wife Becky and their beautiful daughter Diana. It is said that the couple were once in the theatre, but came to put their acting talent to a less
reputable use. Apparently, they could only visit a place once, never to return, although they earned a very good living in return for paying this price.
They would call in to a new town or village, whereupon Becky would go to all the shops, obtain credit by false pretences and leave with food, clothes, anything she could get. This was her job,
so to speak. Meanwhile, Thomas would advertise in the local paper to sell their wagon. When prospective buyers came to look at it, he would offer it at a very cheap price, to ensure a quick sale.
He would take deposits from at least six or seven people and sometimes, if he could get away with it, even the full amount. He used to tell them that his brother was delivering a new wagon to him
the following day or so and that he would need to hand over the cash, promising them that he would move all his goods into the new wagon and then bring the wagon they would be buying to where they
lived. He would give them a receipt, signed with a false name, of course. That’s how he did his bit.
The daughter, Diana, was in her early twenties and a stunning-looking girl with beautiful big green eyes. She knew how to dress and make the most of herself. Her speciality was to become
engaged, and she could sometimes hook a man in just one or two days. The object here, of course, was the ring. Diana would first find her mark, which was easy for her, especially in small villages,
as the males did not often see a woman swanning around looking like a film star, all high heels, beautifully done nails and well-coiffured hair. Some said that she’d been at this lark since
she was about fifteen. One thing she did not do, from what we heard, was sleep with her victims.
Once she’d hooked her victim with her stunning looks, it was child’s play to get him to ask her out. She would complain about her strict father and how unhappy she was. It
wasn’t long before the victims would be under her spell and feeling very protective. She would shyly confess to them that she had fallen immediately in love. As soon as she had the chap
conditioned, she would lead him to the nearest jeweller’s to pick out a ring, varying the price depending on the wealth of the man involved.
No, she didn’t run off with the ring. She was cleverer than that.
Once she had the ring on her finger, she would go for a long walk with her victim, leading him either to a stream or somewhere where there was tall grass. Then she would pick an argument and, in
a temper, she would pull off her ring, throw it and storm off. She’d leave the bewildered victim searching for the ring, having seen it, with his own eyes, flying through the air. Except that
this wasn’t the real ring, but a cheap paste one bought from Woolworths. Even if he found that ring, he would keep searching, as he would know it was not the one that he had bought and placed
on her finger.
The trickster family would then sneak out of the village in the middle of the night. As far as I know, they never were caught.
When spring came, the family headed back to Skegness. On the bracing east coast, away from the frightened towns, there was a different atmosphere, Depression or no. The gorgers
were on holiday to forget their troubles, be it for a day or a week.
The girls had discovered an open-air theatre along the beach called the Arcadia where, every day, talent competitions were held. The sisters, though used enough to making their own entertainment
and joining in with fellow Romanies, had never really experienced this kind of theatre before, where they could perform before the public. And this was exactly what they decided to do, having
watched the gorgers’ attempts at singing and dancing, which, to be honest, they found rather amateur. They had been brought up singing and dancing every night and so were miles ahead
reputable use. Apparently, they could only visit a place once, never to return, although they earned a very good living in return for paying this price.
They would call in to a new town or village, whereupon Becky would go to all the shops, obtain credit by false pretences and leave with food, clothes, anything she could get. This was her job,
so to speak. Meanwhile, Thomas would advertise in the local paper to sell their wagon. When prospective buyers came to look at it, he would offer it at a very cheap price, to ensure a quick sale.
He would take deposits from at least six or seven people and sometimes, if he could get away with it, even the full amount. He used to tell them that his brother was delivering a new wagon to him
the following day or so and that he would need to hand over the cash, promising them that he would move all his goods into the new wagon and then bring the wagon they would be buying to where they
lived. He would give them a receipt, signed with a false name, of course. That’s how he did his bit.
The daughter, Diana, was in her early twenties and a stunning-looking girl with beautiful big green eyes. She knew how to dress and make the most of herself. Her speciality was to become
engaged, and she could sometimes hook a man in just one or two days. The object here, of course, was the ring. Diana would first find her mark, which was easy for her, especially in small villages,
as the males did not often see a woman swanning around looking like a film star, all high heels, beautifully done nails and well-coiffured hair. Some said that she’d been at this lark since
she was about fifteen. One thing she did not do, from what we heard, was sleep with her victims.
Once she’d hooked her victim with her stunning looks, it was child’s play to get him to ask her out. She would complain about her strict father and how unhappy she was. It
wasn’t long before the victims would be under her spell and feeling very protective. She would shyly confess to them that she had fallen immediately in love. As soon as she had the chap
conditioned, she would lead him to the nearest jeweller’s to pick out a ring, varying the price depending on the wealth of the man involved.
No, she didn’t run off with the ring. She was cleverer than that.
Once she had the ring on her finger, she would go for a long walk with her victim, leading him either to a stream or somewhere where there was tall grass. Then she would pick an argument and, in
a temper, she would pull off her ring, throw it and storm off. She’d leave the bewildered victim searching for the ring, having seen it, with his own eyes, flying through the air. Except that
this wasn’t the real ring, but a cheap paste one bought from Woolworths. Even if he found that ring, he would keep searching, as he would know it was not the one that he had bought and placed
on her finger.
The trickster family would then sneak out of the village in the middle of the night. As far as I know, they never were caught.
When spring came, the family headed back to Skegness. On the bracing east coast, away from the frightened towns, there was a different atmosphere, Depression or no. The gorgers
were on holiday to forget their troubles, be it for a day or a week.
The girls had discovered an open-air theatre along the beach called the Arcadia where, every day, talent competitions were held. The sisters, though used enough to making their own entertainment
and joining in with fellow Romanies, had never really experienced this kind of theatre before, where they could perform before the public. And this was exactly what they decided to do, having
watched the gorgers’ attempts at singing and dancing, which, to be honest, they found rather amateur. They had been brought up singing and dancing every night and so were miles ahead
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