Home: Gypsy and Traveller lives
in Dorset
25th July 2026 – 23rd January 2027 (inclusive)
In partnership with Kushti Bok and Dorset History Centre.
East Dorset has long been shaped by Gypsy and Traveller families whose trades, stopping places and stories are woven into the landscape. Their presence lives on in censuses, church, military, school and medical records, photographs and local newspaper archives yet much of this history has remained hidden from public view. This exhibition brings those stories powerfully to the fore.
Home: Gypsy and Travellers Lives in Dorset explores where and how Gypsy and Traveller communities in Dorset have lived over the past century, and how ideas of home differ within and across families. For some, home is rooted in a fixed place; for others, it is defined by movement, kinship and long-standing ties to particular landscapes.
During the twentieth century, many traditional encampments, from New England in the east of the county to Foxholes near Tower Park, were closed, redeveloped or made inaccessible. As a result, many Gypsy and Traveller families were left without secure places to continue traditional ways of life. The exhibition traces these changes and reveals their impact across generations.
Expect to see archival material from Dorset History Centre, contributions from Kushti Bok including wooden scale models of traditional Gypsy wagons and soil samples from historic Dorset settlements, and objects that reflect both historic and contemporary experiences of Gypsy and Traveller life. The exhibition also features oral histories, allowing visitors to hear directly from people with lived experience.
Admission to the exhibition is included in the museum’s standard entry fee.
The Bournemouth Flower Girls. This photograph was taken outside the Beales shop, looking up Old Christchurch Road, in Bournemouth. Betsy Smith (née White) was sent to Bournemouth Square at 8 years old in 1898 to sell large white daisies. After selling out every day, some of her sisters started to join her and the Bournemouth Flower Girls were born! This photograph is courtesy of Dorset History Centre and was donated by Betty Smith-Billington, Chair of Kushti Bok, in 2023. Betsy Smith is her grandmother!
Exhibition partners
Kushti Bok
Kushti Bok is a Dorset-based charity that supports Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and promotes understanding of Traveller ways of life. Through education, advocacy and community engagement, it works to bridge gaps between local authorities and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, championing fair treatment, inclusion and respect for cultural heritage.
Learn more about Kushti Bok here.
Dorset History Centre
Dorset History Centre is the archives service and local studies library for Bournemouth, Christchurch, Dorset and Poole. It preserves the county’s documentary heritage — from council records to personal collections — and supports public access to Dorset’s rich historical record.
Find out more about Dorset History Centre here.
About Betty Smith-Billington
Chair and CEO of Kushti Bok
About Betty Smith-Billington, BEM
Betty Smith-Billington BEM is a proud Romany Gypsy, community leader, campaigner and Chair/CEO of Kushti Bok Dorset.
Her father was a Romany Gypsy and a Royal Marine, and Betty later discovered that her mother, who had been an evacuee, also carried Romany heritage. This dual family history – of service to the country and of Romany identity – has shaped both her personal story and her life’s work.
Born in Christchurch on 27th April 1947 and known affectionately as “Betty Blue”, a nickname given to her by her father, Betty has spent decades advocating for the rights of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. Throughout her career, she has built strong partnerships with councils, museums, heritage organisations, charities and public services to improve understanding of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture and to strengthen community inclusion. She has also worked tirelessly to make sure that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage is recognised, valued and remembered as an important part of Britain’s history.
Leading Kushti Bok
More than twenty years ago, Betty became involved with the Dorset-based charity Kushti Bok. Now, as Chair and CEO, she has led the organisation in making sure its work continues to support, represent and advocate for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. She has played a key role in community engagement, campaigning for equal rights, and working with local authorities and partner organisations to improve understanding and opportunities for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.
Under Betty’s leadership, Kushti Bok has grown from a small voluntary organisation run from her mobile home into an established charity with its own office, dedicated staff and long-term funding. Working in partnership with Citizens Advice, the charity has expanded its services to provide advocacy and practical support for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across Dorset.
Holocaust Memorial
Driven by her determination that Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers should not remain the “forgotten people” of the Holocaust, Betty has been instrumental in establishing the annual Gypsy, Romany, Traveller Holocaust Memorial Service, held each year on 2nd August 2nd.
In 2026, the Holocaust Memorial Service will be held at 3pm on Sunday 2nd August at Wimborne Minster.
Advocacy work
Throughout her work, Betty has built relationships with a wide network of agencies and bodies, including local councils, Dorset Advocacy, Citizens Advice and Shelter, to strengthen the support available to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across the Dorset region.
She has been a strong advocate for the correct capitalisation of “Gypsy,” “Romany” and “Traveller” in recognition of these as proper cultural and ethnic identities and has spoken about the long-standing heritage of Gypsy communities in the Christchurch and Poole areas.
Legend Pole project
One of Betty’s most significant achievements has been her stewardship of the Legend Pole project. The original Legend Pole, carved by chainsaw artist Gary Orange in 2004, was a treasured sculpture visited each year as part of the Roma Holocaust Memorial Service. When Betty discovered that the Pole had been damaged by water and animals, moved from the public gardens into an animal enclosure at Kingston Maurward College, and left without any explanatory signage, she was determined to see it restored.
She approached Luke Rake, the College’s newly appointed Principal, who was unaware of the Pole’s heritage and significance. Betty set about securing funding through the Heritage Lottery Fund to commission a new Pole, once again carved by Gary Orange, and the project grew to encompass far more than the physical sculpture. It raised the public profile of Gypsy and Traveller history in Dorset, led to the mapping of old encampments in the Poole area, the installation of information boards at two historic campsites in Poole and Bournemouth and the development of an interactive online map. It also included community workshops in wagon painting, traditional crafts, crochet and Christmas decorations, as well as an Easter horse fair.
The unveiling of the new Legend Pole drew more than 100 Travellers, with music and celebration marking the occasion.
Recognition
In recognition of her outstanding services to the Gypsy and Traveller community, Betty was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s New Year Honours in 2024. She has described the award not only as a personal honour, but as an important acknowledgement of the wider Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community and its contribution to British society. Later, in 2025, Betty was awarded the Bournemouth Mayor’s Award in recognition of Betty’s outstanding contribution to the community. Her work was also marked by an exhibition at Poole Museum.