CARAVAN ROMANCE
ISSN 2631-326X
JULY 2020
SUMMER PRINT ISSNÂ 2631-3251
SUMMER 2020
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Contents Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams!
Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
Greg & Jules and Their Amazing Caravans … Page
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Home - A Permanent Place to Live with Tiny Eco Homes UK … Page
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Gypsy Romance … Page
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Did You Know That... … Page
On the cover Photograph by Kristof Lauwers.
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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Greg & Jules &Their Amazing Caravans
L
ike a meandering road, life sometimes takes interesting twists and turns, and we arrive at a destination that’s far from where we had originally planned. Greg Mort was a talented photojournalist and part of a news team for national media publications. But an unexpected car accident left him with several injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye. For portraiture or other types of photography, that might not have been
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an insurmountable problem. But for a photojournalist who must react quickly to evolving situations and surroundings, it was the end of his career. Sometime after the accident, Greg bought a camper van for his family of four. Unfortunately, it was too small. “I didn’t really like the look of them either,” Greg adds. So when he spotted a traditional bowtop caravan of wood at a children’s festival, he thought it would be great fun for his young sons, and decided to build one.
The fact that he had absolutely no experience building a bowtop caravan did not deter him one bit. “I read a book on building them… I met a man named Walter who gave me some great advice on [building them].” ‘Walter’ as it turned out, was Walter Lloyd, an author who had written a book on the subject, entitled ‘How to Build a Bow Top Gypsy Caravan: A Step by Step Guide’. He advised Greg on what type of wood should
be used and where to find canvas suppliers. The bowtop is a very traditional style of vardo that was brought to Great Britain by the Romanichal Gypsies who arrived in the UK in the early 1500s. It took Greg about 12 months to build his first caravan. That was 11 years ago. He now has a fleet of seven bowtops and the caravans have been his full time career for the last 10 years, as he takes them to festivals where they are let to the public.
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Juliet “Jules” King, who is Greg’s partner in business and in life, was to play an integral role in creating the caravans as well. An artist with a degree in fine art, Juliet worked as an illustrator and had her own agency. She began to paint the exterior of the newly built caravans with beautiful, traditional Romany style artwork. Soon however, the art evolved into her own gorgeous, innovative designs. The caravan affectionately named ‘Ziggy’, has the look of a detailed Indian tapestry, and was inspired by the intricate henna designs called Mehendi that are painted on the hands, wrists and feet of women. ‘Woody’ was inspired by Russian folk art called, Zhostovo. The wagon features tangled tree branches with animals perched on the branches which you would not ordinarily expect to find in a tree, such as a deer and a fox. Juliet also designs the interiors of the caravans, and does it independently of the exterior, finding inspiration in whatever fabric happens to catch her eye.
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The bowtop caravans have been featured in various films on television such as the British-American comedy, ‘You, Me and the Apocalypse’. The caravans have also hosted the occasional celebrity from time to time as well. In addition to festivals, they’re sometimes used for parties and weddings, with Greg and Juliet delivering them to and from the event. As with many small businesses, this year has been slow for them with festivals being cancelled. But it has given Greg a chance to build a new caravan, as well as maintenance the rest of the fleet. And Juliet was approached by a member of the Romany community about painting restoration work on authentic Gypsy caravans that are more than 100 years old. She will be restoring them in the traditional Romany style with lots flourish and gold leaf.
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Photograph by Greg Mort. The caravans are a great way to reconnect with nature, but they are also symbolic of a culture that beckons us to reconnect with each other. Hopefully we will all be doing this very soon.
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You can see the entire fleet of Greg and Juliet’s caravans at www.gregandjulesgypsybowtops.co.uk
A Tiny Living Promotion
Home - /hōm/
1. A permanent place of residence. As anyone who’s ever moved their place of residence can tell you, moving house is a time of uncertainty and major stress. Wouldn’t it be great to never have to move again, unless it was your choice? -To never have to face that time of confusion, trying to figure out where you will go next? -And that uneasy feeling after signing the lease when you wonder if you picked the right flat or chose the right neighbourhood? These major upheavals when you change your place of residence are a huge source of stress, and inevitably lead to at least a short period of feeling a little lost. It’s part of what makes home ownership so attractive. You never have to worry about someone raising your rent or keeping your expensive deposit. If you own your home or have a really low mortgage payment, you can sail through rough financial times feeling more secure with a bit more control over your destiny.
A house truly becomes a ‘home’ when all the walls are painted your favourite shade, the plug-ins are in just the right spot, your familiar pictures are on the wall, and your favourite jeans are in the cupboard you designed. A customised home is truly yours in every way. Tiny Eco Homes UK is not just building affordable houses, they’re creating homes – homes that are specially designed for the way that you want to live. You can choose to incorporate solar and wind power options for an economical source of energy, and a greener future for our planet. And if you need financing, they can help you to get the affordable loan you need. With prices starting at just £26,000, your mortgage may actually be less than the rent you’re paying now. Visit their website and see what home is all about: www.tinyecohomesuk.com
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Gypsy Romance
are Gitanos that have played all over the world, with tickets selling out at huge venues. One of the most famous guitarists of all time is Django Rheinhart, a Manouche musician, who played the guitar at lightning speed, incredibly with just three fingers on his right hand! (Check YouTube for many videos of him performing).
On the verge in Kent- photograph by Trish Steele. There is so much to love about the culture of the gypsies and so much to admire about the people themselves. There are many different ethnic groups within the term ‘gypsy’or Roma people – the Romanichal of the UK, Les Gitans or Gitanos of Provence who are originally from Spain, the Manouche of France, and many, many others. Each has its own unique lifestyle. But all of them share the love of life, family, nature and music! Many gypsy musicians are world-renown, and have played before prime ministers and queens. ‘The Gipsy Kings’ and ‘Chico and the Gypsies’
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Clothing and décor we often describe as ‘bohemian’ are gifts of the gypsy culture. Brightly coloured patterns that seem to dance off the edges of the fabric, forming billowy sleeves and ruffled skirts, are a borrowed look from the Roma. The warm glow of gold leaf, lace and lanterns hung about, give a home the unmistakeable appeal of a free-spirited lifestyle. Our love affair with caravans was also born of the gypsy culture. Frequently unwelcome, ‘the people of the voyage’ have always been required to travel fast and light. “Home” was an entirely different concept that relied more heavily on the presence of family, friends, and interacting with nature, than an excessive amount of possessions. The Roma are a unique blend of talented, interesting and beautiful people who have given much to the world. To learn more about them and their art and music, visit www.romaniarts.co.uk
MAY 2019
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CARAVAN ROMANCE
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- a ccording to the Canal & River Trust, 26% of the UK’s 33,000 boats are used as primary residences? - thousands of people in the UK are already embracing small-space living in studio flats, student accommodations, and small terraced houses? - there are over 80 shepherd hut building companies in the UK? - prices for a well-designed tiny house fitted with kitchen and bath starts at £26,000? - according to Popular Science, human beings are hard-wired to like tiny things? www.popsci.com/why-do-we-think-tiny-things-are-cute 13
We’re not naming names... but a celebrity dog was recently spotted reading our magazine. -Tiny Living is fun and inspirational!
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