Our Travelling Museum – Garland Junior
On 16th June 2021, we visited Garland Junior School to share a number of objects that explored ‘What it means to Travel?’ This forms part of our work for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month (GRTHM), which you can learn more about on our blog and social media channels.
We began by looking at a painting from The MERL collection, seeing what we could learn from it about people who travel, what might be important to them, and why.
We then shared objects from our collection that represented the different lives of those who have travelled in the past, such as Gypsy Roma, canal folk, evacuees, migrant workers and hop-pickers. The students were then asked to think about an object they would like to take with them on a journey. Many of them chose objects that were dear to them, whilst others went for a more practical route.
Click the images below to find out more.
Cuddly Toys
51 students chose a cuddly toy to accompany them on their travels. Cuddly toys offer a sense of security and comfort that is often needed on long journeys. Many cuddly toys were also used to help express feelings or provide a calming presence.
Many of the toys selected had been given to the children by a family member or had been owned for many years so they hold incredible emotional significance.
Many of the cuddly toys selected have already been on a number of journeys including camping (Adam, Y3), Wales (George, Y3), France (Dexter, Y4), sleepovers (Orla, Y5), and even ‘around the world with Santa’ (Libby, Y6).
Electronics
Electronics were a popular choice for students with 39 of them picking some form of electrical gadget to take with them on a trip. They provide endless entertainment which is perfect for long journeys that we might encounter.
The most common were mobile phones, iPads and the Nintendo Switch with Years 5 & 6 taking selecting these more than any other year group.
Perhaps unsuprisingly, the value of a phone or Ipad has become more apparent over the course of the Pandemic, with many children noting that they allow us to ‘contact friends’ (Millie, Y4), ‘to speak with family’ (Ciara, Y5) and are very helpful ‘in case of emergency’ (Zeraan, Y5).
Whilst many of us might feel that electronics are making us less sociable, it is clear that the students see the value of technology to keep us connected, even when we are far apart.
Practical Items
Whilst it is important to think about our sentimental items for a journey, 26 children had more practical suggestions on what would be needed!
Tablets for travel sickness (Jacob, Y3), a compass (Oscar, Y3), debit cards (Joshua Y4), pillows (Evie-Mae, Y4), a suitcase (Ellie, Y4), and a flashlight (Abby, Y6).
These objects make our journeys more manageable and perhaps are the kinds of items that have been provided by a parent or guardian and the importance of the object is shared by the family.
From our historical images, we can see items like cooking pots and utensils, bedding, trade tools and clothing were all readily available whilst on the road for Gypsy and Traveller communities.
Books
Even on a journey to somewhere new it is nice to have an escape from reality every now and then. 9 pupils chose books to take on a journey with them, as they are ‘entertaining’ (Jessica, Y5) and ‘reusable’ (Samuel, Y6).
In our Bob Dawson collection there are a number of Gypsy Roma books that tell traditional folk stories such as ‘Hera the Hotchi’ by T. & F. Odley and ‘Campfire Stories’ by Eli. Traditional storytelling was done without books, and would be recollected by family members around a fire. This could lead to stories being adapted to suit the storyteller, making even the most traditional stories unique!
It has become important in more recent years, to keep written records of these stories, both to ensure the story remains part of GRT heritage, but also to encourage reading and writing within the community.
Families
A number of students wanted to take their families, either as a whole (Finn, Y4) or particular individuals (Madalena, Danielle Y4).
Companionship on a journey is often so important. It is much more enjoyable to share and make memories together and any hardships found along the way, are much more manageable with family to support us.
The very nature of GRT communities is centred around families travelling and moving together, often with other families as well.
Pets
Anyone with a pet knows that once they arrive they become another member of the family and are irreplaceable parts of our lives.
13 children made the decision to bring their pet with them on their journey. They provided comfort (Benjamin, Y5), protection (Cheyanna, Y4), entertainment (Isla, Y4), friendship (Amelie, Y5) and happiness (Sara, Y4).
Horses and dogs are much loved by Travelling communities. A number of students at Garland were able to identify the ‘Cob’ horse and ‘Lurcher’ from our painting on display, as they have been the breeds of choice for a very long time in the community!
Toys
What trip would be complete without a toy to keep you occupied! Alongside old favourites like Lego (Daniel, Y5) and Pokémon cards (Mostyn, Y4), there were a number of toys that were useful for stress relief such as ‘Poppers’ (Archie, Izzy, Billy, Chloe, Harry, Ellen and Aminah, Y3) as well as an ‘Infinity Cube’ (Sienna, Y3).
Our collection does not have much evidence of what young Gypsies and Travellers had to play with in their youth, so if you have a story you would like to share, please get in touch!
Thank You!
This exhibition would not have been possible without the amazing students and staff of Garland Junior School and the incredible team at West Berkshire Council’s Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS).
Thanks so much to all involved.