Romany - Rural Radio Star

Romany and his dog Raq

Clare Balding has a rather wonderful program on Radio 4 where she walks through the countryside chatting to various guests from all sorts of backgrounds whilst rambling along their favourite walk. This is aptly called Ramblings having the double meaning of referring to both the conversation and the walks.

Modern equipment enables such a program to be recorded outdoors. However, decades before Clare Balding in 1933 a similar radio show was created in a studio in Manchester as country walks were recreated in a program that was to entertain and educate children and adults about the countryside. This program became "Out with Romany " and became so popular that it created listening figures Clare Balding could only dream of. It is all the more remarkable that this program featured a Methodist preacher of Romany Gypsy origins in a tale of social mobility that would, in my opinion, rarely be repeated today. The presenter of this popular show was the Rev. Bradwell Evans, fondly known to his listeners as Romany.

Out with Romany became the mist popular children's radio program of its day by 1934, however, it was equally popular with adults as they marvelled at Romany's observations of nature, wildlife and country life as he rambled through the countryside, albeit in the confines of a Manchester studio. Such was the quality that almost everyone believed the program was outdoors. All the more marvellous is that these programs were broadcast live.

By the late 1930's Romany and his program were known to almost every school child throughout Britain with adults sharing their children's interests. This success spawned a writing career of books, lectures and newspaper articles as Romany and his dog Raq became stars. All this was ably assisted by his wife Eunice Evans who typed out his many notes into a form that could be published. She remained modestly in the background until she wrote his biography after he died in 1943.

Sadly Romany's legacy only lives on in his writings for only one of his programs was recorded and those that remember listening to him are now fading away. Perhaps a little of his legacy survives in the countryside ramblings of Clare Balding.