Memories
			Margaret Pearl interviews her mum about her childhood What sort of trailer did you live in when you were a child ? When I was first born, I was born in a horse-drawn caravan, the really old-fashioned ones, I was. It's what the old gypsies call a wagon. A wagon pulled by horses. Did you have much spare time ? Yes, I had a lot of spare time and I liked my childhood. I liked when we used to pull up and down to different places.
How much did you go to school when you was a child ? I didn't go to school at all Margaret Pearl. Because we was in one place today and maybe tomorrow in a different county completely. How have things changed ? A lot. Cos now you've got settled homes to stay in. We live in trailers now Margaret Pearl and we live in proper sites, Council sites. And we can send our children to school and get them educated.
			What did you do in your spare time ? When I was little we used to make any kind of game. Anything at all, you used to amuse yourself. Me and all the other children. And in the evening time when we had our food we used to sit outside by a fire and my mam and my dad used to tell us all stories. Used to sing songs and do all things that you don't see the children getting educated that way. And my dad used to show us the trees, and he used to show us grass and corn and wheat and tell us all the different things and all the different names and all the different wildlife. Did you like it ? Yes, it was a lot better... You learned a lot more. You learned a lot more off the land. You learned a lot how to live off the land.
Where did you meet my dad ? Me and your dad knowed each other from childhood, being families and being travelling people together. He used to have his own trailer with his mam and dad and I had my own trailer with my mam and dad. And we've known each other all of our lives. You must know, Margaret Pearl, me and your dad's cousins. His mam is my first cousin. Granny from your dad's side is my first cousin. How has food and cooking changed since you were young ? A lot, Margaret Pearl, a lot. The old gypsy woman like your granny, done everything herself, made all her own food, made her own bread, cooked her own pots. We used to have big pots of meals, one thing and the other.
			Can you tell me what else has changed about now ? Years ago when we used to travel up and down, people who used to live in houses, they was a lot pleasanter. There was a lot with prejudices, but there was a lot pleasanter. But now Margaret Pearl you got a lot of prejudice against gypsies. There's a lot who's agin them. For all kinds, cos there's travelling people, and there's gypsy people and there's what you call Irish travelling people. But you are a gypsy Margaret Pearl.