna. People have mixed over the centuries. The roma are a separate group altogether and there's different types of them too from all different places. My great nan looked very much Indian. Infact it's always been said she looked native American. She wasn't. She was just a romany. Her kids were a mix of blue eyes and blonde hair and dark hair and dark eyes. My nan is blonde and blue eyed but tans dark. My dads brown haired and blue eyed. I came out green eyed, olive skin and dark brown hair. Go figure.
@katy Dominguez yes. On further research and watching documentaries in English romanichal you can definitely see many have dark features from their Indian heritage. I guess the European roma especially the Eastern European ones just didn't mix as much as many look full blooded Indian and very rare to see any blue eyed blond ones even in the children.
@@oman9492 they are darker but inthink it's the groups they come from aswell. But it's not that rare for the kids to be blonde. There's a lot in Greece with blonde kids. Weird as it sounds. Must be some kind of weird gene carried through. The kids still seem to have dark eyes though evennwith blonde hair.
After India we mixed with the Burusho people, known for their light skin and blue green eyes. In india we came from northern india where alot are very light skinned. Not all Indians are keralan dark
I never knew about this only thing I knew was that Romanis came recently in 2019 i believed but now i see Romany that look fairly english 😮
I remember the Gypo’s in Gorton,,Manchester.
They were very much PUT down in Society in the 60’s.
One of them was a friend of mine.
Just put yor rubish in tha bin damion
Although my granny was full gypsy She did not marry a gypsy. She had my daddy and he did not marry a gypsy so I am only a quarter. I try to learn all I can.
I wonder if this is where my surname comes from.
It is, Doe is a very well known gypsy name… I’m Bowers.
👍🏼
I'm crocker.
Please can I have the contact details of Damian Le Bas as I want to report to him about the portrayal of gypsy culture by Channel 4.
Please contact Traveller Times, or Friends Families and Travellers organisations.
Im one of these people by blood, never met any though..
LOOK
I want out of house dwelling I think it's better to be a traveller
Some gypsys😮 don't like the notion that they originally from India 😂 specialy the British gypsies 😂 no matter how you denied no body can Scape their origin.fact..anyway gypsys gave the world lots of culture.for example how to celebrate weddings.. fashion..sexy dancing..am not a gypsy am African somali.and I like gypsy people.
One piece of information in history.. when Muslims concord India they gave freedom to low cast people from Sinbad that Hindus use to treat them as animals..then those poor Indians found freedom to travel so some of them trips moved to Europe.check it if you don't believe me
Yawn
Islam forced us out of India
@@Gypsygeekfreak17what’s your opinion on Serb nationalist persecution of Roma in Bosnia, some of whom fought for FBiH and were Muslim?
@@sashakhan1262 don’t care
@@sashakhan1262 don’t care
Racism exists all over the world. I’m in the USA and I think we embrace the people and culture here more. Tons of public lands to stay on for free! Come join us in the land of the free!
We are tremendously blessed to have so much public, undeveloped land over here. Those who seek it will never have trouble finding somewhere to stay.
Stop embarrassing yourself. x
Pukka documentary 👍
Us Romany Gypsies - Eurasian Nomads aren't native to Europe never mind Britain, so stal yir rancid moy. x
My beautiful indian cousins ❤😊