| ABOUT     The site for lovers of free expression and Freedom  Here you can watch n listen to MY LATEST POETRY READING The Gypsy Poets reading   courtesy of Bournemouth Echo(scroll the page)   Letters to THE GYPSY POET
Hello Ray,
"Thanks for your e-mail and kind comments. I made a visit to your site and was very impressed and felt the more visitors it gets the better. I have today been updating my galleries and have also added your link", Erica Arnold 19th of July 2010 05:21 PM by Paul "Hi Ray," "Lovely site". "As a Dorset boy its a dream to read"." I used to go to school in West Moors and later Ferndown from 75 to 85 with G.R.T families from West Moors and the site at Mannington. I wonder if you may be familiar with any of them? Lights, Reid's, Cronks and the Barneys, Cooper's and Cokers. The site isnt there any more and I've no idea if the other families still live on the old estates in West Moors and Trickets Cross although somebody on Romany Genes said some are still around." "Take care and good Luck or Kushti Bok I guess". Paul
"I had a look and its a great site well done !! Regards moderator Journeyfolki"
" Hi Ray, what a joy your site is. I grew up in Bryant road Wallywack down by the 'Kennels'. My granfer and granny King lived over in Hillside road Rossmore and my brother Ken still lives over that way. The gypsys used to camp out on the spare ground at the back of our house till Sankey Ward built houses there. Happy and lucky were us lot who grew up there during those halcyon days. Thanks for site" "Thank you for a wonderful site ….. You have just taken me back to my childhood over 60 years ago". " I was also born in Newtown (Old Wareham Rd) in August 1945, went to the same schools as you, we could have even been in the same class at some point. What memories you brought back to me. Names are familiar, and wow all the activities such as catching newts in a jar and Saturday morning at the Regal, I can see us all lining up to get in what excitement. I live in Canada now but all my family are still in the area". " I have just returned from a visit so this was perfect timing to read your website …. Still feel very home sick after 35 years. But as you say it has changed. My mother was a Budden". "Once again thank you so much for taking the time to give everyone a chance to read your poetry about the old home town, you should be very proud". Chistine Onodi (Lee) 30th of October 2009 11:29 PM by Mark "Stumbled across site whilst doing some location research for a book". " Will re-visit site - I also write poetry". "I love some of your poems". " I really enjoyed the feeling of freedom in your writing. thanks" "I was sent this poem from a member of my site and it was read out at a funeral for a local Gypsy man so I felt quite honoured ",it is by Ray Wills .
WWW.ROMANY GENES.
I went to visit www Romany Genes and chanced upon the Gypsy queens with vardos there all on display and heathers bound for chavvys play the Gypsy king was true to form with tales of old and wheels all worn the road was hard when folks were true to Gypsy lore and common dues the customs then were fit for a king with common rights and everything the fairground charms with darts and lace with fortunes told to bright ones face the walks to market village greens the wayward men and words obscene the dancing gals with tops that spun castanets and lewdly folki song the ponies free to graze the moors with tattooed bridles and woolly shawls the yarns that Horace Cooper told folks said he had a heart of gold they burnt their homes as they died and jumped the brooms each happy bride the heaths were rich in rabbits stews with ferreting for each boy blue Romany Genes be rich in law with roads a winding and Vardos tall n old Lamps that shone with brass so clean like Gypsy's eyes at Halloween.
Chris WS 21 Sep 2009 05:41 "What lovely words to read out at a funeral, I would like that too" !
rg 21 Sep 2009 07:51
"Hi Chris yes it was a nice thing , and becuase the vicar had been given it by the family to read out he then checked the web -site out and made some lovely comments and said it had made the people and the area they lived, come to life and he could Imagine the old times up on the common".
rg 21 Sep 2009 10:42
"This is another Poem that was read for Horace Cooper's funeral New England being just one of many local Gypsy camps that used to be on the district."
New England Gypsies by Ray Wills
I journeyed to New England within birch and heathered down I rode upon a pony there where gypsies bedded down there were sackcloth on the floor there clay beneath your feet gravel on the sidewalk the nicest folks you'd meet I trod upon the bracken where the rhododendron grew there were dartford warblers singing not far from waterloo the village children came there to crown the Gypsy King there were Whites and Coopers laughing I heard a blackbird sing Across from Wallisdown and Bear cross the Gypsy rovers danced there was music in the night when the Gypsy lady glanced she said I was so gifted I had the rose tattoo I was a lucky fellow from Alderney via Poole
WHY I CHOSE TO BUILD THIS WEBSITE  My earlest influences aside from Bob Dylan and Drummond Abernethy was the work being done by AS NEIL at Summerhill Free School SUMMERHILL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSP_-PG3mFQ I chose to put together this website as a vehicle for my poetry as well as a place to present my main passions in life. These being notably.  1) Childrens Play and my concerns over the loss of their birthright that being their right to play wherever they happen to be and in a free way as our ancestors have throughout history.  2) My love of Dorset notably its scenic beauty and its history.  3) Gypsys . Their customs and culture and their right to remain as free roaming peoples of the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR POET AND WEBMASTER
Raymond Wills is no newcomer to the world of Childs Play.
With in excess of three decades of practical knowledge and experience in work with children and young people in inner city neighberhoods,new towns and rural communities throughout the U.K.
Oiginally trained in playleadership by the National Playing Fields Association in the mid sixties.
Though many play practicioners would say he is a natural born playleader and organiser of childs play.
