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'BESHLIE' FOUND FAME IN THE 1970's WHEN HER WONDERFUL DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS WERE RELEASED AND BECAME HUGELY POPULAR: SHE HAD A DISPLAY OF HER WORK IN HARRODS WINDOW, NO SMALL ACOLADE! PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE SIGN OF HER SUCCESS WAS THE FACT THAT HER WORK AND THEIR LIFESTYLE WAS FEATURED IN THE BBC2 'LOOK STRANGER' TV DOCUMENTARY IN 1973 LONG BEFORE THE MORE RIDICULOUS ASPECTS OF 'TRAVELLER LIFE' HAVE BECOME THE 'IN THING'..........PRIOR TO THIS, AS WELL AS PAINTING 'PRIVATE COMMISSIONS' SHE WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HER FINE DRAWINGS THAT ILLUSTRATED DOMINIC REEVES BOOKS. ALTHOUGH NOT A ROMANY, SHE HAS LIVED 'ON THE ROAD' SINCE THE LATE 1940's WITH HER HUSBAND, FIRST IN WAGGONS AND LATER WITH MOTORS AND TRAILERS. SHE AND DOMINIC HAVE KNOWN & ARE KNOWN BY GENERATIONS OF GYPSY FAMILIES AND UNLIKE OTHER 'EXPERTS' ON THE SUBJECT OF 'GYPSIES', THEIR WRITING AND HER ARTWORK ARE EXPERIENCED FROM THE 'INSIDE', NOT AS CASUAL OBSERVERS BUT AS TRUSTED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ACCEPTED AND RESPECTED FRIENDS.........
AMONGST TRAVELLERS DOMINIC IS KNOWN AS JESSE OR 'THE ROMANY RAI'.
TO FRIENDS THEY ARE JESSE AND CLARISSA.
'BESHLIE' TAKEN WITH THEIR BRAND NEW JUBILEE TRAILER.
NOTE THE LACE CURTAINS, LACE TRIMMED BLINDS, LACE COVERED
CUSHIONS IN THE WINDOW, ALL THE HEIGHT OF FASHION AT THE TIME. THE TRAILER WAS, WHEN I TOOK THIS PHOTOGRAPH IN JUNE 1974, ONE
OF THE 'SHOWIEST' AND MOST EXPENSIVE THE FIRM HAD PRODUCED.
EPSOM DOWNS 1974
JESSE & CLARISSA 1979
PORTMASTER TRAILER
JESSE & CLARISSA'S TRAILER
ON THE DOWNS, EPSOM 1973
FINE JUBILEE TRAILER PRE 'FLASH' STYLE
BESHLIE in 1973
YOUNG BESHLIE WITH A WAGGON CONVERTED
FROM A BAKERS VAN.
THE FIRST TRAILER.