The story of Blackpool's South Shore Romany Gypsies

South Shore Romany Gypsies were central to Blackpool’s rise as a tourist town, yet displaced as the town expanded. Is enough being done to recognise their contribution?

By Antonia Charlesworth Stack, first published 22 February 2024

Sarah Petulengro’s booth on Blackpool Pleasure Beach may be the last vestige of Romany Gypsy heritage in South Shore. It’s a history that stretches back to the mid 1800s when her ancestors pitched their tent on sands no one else had deemed habitable. 

“It was a harsh life but it would have be…