ROMANY GYPSY TRAILERS
*** earliest trailers ***
As far as trailers for Travellers go, the two earliest builders were Eccles and Hills of Swinefleet. Eccles started in 1919 at a works in Birmingham.
By 1927 they had pioneered trailer building and had established a
factory for large scale production. Hills of Swinefleet in Yorkshire were
waggon builders. Circa 1927 they produced a trailer specifically for Travellers, they were modelled on a waggon and had no sink or toilet.
Windows were cut glass and interiors were french polished with cut mirrors and a stove. Eccles too produced living vans for Travellers of a very high quality with waggon characteristics internally. These early trailers were built of plywood over a wooden frame. Although Eccles were primarily a 'tourer' builder they produced 'showmans' for Travelling people right up until the 1960's. In the latter decade the Eccles Traveller was a very popular trailer.
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Thanks to Davy Jones for this great period photo of a Romany lady
and her son with a Brayshaw trailer.
This photo has been sent in by Ansell & Ruth Ball.
Ruth posted a message about this pic. This very unusual van she thinks was built at Little Street in Kent and is certainly an early photo.
Ive never seen a van like this, a cross between a waggon/trailer/small railway carriage !!!
Thanks Ruth for the pic.
seated left to right: 'Little' Tom Ball, unkn, Tom's wife Tilly and their son Tom, known as 'Basingstoke Tom'
Thanks to Sue from 'Romany Genes' for sending this pic.
A beautifully restored Brayshaw with door at opposite end.
Thanks to 'OVM' of the Old Classic Car
'Old caravan Forum' who is the owner.
A very nice early trailer by Hills of Swinefleet.
Seen at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Unfortunately
there was nobody about when I took the photos........
Apparently the van spent its life on the fairs in the north of England used by a fortune teller before being discarded and left to become derelict. Nice to see it
now fully restored..........anybody know this trailer??