Pseudonomous wrote: -
'Twenty years ago, the Stewarts saw themselves as Travellers', now they were 'observers - sympathetic, but detached observers'. (Quotations from the Till Doomsday in the Afternoon Book.)

After quite a search, I have found this quotation on page 35. I felt that I wanted to be able to comment on it but could not do so without examining the context it was written in so here is the full paragraph that it is taken from: -

It cannot be denied that the Stewarts' contact with the Gorgio world has resulted in their becoming entertainers, personalities and public performers, and has accelerated the process of their alienation from the Traveller community. At the same time, it has alerted them to the danger of their imminent destruction as a cultural and social unit. It is one thing, however, to be aware of a situation and another to actually do something to change the course of events. Twenty years ago, the Stewarts saw themselves as Travellers, as members of a community of outcasts. Time has changed their view of themselves: from being members of a community they have
become observers - sympathetic, but detached observers. The "us" and "them" of early Stewart conversations referred to Travellers on the one hand and Gorgios on the other. That is no longer the case. The "us" and "them" now seem to indicate the distance that lies between the Stewarts and other members of the Travelling community.

We got to know Belle & Alex very well. We corresponded for many years and they came several times to stay with us in Lewes just as we went quite a number of times to their house in Yeaman Street in Rattray. Ewan & Peggy met Belle, Alex and their family in 1961, Tina and I not until 1968. The book was not published until much later in 1986.
I find much to disagree with in that paragraph though I would agree with the first part of the first sentence. They did alter the way that they would present their songs stories and tunes so that it would become a folk club 'act' and it is also true that there was some jealousy and some opposition to their sharing their culture with the collectors - but then with the Scots travellers, family rows were a way of life; they always found something to fall out over and often the row would be forgotten as quickly as it began.
We tried to make arrangements about when we could visit but Belle would not hear of it - 'Jist come...jist turn up; yer aye welcome!' We knew that we would be expected to stay for most of the rest of the day and would be fed. When we visited so we always made sure that we had a food and drink gift to give them.
Every time we were there it was like Open House, various traveller 'freens' would drop in for a chat and a cup of tea and swap the news of mutual friends and family. Once a man turned up and he had come to complain about the sale of a car. He and Alex had a blazing row and were cursing one another roundly. We got up to go but Belle stood in front of us and told us to sit down and be quiet because it would over in a short while. And it was! The visitor turned and from the row to have a few jokey words with Belle and she responded in kind before he left. Immediately our hosts reverted to their normal charming selves.
We organised tours for them in England which was easy to do as we knew the clubs that would be interested. The Singers Club, Guildford, Horsham, Swindon and our club in Lewes - all in the south and perhaps Nottingham on their way south and Newcastle on their way back north. One time we were travelling over from Lewes over to Horsham with them in their car. We saw some vardos aitched on the side of the road and Alex stopped the car. Belle got agitated.
"Now, Alex, We havna' got time for this; we huv tae get tae this folk club."
"Jist bide in the car yous three. Ah'll no be long."
He was gone for about 15 to 20 minutes with Belle fretting all the time. When he came back the rest of the journey was taken us with Belle wanting to know everything that had been said. Alex did not know these people but they had many acquaintances in common and were able to give many updates to one another.
Does this sound like "alienation from the Traveller community"?

Finally it is simply wrong to use the word 'Gorgios' to describe the settled community, though they would have recognised this word as a Romany word used by English travellers. They might have said 'gadgie' for a man though they told me that this was more used by their Aberdeenshire 'freens'. Talking about settled people that they in villages and towns, they would talk about the 'country hantle'.