This is what I saw as I was walked through West Tanfield, the day before Earth Day.

Drawn to this bright and cheery vardo, a traditional Romani caravan, I stopped to chat. No, they weren’t going to Appleby Horse Fair. It’s been postponed. Instead, one man, one woman and their horse were spending the next months travelling simply, exploring as the mood took them, always one of them walking, leading their horse as the other rode in the wagon. They’d travelled fewer than fifteen miles that day, on side roads and country lanes. The slogan on the back had attracted anger and rebellion from many passers by. But others, like me, had liked the clear distinct message.

Like you, I love it, Margaret.
And what a great way to travel. I can see you’ll be in need of a virtual horse soon 🙂
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‘Virtual’ may be enough for me. They’re hard work from what I can see.
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Love it!
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Yes!
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😊😊
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My first thought was YES! I can do that! Then I remembered I’m not very good with horses 😦 😦
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I’m just the same, Jo. But this was a very quiet gentle soul. It was more the lack of constant hot running water that made me pause.
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🤣💕
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I am very sad to read that the slogan had ‘attracted anger and rebellion’ among passers by. What is the world coning to!
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Exactly Susan.
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That was my first reaction too. I guess we know the message is getting through when people start to feel threatened rather than just laughing it off.
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That’s a good point Su. There’s a lot of Feeling Threatened and Not Willing to Change about.
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Here too. We’re masters of deluding ourselves that we’re “clean and green” whilst being anything but!
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That’s great! Travelling by horse drawn caravan used to appeal to me – maybe not so much these days, but certainly when I was younger.
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I probably like this in theory rather than in reality.
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I love the slogan! How sad that others felt so strongly about it. I’m also more than a little envious of the couple and their meanderings. I wish them joy 😊
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Me too. They were very laid back. So sad they have to put up with aggro.
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Drivers get impatient with the speed of horse drawn vehicles. However, maybe it’s a better speed fir humans to travel and for the esrth.
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Exactly. We’re used to horses round here, and most drivers respect their needs.
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We live not far from Amish countryside, and see horse drawn carriages as well. Since I became a parent over a decade ago, I haven’t been in as much of a hurry. I see interesting things when I slow down.
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In Praise of Slow. We should do it more often … though I’m not good at it.
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We have a lot to learn from cultures that go at a horse’s pace or at the pace of a human’s stride.
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Oh I bet you had a wonderful conversation with them 😀
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We didn’t spend all that long together, but it was a real positive few moments.
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Love this. I also love the A 6108 area!
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I always said you’re a man of taste and discernment 😉
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Having been taken on a cross country jaunt by my sat nav this afternoon on roads that really should only be used by horses or cyclists, I am all for slow travel. I’m sure the locals must hate me as I crawl around the blind bends. Yesterday I was spellbound watching 5 Guinea fowl crossing and re-crossing a lane, one of which almost ended up as dinner (not me – an impatient oncoming driver). My tally* yesterday was 3 cars, 5 Guinea fowl and 2 tractors. Not bad. Today was one single-decker bus!
*when I have to brake/reverse/squeeze into a passing place when meeting on-coming traffic.
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Slow travel like this is good, until you meet the bloke (and it usually is a man, sadly) who’s using the road as his own personal race track. No pheasants? They’re our constant road-companions.
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Oh, there are pheasants too, but not usually on the roads I drive on.
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That sign certainly sums it up. Lessons learned during the pandemic should be applied to repairing the health of our planet. Look after the earth first and prosperity will follow.
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Exactly. An uncomfortable lesson not everyone wants to learn. Now then, would this vardo suit your itinerant life style 😉 ?
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Gosh it would be a huge fuel saver! Hubby was a milkman as a young bloke, says he spent the best years of his life behind a flatulent horse!
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How fabulous, and what a brilliant way of highlighting the issue. Like you though I’d struggle without the running water!
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We’re such wimps …
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This is fantastic! We should have these all over the world! 🙂
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Definitely!
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How perfectly wonderful! I could give in to my dreams with a caravan like that. But it’ll have to be fitted with an electric engine, because I doubt I’ll be any good with a horse.
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A team of huskies, maybe?
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I can’t get dogs to run either, or fetch, or even roll over. They tend to plant themselves on my feet and go to sleep. So electric motor seems to be the only option for me
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😦
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At least you have one!
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At this time of year we normally see dozens on their slow way to Appleby Horse Fair
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Margaret, a great way to travel and truly see everything close! I love the slogan on the back but surprised and shocked that so many were negative and angry. That does not bode well for the world. 😒
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Exactly. Sad times. But this was a resilient and cheerful couple who made my day.
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Brilliant!
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Yes. It might take you a while to get down to A-V though?
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Oh absolutely fabulous. And, such a shame that some people had to slow down. Perhaps the first question to ask those angry folk might be ‘I am so sorry, but who’s dying?’ Other than that there really isn’t any need for the speed, speed, speed approach to living. This morning I read this article, but I would only recommend taking a look if you are feeling in a good and robust mood as it is rather bad news from some very sane and informed Earth scientists.
https://theconversation.com/climate-scientists-concept-of-net-zero-is-a-dangerous-trap-157368
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Thanks so much for that. I’ve bookmarked it for later, as clearly it demands a bit of head-space so I don’t want merely to skim-read it. Though perhaps for my peace of mind that would be better!
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Yes, I have spoken to family members and it is 50/50 willing to read now or later, or perhaps not ever as in my father’s case. 😕 He is 88 and lives a very quiet life and says he can’t do anything to make things better and would rather not know.
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We saw this vardo caravan whilst cycling in Wensleydale. Absolutely amazing and wonderfully ironic . The couple were so understated and smiley but taking a very serious message across the country
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That’s amazing! I wonder where they are now? Yes, a lovely pair I thought, I was glad to have met them, albeit briefly.
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