Interesting post this. Thirty three years ago I had the privilege of staying with some descendants of Romany Gypsies. I was 12 years old at the time and on my first camping trip away from my parents, with a tent that my friends dad had made us from odds and ends of deckchair canvas.
After a days camping, we were set upon by a group of older lads who had spotted our crazy-looking tent, which they destroyed and then proceeded to pinch most of our belongings. In tears, we set off home and on the way met an old man and youth who listened to our tale of woe. They immediately set out to find the lads, but they had disappeared, so they invited us to their camp instead (which we somewhat worriedly accepted.)
An opening in a stretch of gorse revealed two colourful caravans, three dome shaped canvas shelters with chimneys and all sorts of interesting things all around. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we enjoyed their hospitality and kindness for a week, eating from the land and shore. We also went out with the old man to watch him hunt rabbit and pheasant with throwing sticks. We went home with many wondrous tales !
Seeing these and other skills was I think, the starting point of my fascination with living off the land and fulfilling your needs from the natural environment. Indeed, over the years I have stopped whenever I see these people and try and spend time with them, as they have a wealth of bushcraft knowledge, a great deal of which you won't find in any books.
