Arriving for Appleby Fair

Coming through the village on their way just now (3pm). This lovely chap will have pulled this "bowtop" caravan many many miles - but as you can see, the gypsies walk a lot of it so he hasn't so much to pull.

Organisers reckon on 40,000 people descend on Appleby in Westmorland (pop. 2,500) for the Fair each year - Appleby Fair has been held for certain since 1750, and probably for very much longer than that. It is the largest Fair of its kind in Europe.

It is an annual event attended by Romany and Irish families travelling to meet up with old friends, celebrate their music, history and folklore and conduct business - particularly buying and selling horses.

Traditionally Gypsies and Travellers reside on Fair Hill (a field situated on the outskirts of the town) and trade horses, running them on public roads so they can display them to prospective purchasers. Young people wash the horses in the River Eden to get them ready to show to prospective buyers. In the evening Fair Hill glows, with campfires flickering among the horsedrawn carriages.

I actually took this on my camera and I haven't any image playing programmes on my laptop so you have it as it was - very plain!