FROM BBC
Maggie Smith-Bendell's life on the road
A gypsy who was born in Somerset has written a book describing her experiences travelling on the roads during her childhood in the 1950s.
Maggie Smith Bendell's book, Rabbit Stew and a Penny or Two, describes the prejudice her family dealt with.
She hopes the book will help to dispel myths about gypsy culture and foster better relations with the wider public.
Her book also reveals how past monarchs sent many to their deaths, and how these prejudices still survive.
'Born and bred'
Maggie Smith-Bendell comes from Romani Gypsy stock - although the spelling may be unusual to some - this is how Romani Gypsies would spell the term rather than with a 'y', which is more commonplace.
"I've delved into Romani Gypsy history from 1498 and my people have always been treated in that way ever since they hit the shores of Scotland and England back in the 1400s.
"I was shocked by some of the things that I read and what was recorded - kings and queens have ordered gypsies to be put to death because they were gypsies and anyone associating with them for hundreds of years, so today's attitude makes me understand that it's been born and bred in the settled community from royalty."
Maggie, who was born in a pea field in Thurloxton, also recounts early memories of how a farmer and his wife, whose land they were working on, wanted to take her little brother, Alfie, away from them.
"We knew nothing about the law in the 40s - and if someone, they didn't use the word 'adopt', they used 'take' and we thought they could just come along and take whatever they wanted from us because we didn't know we had any rights."
Maggie, who has worked with councils in Somerset over planning issues for travellers' sites in Somerset through the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group, also believes that there is a lot of ignorance of the different groups of the travelling community.
"You cannot compare the Romani Gypsy with any other group and we are now recognised as the oldest ethnic group in this country, the Romani Gypsy will live by culture, customs and traditions and we still use our Romany language, English is still second to me, even today.
"You've got your Irish community and then you've got your new traveller community who are very well-educated kids some of those but their lifestyle is by choice, they have chosen to live that way of life."
Speaking about the lack of trust between what she terms as the settled community, or house-dwellers and travellers, Maggie admits that there are criminals in her community but that Romany Gypsies also get blamed for crimes that other people do.
Maggie herself married a house-dweller, but says despite putting down roots, she still yearns to take up her ancestors' traditional way of life.
"I have got wagons and have got a mobile home. I would dearly love to hitch horse and wagon and go back to the old lanes but there are no stopping places for us anymore."
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