World Famous Gypsies

The 50p anagrams quiz sold at St Boswells post office in the weeks leading up to St Boswells Fair asked
'How many World Famous Gypsies you can identify by re-arranging the letters to spell their names' ?

Although it wasn't our quiz, we had a request via our Contacts page to find out the answers.

Mary S said "I tried to do the quiz from the post office but I only managed one, and I'm not sure it was right."
So here are the answers (provided by Euan Watt):

1.    leachmic inaec        michael caine
2.    reilhac panlich        charlie chaplin
3.    lilb nitlcno            bill clinton
4.    vaddi sexes            david essex
5.    obb sinksoh            bob hoskins
6.    mej came            jem mace
7.    derdeifr zipren        freddie prinze
8.    godjan dtharneinr    django reinhardt
9.    b b gkin            b b king
10.    slive sleyrep            elvis presley
11.    rotherm sateer        mother teresa
12.    yonhnj hacs            johnny cash
13.    uly ynbrner            yul brynner
14.    yonjnh markntha        johnny frankham
15.    aceyrt lanlmu        tracey ullman
16.    rice tonnaca        eric cantona
17.    tira rotywhha        rita hayworth
18.    vaa redragn            ava gardner
19.    nita lee            tina  lee
20.    anes yerncon        sean connery
21.    goerr roome        roger moore
22.    lobpa saposic        pablo picasso
23.    yonnr odow        ronny wood
24.    pygys soer ele        gypsy rose lee


The answers were displayed at the St Boswells Fair/Gypsy Fair Exhibition in the recently refurbished St Boswells Village Hall from 18 to 20 July and the winner won a voucher for a free palm reading.

St Boswells Fair/Gypsy Fair Exhibition - First Day (18 July)

This exhibition is in St Boswells Village Hall.

I'm happy to say that we were busy.

Though it wasn't meant to be open in the morning, people drifted in because the doors were open to receive exhibitors, and we were busy all day.
The organisers counted just under 200 visitors, including as we hoped, lots of gypsies.

Lots of interest in John McKale's books and paintings.

The children's table, where there is a competition in 3 age groups to win book tokens, was often crowded.


3 members of the gypsy Royal Family talked to us, and Davina took the family tree on display home to update it.

I met people who had come from south Yorkshire, Berwick, Glasgow, Fife, as well as various places in the Scottish Borders: Eyemouth, Gordon, Kelso, Lauder, Westruther, West Linton as well as St Boswells.

I was also introduced to Mary Hanson (and her husband, Keith) who has done a lot research into the gypsies and into Napoleonic prisoners of war in the Scottish Borders.

Unfortunately, we are limited by table space in the number of items we can display for sale and as luck would have it, there were a number of things we could have sold had we bought them with us.

Lots of the gypsies were interested in the Hawick Heritage Hub's photographs, some wanted copies, others identified family members.

If you come today (1pm to 7pm) or tomorrow (1pm to 4pm), make sure to fill in a feedback form to win a bunch of carved wooden flowers.

St Boswells Fair / Gypsy Fair Exhibition in St Boswells Village Hall

There's an exhibition about the almost 400 year old St Boswells Fair, also known as the Gypsy Fair in St Boswells, this weekend.
Opening times are:

• 1pm to 4pm on Friday, 18th July
• 1pm to 7pm on Saturday, 19th July
• 1pm to 4pm on Sunday, 20th July

On Friday, 18th July there's also a coffee morning from 10am to 11.30 am and a community lunch from 12 noon to 1.30pm. Everyone is welcome at these; they take place in St Boswells Church Hall. Approximate map.

St Boswells Village Hall is on the corner of Main St and Jenny Moore's Rd, St Boswells, Roxburghshire, opposite the bus station. Approximate map.

Admission is free. There’s a free colouring competition for children under 12 with book-tokens as prizes.

We’ll have a stand with a display, books to look at and buy and we’ll be on hand to answer questions about family history. 
We would like to hear from you if you’re related to a gypsy family, if you want us to help you trace your family history or if you just want help with a brick wall.

Tom Tokely’s talk begins at 3.30 pm on Saturday,19th July in St Boswells Church Hall and we’ll have copies of The Kirk Yetholm Gypsies by Tom’s late brother, Vic Tokely for sale at £2.75.

There will also be gypsy artwork and miniature vehicles on display.

There will be refreshments available until 4pm each day.

Other exhibits are by the Hawick Heritage Hub, Police, Fire Service, NHS, Citizen's Advice Bureau.

I understand the organisers, St Boswells Community Council, are looking for feedback on the event. Everyone submitting a feedback form has a chance of winning some carved wooden flowers donated by Blackie Lee, the husband of Tina Lee, who tells fortunes.

Don't forget to look on the St Boswells Green at the traditional gypsy caravan and perhaps have your fortune told.

St Boswells Fair

St Boswells Community Council are organising an exhibition about St Boswells Fair which will be held in St Boswells Public Hall from 18 to 20 July. The Hawick Heritage Hub will be putting on a display about the gypsies and the fair and we will have a stall too. If you have any photos or memorabilia relating to the fair and would be willing to lend them for the exhibition, please contact Ralph Parker on 01835 822528.