Going to the Stow Fair, Les and Edna Elliot, from 1994 Part 1 of 3

These 3 DVDs, 98, 99, and 100 are made from the 1994 film by Anne and Keith Nightingale and we owe them much for their forsight in preserving this lost tradition for us, for nowadays it is exceedingly dangerous to take a horse and wagon on a busy road and resting places have now largely been made prohibative by the councils.

As I write this, fly grazing - the grazing of a horse on the side of a road is about to be made illegal so what is there left for the real nomadic Gypsy?

At the start of this DVD Anne, who had travelled with horses herself, tells us over about 15 minutes, just why it was important that they made the film and some of her observations on the life that these freedoms brought. Although only amateur photographers Anne and Keith made what has been described as some stunning shots displaying the whole ambience of what travelling with horses means and this is further enhanced with stories from Les and how and what they cooked and ate from Edna.

When it was decided to go to the Fair, in the customary manner by wagon and horses, Les immediately recognised the way across country using part of the Fosse Way and along the byways and gated roads, avoiding the traffic to the places where there was a wide enough verge for the horses to feed and where they could have a fire to cook their evening meal. And more important, Les knew all the springs and watering places.

Starting from Ratby in Leicestershire with the sun still rising they soon travelled through Peckleton and Cosby, finding a spot to camp and roadside fodder for their horses at Dunton Bassett. Continuing at the crack of dawn through Gilmorton and Walcot to stay their second night at Stanford on avon. They then, as you will see, crossed the Oxford Canal at Willoughby where they watered the horses in the duck pond. Continuing with another night at Napton-on-the-Hill, on through Priors Hardwick with their fourth night at Wormleighton and then another night at Kineton with its pond, crossing at the Four Shires Stone and then on and on to Stow.

Produced 2015 by Neil Lanham, The Helions Bumpstead Gramophone Co. 'Ivy Todd', Helions Bumpstead, Nr Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7AT Tel: 01440 730414