Former hostage Terry Waite CBE has joined the campaign to secure the return of the town's smallest tourist attraction.
Romany's caravan, which has lived in Wilmslow for more than 70 years, was in need of urgent restoration and following an appeal to members of the Romany Society, which Terry Waite is patron of, it was removed from South Drive in December 2011.
The caravan, which is owned by Cheshire East Council, is currently in North Wales where it has been restored by The UK Vardo Heritage Project, who are experts in the field.
The restoration of the vardo (to give it its gypsy name) is now complete and is due to be inspected by an officer from Cheshire East Council and committee representatives from the Romany Society this week, prior to its collection.
However, its future destination is yet to be agreed and one committee member told wilmslow.co.uk that "far distant Bradford is looking a possibility".
Terry Waite wrote to Cheshire East Council this week saying "It is with some degree of alarm that I hear today that the East Cheshire Borough Council no longer wishes to act as custodian of the Romany Vardo.
"As you will no doubt be aware, Romany was the first BBC Naturalist and one of the most distinguished residents of Wilmslow. Without a doubt, he is a part of Wilmslow's heritage. As I understand it, it was the express wish of Mrs Bramwell Evens that the Vardo be kept in Wilmslow and that she had confidence in the local authority of the day to properly care for it so that it could be an attraction to visitors and also a memorial to her husband.
"If it is correct that the Council no longer wishes to meet this moral obligation, then I think it is a sad day for Wilmslow. With imagination, the Vardo could become a centre point of a feature which introduces a new generation to the wonder of nature as well as honouring a distinguished resident of the town. I sincerely hope that I have been misinformed and that the Vardo will remain in Wilmslow, which has been its real home for so many years."
The caravan belonged to Reverend George Bramwell Evens, who was a famous wild life broadcaster and author of many popular books on English wildlife. He used to write in the caravan and it features in many of his books.
In the later years of his life Reverend Evens lived in Wilmslow and when he died in 1943 his widow Eunice brought their caravan to the town. In 1950 it was placed in the newly created Romany Memorial Garden in South Drive.
Whilst the Romany Society managed to raise nearly £6000 from their appeal to members of the Society they were disappointed to only raise £83 from their second appeal to the people of Wilmslow.
It was hoped that Romany's caravan would return to Wilmslow after restoration, but the Romany Society are very concerned that it is better protected in the future from vandalism and the weather - so, along with Cheshire East Council, they spent a considerable amount of time looking at potential new locations.
At one stage officers at Cheshire East Council considered relocating the caravan to Tatton Park and Dunham Massey has also featured as a consideration but the future home of the caravan is yet to be agreed.
A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: "Romany's caravan has now been restored and Cheshire East Council and the Romany Society are working together to try to find an alternative and appropriate indoor location that will safeguard the caravan's integrity.
"A museum in Bradford has expressed an interest in taking it and displaying it as part of a wider Romany display. However, as it stands, nothing has been agreed."
What do you think about Romany's caravan being moved to a new location? Where would you like to see it located? Share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Perhaps the Council would not be quite so intent on hiving off facilities had it looked more critically at its top salary structure.
I think the Council and Romany Society should think about this asset as a means of attracting visitors.Our stock of tourist attractions in the town centre cannot be seen as extensive and so we should try all the harder to capitalise on what we do have,rather than say goodbye to this piece of heritage.
However, the Vardo was gifted to Wilmslow UDC and it's successors, with requirements for location, maintainence and Public Open Days on receipt of certain funds.
CEC have failed to honour its current maintainace committments (£6K) yet is prepared to offer free transport to a location in another Authority, at what benefit to CEC coffers?
I suggest CEC should honour its refurbishmenr commitments, repay WRS and transfer ownership back to them.
WTC could also request devolved powers for Vardo as a natural succesor to WUDC.
As with anything in current economic climated, the Vardo should provide a ner benefit to the Wilmslow economy.
What I think is more important is the cuts to local bus services across Cheshire East that are planned to save £500,000 (Express Advertiser 16/8). Wilmslow has an aging population I am far more concerned that those who do not drive or will have to stop will have no transport infrasture to support them. We have no bus service to the major hospital at Wythenshawe and a poor one during the day to the teaching medical and dental hospitals in Manchester, which becomes non-existence in the evening.
Those of us who live in Handforth and Wilmslow have substantially higher public transport fares than those of our neighbours in Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and Heald Green. In particular those beyond retirement age in the Greater Manchester Passenger Authority travel free on trains within the area.