George Bramwell Evens
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The Rev. George Bramwell Evens (1884- November 20, 1943) was, under the pseudonym Romany (and sometimes The Tramp), a British radio broadcaster and writer on countryside and natural history matters - quite possibly the first to broadcast on such issues. He was also a Minister of the Methodist Church.
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[edit] Biography
His mother was a true Romany, born in a caravan (or 'vardo' in Romani).
He is most famous for his Out With Romany programmes on the BBC's Children's Hour, describing travels in his own vardo, with Comma the horse, his spaniel Raq and his young friends Muriel and Doris. Only one such recording is known to survive.
The vardo is now preserved in Wilmslow, Cheshire by Macclesfield Borough Council.
As a Methodist minister, his ministries included Goole; the Methodist Central Hall, Carlisle (1914-26); Huddersfield (1926-29); and the King Cross Methodist Chapel, Halifax (1929-39), after which ill health forced him to give up the ministry. He moved to Wilmslow, where he died, leaving his wife, Eunice, son Glyn and daughter, Romany June.
The Romany Society, originally formed in 1943 and re-founded in 1996, celebrates his life and work. Its patron is Terry Waite.
Only one recording of his BBC programmes survives - dated October 1943, just a month before his death. In November 2006 this was released on CD by [Valley Stream][1] productions.
[edit] Bibliography
The books were analysed, from a collector's point of view, in the January 2002 edition of Book and Magazine Collector magazine.
[edit] Original Romany Books
(Credited to G. Bramwell Evens)
- A Romany in the Fields (Epworth Press, 1929)
- A Romany and Raq (Epworth Press, 1930)
- A Romany in the Country (Epworth Press, 1932)
- A Romany on the Trail (Epworth Press, 1934)
- Out with Romany (University of London Press (UoL), 1937; illustrations by Reg Gammon and photographs by Romany)
- Out with Romany Again (UoL, 1938; line drawings by Reg Gammon)
- Out with Romany Once More (UoL, 1940)
- Out with Romany by the Sea (UoL, 1941; illustrations by Reg Gammon and photographs by Romany)
- Out with Romany by Meadow and Stream (UoL, 1942)
- Out With Romany by Moor and Dale (UoL, 1944)
- Walks with Romany (E.J. Arnold & Son, undated)
[edit] The Romany Readers
Published by the University of London Press in 1951.
- Hotchi the Hedgehog
- Smut the Hare
- Flash the Fox
- Spook the Barn-owl
- Pete and Prue the Partridges
- Nick the Weasel
- Billy the Squirrel
- Sleek the Otter
[edit] By Romany's son
Written by Romany's son, Glyn K. Evens.
- Romany, Muriel & Doris (told by Raq!)
- Romany Turns Detective
- Romany on the Farm
- Romany's Caravan Returns
[edit] By Romany's wife
Written by Romany's wife, Eunice Evens.
- Through the Years with Romany (UoL, 1946)
[edit] By Romany's friend
Written by Romany's friend, H.L. Gee.
- The Spirit of Romany (St. Hugh's Press, 1949)
[edit] A new Romany Book
Written by Phil Shelley, Publications Officer for the Romany Society, and illustrated by Ray Hollands.
- Romany in the Lanes (Lamorna Publications, 2007)
[edit] Biography
- Romany Returns, Guy Loveridge (includes reprints of some stories)