During his life Ray has held responsible positons in the community,including school Parent Governor/ Chair of a Parents and Teachers Association, as well as a campaigner for safer childrens playgrounds.
Ray has been actively involved in establishing,operating and developing play opportunities nationally for thousands of children throughout his working life.
These have included holiday playschemes,pre school playgroups,adventure playgrounds,play centres,out of school clubs,youth clubs,disability projects,play carnivals and play days.
His interests in children and their world of play has led him to becoming involved in the social integration of the disabled and the safety of children on playgrounds.
Ray has been responsible for town wide recreational programmes for all ages of children and he has spearheaded national campaigns as an active member of a variety of national play organisations and bodies as well as been a founder member of numerous play councils.
He has attained recognised qualifications in community project management,youth and play work.
Rays previous publications have included handbooks for playworkers "Contacts for advice and information in the community" published by The National Playing Fields Association.
He was a founder member of the original Institute of Playwork and similiar play organisations.
Ray on Gold Hill Shaftesbury Ray in Trafalgar Square London Ray Wills is a Dorset man who is proud of his dorset roots. Ray spent his early childhood on the Rogers family Mannings farm  which was part of the Canford heath estate on the outskirts of Poole.It was here as a young boy where he had his first encounters with the Gypsy families who had camped out on that terrain from the start of the century. Ray recalls as a small boy watching the eccentric artist Augustus John set up his easil and paint the lady wimborne house Heather view, the familys originally rented home at a pepercorn rent from the Guest estate. On leaving school Ray was employed by the Buebird Caravan empire as their chassis spayer and as a painter and decorator, Before living at Bovington Camp  Wareham where he was employed by the military as an Officers Batman. Living just a stones throw away from the former home of the late T.E .Lawrence of Arabia.  See Rays Childhood Days   Ray joined COMMUNITY SERVIVE VOLUNTEERS in the mid sixties and via that route first had his experience and training in childrens Play Work being seconded by Redditch District Council to attend a National Playing Fields Course at Playfield House in London. See Rays account of his years in playwork in the UK entitled What An Extraordinary Adventure   In more recent years Ray has been a support worker for people with challenging behaviour and managed Community projects in Bournemouth for the elderly and disabled. As well as for some time being a local school governor and chair of a parent teachers association. He managed The Kinson Project at st andrews church  which was a local church renovation project which gained the Rose Award.Ray was also a researcher via Bournemouth University for the Bournemouth Borough Councils /towns pedestrianisation project. He formed and co ordinated the towns only self help group for the long term unemployed in the eighties recession which operated from Pelhams Kinson. He has led national campaigns for playground safety and co ordinted play days for FAIR PLAY FOR CHILDREN as well as being a founder member of numerous Play Councils nationally. Rays Qualifications are varied and these have included the following. A Royal Society of Arts Diploma in Management NVQ level 4. A Certifiate in Management Studies.INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Two -City and Guilds certificates -Senior Youth Work Award and Youth Work Award. NEBSM Certificate in Supervisory Management. Youth Work Certificate with Birmingham Youth Service. Former Fellow of The Institute of Play and National Association of Recreation Leaders. He has recently remarried (his Michigan U.S.A Sweetheart,(Brenda),who is also a poet) they met on an internet poets website at http://poetrypoem.com/fancynfree.html and on this website .  He has two grown up daughters and two grandsons of his own. CHILDHOOD PASTIMES AND ACTIVITIES During my childhood I was fortunate to participate in a vast variety of activities and pastimes which all children in that era seemed to be involved in. Although it was Iona and Peter Opie,who chronicled the playground rhymes and chants of those years. However it was Eileen Soper the childrens illustrator who drew pictures of all these childhood pastimes and activities and somehow captured its moments and excitement. Activities ranging from playing marbles, conkers and flick cards to the more adventurous rope tarzan swings, rafting. wooden box go kart racing and tobogganing.          MARBLE DAYS  I played marbles as a kid upon the green where we kids lived we played those circles games and more just over from the village hall the grass was green and the daisies grew we rolled that glass with gusto too with alleys and shiny spheres of glass we thought the day would always last our friends and family all came to play no PC world in those old days our fun and laughter was roustabout as we rolled those marbles in and out the sounds of clinking hit the air as we won with richness joy or lost in pure despair with our ice cream faces and our red cheeks glow we rolled those marbles and let them go the little green it still is there close by the railway line and local fair the Carey woods and warehams leas where as small kids we scuffed our knees gone are those days of revelry's when marbles kept us from our teas with alley bags and clinking glass we rolled those marbles slow and fast our aim was true and skilled with ease as we sat their on our knees with scores and winning ways to share we took our time and said our prayers copyright@
Ray Wills on Gold Hill
If you would like me to compose a poem for you for that special occassion or person- email me your request on my contact page or email at raymondwills@hotmail.co.uk.
I hope that you will enjoy your visit to THE GYPSY POET and return here often.
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FREE ONLINE PUBLICATIONS.
The following links are to a variety of publications I have written during my life and in
the field of Childrens Play provision in the united kingdom.
I hope you enjoy the read
WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.
A play manager Account of his experience in the field of childrens play provision extending over three decades.
CHILDHOOD DAYS.
The Webmasters autobiography of his Childhood years spent in the county of Dorset.
THE HISTORY OF CHILDS PLAY.
This is the story of Childs Play from biblical times to the present era.
HISTORY OF ORGANISED CHILDRENS PLAY PROVISION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
This is an account of the history of and the development of playwork in the UK.
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