Sunday Express - no date
Funeral Pyre for a Gipsy Chief aged 102
Marlow Bucks, Saturday.
The last scenes of the burial of Plato Buckland the 102 year old gipsy took place today in Marlow, where in a chalk pit one mile outside of town, which had for many years been the Buckland encampment land, his van and all possessions were burned according to gipsy rite. Nearly 30 children, grand children and great grandchildren stood around the fire, the old blue van weather beaten, aged, was wheeled into the centre of the camp. One of his sons said the van had been used by the old man for all his married life, nearly 80 years. Towns people came to watch, but did not intrude.
The gipsies stood reverently as a man set a match to the petrol soaked hay, the old van was soon enveloped in flames. Mourners circled the fire, calling out tributes to the dead. The van burned for half an hour. "Like the Old Man!" shouted one gipsy. "Made proper and tough to the end, they don't make them, man or van, like that nowadays." The flames roared higher, the roof collapsed and the sides fell, while the old van stood erect and courageous. Then, amid wailings and groans, the brave old vehicle swayed and tumbled in a fire of sparks to the ground. The embers glowed and died. There remained only the gaunt ashes for the wind to blow away. The ashes of his home and his household
This was by sue from romanygenes very kindly sent it to me so we could read it many thanks
