Tyldesley Y.C. Travellers LEAP Hope School Bramble House
People Animals Appleby Travelling Life Memories
Appleby Fair
Old photo of Appleby Fair Carol interviews her Granny about Appleby Horse Fair

What did you like about Appleby ?

I like the travelling. I like meeting people. I like speaking to strange people - all sorts, all kinds, it don't make no difference, everybody's welcome. Appleby is a nice place, it was a nice place, but it's more like a market now than a fair. One time you would never see all those stalls that's on it now. When Appleby was Appleby, it's a different place to what it is now.

What did you like doing at Appleby ?

Meeting all the gypsies. When you go to Appleby you would meet gypsy people that you didn't see for years - and maybe some that you wouldn't see for 12 months at a time. You could catch up with all the gossip, and when you meet them it was like a united thing. It was nice, I liked it.
What food did you used to cook ?

Used to get the pan and make some gypsy cakes. Use my oven pot. Make proper home-made bread in it. Get a couple of rabbits - boil them in the pot. Get hold of a hare and boil it. Your life was different. Your life was better.

What did you do when you were a child ?

My childhood life was a different childhood life to yours. We never had a lot of money but we were very happy. We could play and run about. When I had my children I could play with my girls. My husband would play with his sons. Mind the horses all day. Watch them eating grass. Me and my girls used to play. Tell my girls stories. We always had horses. I haven't got none now.
modern view of Appleby
Gypsy girl with cooking pot Recipe for gypsy cakes

Flour - put it in a bowl
Put your currants in
Get some butter - a quarter of it
Mix it all up with your hands
then put milk in - mix it with a spoon
Wait till it's all stuck together
Put flour on the table - get a piece of mixture - flatten with rolling pin
Put it in frying pan - wait till they are brown - first one side and then the other


You can put butter, jam or anything on them
Eat hot or cold

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