In the 1950s, the Roma were on the brink of a great change. In their bright wooden wagons, they traveled between horse markets and traditional stations - stoic, humorous, and wild, often poor but protective of their freedom - on the fringes of a society that would soon close in around them. Dominic Reeve describes his life among the gypsies: the conflicts and markets, the happily messy state of an exotic existence. He brings to life an unforgettable company of characters around the fire - daring children, fierce maternal figures, and bully gangsters with hats - and recounts the heated deals and games played with the local police, the romances, dances, and outdoor celebrations. "Smoke in the Lanes" is the vibrant, unforgettable record of a world that has disappeared.