Scottish Traveller Education Programme

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Contemporary Cultural Events

Appleby Horse Fair, June 2007

STEP and teaching staff, along with family members, visited the annual Gypsy Horse fair held at Appleby in Westmoreland, Cumbria. The photographs reflect some of the new goods and services available at the 2007 fair, for example new designs were on display at stalls selling china. This huge event is as popular and busy as ever with wagons and trailers arriving and families setting up camp on the hill. Travellers come from all over Britain to catch up with family and old friends, and to enjoy the unique atmosphere created by the showing and selling of horses. Non-Travellers also enjoy the powerful sense of the diversity and difference of Traveller life styles. This experience is very helpful for teachers as it helps them to understand the strength of Traveller cultures and the role and significance of belonging to a Traveller family. The image of the young girl, quietly riding her horse in among the chatting crowds, conveys her skillfulness – what an opportunity for a teacher to introduce the topic of transport and sport from a new and culturally distinctive perspective.

For further images click on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/image_galleries/appleby_horse_fair_2007_gallery.shtml
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz45ka9bsPs for more images and discussion.

photos from STEP's visit to the Appleby Horse Fair, June 2007