THE nation went into mourning when gipsy broadcaster Bramwell Evans, one of BBC Radio's best loved personalities, died.

Even now, almost 60 years later, reader Eileen Travis clearly remembers that sad day. In picking up on earlier mentions of the children's favourite, who broadcast under the name of Romany, she adds some additional interesting detail.

Eileen, from Hartington Road, Dentons Green, remembers Romany, a fully ordained minister, visiting the vast old St Helens Methodist Church in Corporation Street (now vanished from the scene) accompanied by his four-legged 'shadow', Raq the dog.

Romany was the grandson of Cornelius Smith and nephew of Rodney Smith MBE, both lay preachers and of gipsy stock. And Eileen, further informs us: "Their stories are told in the book 'From the Forest I Came', by David Lazell. In it is a photograph of Romany."

The gipsy radio star died on November 20 1943. And in the book , 'Goodnight Children - Everywhere', by Ian Hartley, are the words: "The shock nationally, to children and adults alike, was enormous. Some school classes had to be cancelled the following day because children were inconsolable."

OH, how times have changed! The tastes of today's kids revolve around boy bands, soccer heroes and Spice Girl fashions rather than the tales of a gipsy with a dog-collar.